This coffee comes from the southern district of Gedeb, Ethiopia, in the famed Yirgacheffe region. Produced by coffees sourced from the family-owned farms organised around the Banko Gotiti Cooperative, this co-op was established in 2012 as a separate entity from the larger and well-known Worka Cooperative. Banko Gotiti cooperative is renowned for producing some of the best washed and natural cherries throughout all of Ethiopia.
Most farmers in this cooperative—and all across Ethiopia—have very small areas of land to work with, sometimes only 100-150 coffee trees in total. Producing small amounts of cherries, most of these are a mix of local improved varieties like Certo and Wolisho (native to the area) and native forest varieties that still haven’t been classified. These cherries are all referred to as Ethiopian Heirloom, or technically “Ethiopian Landrace”. “Landrace” here refers to the fact these cherries have adapted to the natural and cultural environment, isolated from other species, and grown in tune with the local ebbs and flows of Ethiopian coffee farming. This coffee is a perfect example of the uniqueness of the Heirloom varietals, and of the work the Banko Gotiti cooperative is doing, tasting of ripe peach and sweet honeysuckle.
