Why We Love This Roast

There just really aren’t any coffees quite like high elevation washed Ethiopians. The best ones feature sparklingly clean, vibrant acidity; big sweetness; and a vast array of flavors. And that’s exactly what we have here. We taste peach, oolong tea, green tea, pineapple, candied plum, and golden raisin - and you’ll very likely taste even more fruits and flowers when you taste it, as the exact flavor profile depends on your grinder, your water composition, your brew recipe, and how many days post-roast you are brewing.

Why are these high elevation washed Ethiopians so good? First and foremost is the variety of coffee. These beans are “heirlooms” or “Ethiopian landraces,” which means that they are the original, naturally-occurring coffees from which all other coffee varieties are derived. These beans simply offer more nuance and interesting flavors than most other beans. The other big factor is the altitude. Anything in the 1,500 meters above sea level or higher realm is considered high elevation, and these are grown at up to 2,500 meters above sea level! The high elevation means cold nights (but due to the tropical latitude, still warm days, so the plants can thrive). The cold nights slow the maturation of the cherries, so there is more time for the flavors to develop. Bera Grade 1 was grown under a canopy of large legume shade trees. The coffee, the legume trees, and Enset (false banana) form a complex agroforestry system that maintains a high level of nutrients in the soil, which of course also helps the coffee trees thrive.

One of our favorite things about Ethiopian coffees is that they are nearly always great no matter which brew method you use. They do tend to produce more fines than other coffees, so if you’re brewing a pourover, you probably want to grind a bit coarser than you otherwise would. But those fines also make Ethiopians like Bera particularly excellent as espresso. And you can’t go wrong in a French Press either - just don’t grind too coarse.