Ethiopian Coffee Beans

Arabica coffee comes from Ethiopia’s forests. Its thousands of native varieties give some of the most floral and fruity cups in the world.

Altitude
5,500–7,500 ft
Harvest
October–January
Varieties
Ethiopian landraces (heirloom)
Usual process
Washed and natural
Rarity index
40/100

Carried by 189 of 312 US roasters we track

On Roasterland
12 coffees · 12 roasters

In the cup

Florals, bergamot and berries

Washed coffees are tea-like with jasmine, bergamot and lemon. Naturals are juicy with blueberry, strawberry and tropical fruit.

JasmineBergamotBlueberryLemon

Taste profile

SweetnessHigh
AcidityBright
BodyMedium
BitternessLow

From our tasting of every coffee from this origin on Roasterland. Each coffee page has its own profile.

Ethiopia, side by side

Same origin, different small roasters. Each roasts it its own way.

About the region

Where coffee began

Wild coffee still grows in the forests of south-west Ethiopia, and farmers in Sidama, Yirgacheffe and Guji grow thousands of native varieties found nowhere else.

Ethiopia also drinks a lot of its own coffee. The coffee ceremony, roasting green beans in a pan and brewing them in a clay jebena, is part of daily life.

Roasters who roast Ethiopia

Black Oak Coffee Roasters Ukiah, CA Brio Coffeeworks Burlington, VT Captain + Stoker Monterey, CA Carrier Roasting Co. Northfield, VT Coffee Man Atlanta, GA Ghost Town Coffee Roasters Bozeman, MT Ladder Coffee Roasters Spokane, WA

If you like Ethiopia, try

AfricaKenyaBlackcurrant · Grapefruit · Tomato · Brown sugar Asia & PacificYemenDried fruit · Spice · Cocoa · Winey AmericasPanamaJasmine · Bergamot · Stone fruit · Tea-like

Questions about Ethiopia

What does “heirloom” mean on an Ethiopian coffee?
It refers to the many native Ethiopian varieties grown together, rather than one named variety.
Washed or natural?
Washed Ethiopians are floral and tea-like; naturals are fruitier and heavier.