Out of the Ashes

Peach | Lemon Tea | Brown Sugar | Grapefruit | Clean & Structured

In 1998, wildfires destroyed nearly 5,000 acres of forest in the Guji Zone of Ethiopia. Tesfaye Bekele’s response was to plant — coffee seedlings and shade trees, one at a time, until the forest came back. This coffee came from those ashes.

Details

• Origin: Ethiopia · Guji Zone · Suke Quto
• Process: Washed — fruit skin removed before drying, producing a clean structured cup
• Roast: Espresso
• Best for: Espresso, Long Black, Flat White, Latte

The Story

Tesfaye Bekele was working for Ethiopia’s national forestry service when the fires tore through Odo Shakiso in 1998. His colleagues saw devastation. He saw an opportunity to rebuild differently — distributing coffee and shade-tree seedlings to 170 outgrowers, persuading a region known for mineral extraction that coffee was a viable future.

It required patience. Newly planted coffee takes three to five years to produce. But the conviction held. Tesfaye left his government post, established a demonstration farm, a nursery, and two washing stations. He has since funded a school in the village of Kurume. Today, Suke Quto works with 171 growers — and the forest that was ash in 1998 is now canopy.

The farm is named for the Suke River. ‘Quto’ means forest in the Oromo language. When you buy this coffee, you are, in a small way, keeping a promise made over the ruins of one.

In the Cup

Black: Clean and bright. Peach and lemon tea in the first third; cherry and raisin as it cools. Brown sugar sweetness in the finish, grapefruit acidity keeping it lively throughout.

With milk: Stone fruit deepens into peach nectar. Malted milk, brown sugar in the finish. Citrus fades to a soft brightness at the back of the palate.