Ever heard of a gateway coffee? 

For many of us a naturally processed Ethiopian single origin was the coffee that opened our eyes and first exposed us to the broad spectrum of flavours that coffee can offer. This fresh crop Ethiopian from Deri Fahmi is a great example of exactly this. 

To break down the name, Deri is the name of the village where the coffee is harvested. Fahmi is the name of Faysel Abdosh’s first son. Mr. Abdosh, of course, is the founder and CEO of the coffee exporting company Testi that has enabled us to harvest and source this coffee from the Guji region in Ethiopia. 

We have served coffee from this region many times before. Most recently being the washed process Uraga, Guji. The characteristics of high altitude and rich red soil make this region ripe for great coffee growing. Typically, farmers in Ethiopia pick from their own small farms called ‘coffee gardens’. They seldom use fertilizers and often harvest coffee from their land for their own consumption and not merely for commercial sale. This is because unlike many coffee producing countries, coffee growing, harvesting and drinking has always been a part of Ethiopian society and culture. Naturally, when you are harvesting a product that you plan to consume yourself, quality is more easily assured.       

This coffee has also undergone what is called ‘special prep’. Which is where the coffee is sorted above and beyond an already Grade 1 level sorting, specifically to select only the ripest cherries. After this sorting the cherries are rinsed and then dried on raised beds for 8-25 days, depending on weather conditions. It is an heirloom Ethiopian, which is to say that it is a blend of coffee varietals native to Ethiopia. Notice the varied size and shape of the beans?    

We try to source experimental coffees that can showcase new and exciting flavours, but we will always come back to coffees that are what we consider as original; coffees with flavour combinations that are important to know as reference points for further coffee tasting. 

Please enjoy this naturally processed Ethiopian. It is the sort of coffee that first hooked many of us into coffee and hopefully it will have the same effect on you!