FARM: Small Holder Farmers
REGION: Banko Michicha, Kercha District, Guji zone
ALTITUDE : 1900 - 2050 MASL
VARIETAL : Heirloom
PROCESS : Anaerobic Natural
This exceptional Grade 1 microlot comes from the Guji Kercha washing station in Banko Michicha, Kercha district, in Ethiopia’s renowned Guji zone. The station partners with around 150 smallholder farmers who grow traditional landrace varieties Kurume, Wolisho and Dega at elevations of 1,900 to 2,030 MASL.
For this lot, cherries undergo an extended, wine-style fermentation inside vacuum-sealed stainless steel tanks fitted with a one-way valve. This system allows CO₂ to escape while preventing oxygen from entering, enabling long, clean fermentation with greater flavour development.
Before processing, only fully ripe cherries are hand-sorted. They are then sealed in tanks where fermentation naturally builds internal pressure, pushing CO₂ through the valve in small bursts. Temperature is closely monitored and guides the fermentation length, which typically runs for 4-5 days.
Once complete, cherries are dried on raised African beds for 15-18 days before resting and then travelling to Addis Ababa for final milling, grading and hand-sorting.
Guji is a celebrated coffee-growing region in Oromia, named after one of the Oromo tribes. Established as its own zone in 2002, the area ranges from high mountain peaks to fertile agricultural land, with Negele as its administrative centre. Its high altitude, indigenous varieties and meticulous post-harvest methods make Guji one of Ethiopia’s standout origins for natural and experimentally processed coffees.
Ethiopia first started exporting coffee in the 15th century. It was brought by Somali merchants to Yemen for Sufi mystics, as they drank it to concentrate better on their chanting. Today, coffee export makes up around 70% of the county's export earnings, and it is estimated that a quarter of the Ethiopian population works within the coffee industry.
Almost all coffee is grown on small farms, or ''garden coffees'' that cover less than a hectare and producing around 300kg of coffee per year. This is also one of the only countries with wild grown coffee that is harvested from native forest trees. Even the famous Geisha varietal can be found growing wild here.
Ethiopia is famous for producing incredible sun dried naturally processed coffees. However, over half of all Ethiopian coffee is processed using this method. The coffee cherry is pulped to removed the fruit, fermented and then washed.
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