The Fifth Kingdom

Orange | Grape | Cinnamon Bun | Apricot | Warm & Silky

The Biftu Gudina cooperative was formed in 2011 by descendants of the Gomma Kingdom — one of five great Oromo kingdoms in western Ethiopia, farmers who had cultivated this land for centuries before commercial coffee existed as a category. By the time the cooperative formed, the region had become synonymous with low-grade, unwashed commercial coffee. Within a year of gaining access to a wet mill, their prices had quadrupled.

Details

• Origin: Ethiopia · Jimma Zone · Agaro · Biftu Gudina Cooperative
• Process: Washed
• Roast: Handbrew / Filter
• Best for: V60, Chemex, AeroPress, Kalita

The Story

A missionary who visited the Limmu Ennarya region in the 1840s recorded that the forest trees were carefully tended by order of the king. The Gomma people were always skilled farmers. By the late twentieth century, that heritage had been largely squandered: the Jimma region had become known for low-grade commercial coffee sold cheaply through intermediaries.

In 2011, the Technoserve Initiative helped 296 smallholders form the Biftu Gudina cooperative and gain access to a wet mill. The results were immediate: prices for their coffee increased by as much as four times. The cooperative now has over 600 members. The farmers of Gomma were always good at this. It just took the right structure to prove it.

In the Cup

Orange and grape lead, with cinnamon-bun sweetness and cardamom spice underneath. Apricot in the mid-palate. A subtle silky texture — unusual for a washed coffee — gives it more body than expected. Warm and aromatic; more fireplace than farmyard.