May 2012’s pick

Ethiopia Elan Amaro Gayo

Certified organic, sun dried and proudly produced by Ethiopia’s only female coffee exporter.

Thus far, we’ve brought you coffees from most of the coffee-growing world, but the coffee cherries themselves have all been processed the same way: through washing. Not this one. Elan Amaro Gayo is a natural sun-dried coffee, and the difference in flavour is astonishing.

Our coffee experts’ personal verdicts

Jim, 35 years in the coffee trade
“Be prepared for a flavour explosion from this outstanding and unusual coffee! With the added bonus of impeccable sustainability credentials.”

Geoff, 35 years in the coffee trade
“Some Ethiopian restaurants roast, grind and serve coffee at your table. We have done most of that for you but for an extra touch of authenticity, try serving this unusual coffee from a clay or ceramic jug (Jebena) into very small cups (Cini).”

A coffee with a past – and a future

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and in many ways, Amaro Gayo is a coffee from another time. There’s nothing mass-produced or machine-made about it.

The process begins by selecting the very ripest cherries from a handful of smallholder farms. These cherries are brought to the Amaro Gayo mill where they are hand-sorted and set on trestles in the sun, so the pulp dries naturally on the coffee seed. This extended contact with the pulp yields a much more intense taste. This is coffee processing the old way: by hand, in small batches, and with care and exactitude.

Meet the lady in charge

Everything at the Amaro Gayo mill happens under the leadership Asnakech Thomas, Ethiopia’s only female producer and exporter. Her dedication to quality means Amaro Gayo is a regular standout at Ethiopia’s private coffee auctions. It’s also one the region’s higher-priced coffees, and Thomas directs profits into social programmes, schools, clean water initiatives and medical care for the local community.

By choosing this coffee, we’re supporting Asnakech Thomas’s vision for the Ethiopian coffee industry – and that’s something we feel pretty good about.

“Almost 80% of the people who pick my coffee are women. I want to encourage them.”
Asnakech Thomas

Tasting notes

The natural method of processing Elan Amaro Gayo really sets the flavour apart. Take a moment to smell the coffee before you brew: the dry aroma is of toasted cereals and cherry, while the wet aroma is sweet and malty, reminiscent of unripe banana.

When tasting, see if you can detect chocolate and blackberry. The mouthfeel is lingering and buttery, making for an unusual, intense combination.