Koke Shalaye, Ethiopia

This lot comes from Koke kebele in Yirgacheffe, Gedeo—a region renowned for its expressive and complex coffees. Processed at Koke Shalaye, a station situated at approximately 1,973 metres above sea level, it benefits from a range of processing methods, including washed, natural, honey, anaerobic, and carbonic maceration. The measures taken at the station are executed with great attention to detail, ensuring a selection of high-quality lots that showcase the diversity of Koke’s coffee.

Harvest begins in November and can extend into January, depending on climate conditions. The coffee grown in Koke is a blend of 74110, 74112, and 74165—varieties developed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (JARC). The first two digits, “74,” mark their documentation in 1974, while the remaining numbers represent individual variety codes. These varieties are celebrated for their distinct Ethiopian flavour profile, often displaying bright acidity and dense, complex fruit notes.

The Fetay River runs through the region, providing a vital water source for both the village and coffee cultivation. Farmers in Koke practice a traditional form of agriculture known as "garden coffee," growing coffee trees among other crops in their backyards. Yirgacheffe itself is a sub-region of the Gedeo Zone, located in Ethiopia’s Southern Nations.

While its lush, steep hills appear thickly forested, they are, in fact, home to a dense network of villages and smallholder farms. The wider region hosts approximately 26 cooperatives, representing over 43,000 farmers and spanning more than 62,000 hectares. Though predominantly known for its exquisite washed coffees, Yirgacheffe also produces a smaller selection of sundried lots such as this one.

Koke Shalaye washing station was established in 2019 by Abreham Mengiste and spans 2.5 hectares. It is equipped with 220 drying beds and 12 fermentation tanks, processing cherries from a community of over 2,040 smallholder farmers. Since its inception, the station has earned recognition for its exceptional quality, including an award from the African Taste of Harvest competition.

At Koke Shalaye, processing begins with pre-cleaning to remove foreign materials. The coffee is then hulled and polished to eliminate parchment and silver skin before being sorted by size and density. Defects are carefully removed using colour sorting technology before the beans are packed in GrainPro bags for export. This lot is sourced through our partner, Primrose Coffee, a vertically integrated company with over 20 years of experience in Ethiopian green coffee exports.