ETHIOPIA HAMBELA GORO
Some coffees make an impression from the very first sip.
Others stay with you long after the cup is empty.
This washed lot from Hambela Goro is one of those coffees. Grown at an impressive 2,300 metres above sea level in Ethiopia’s Guji region, it beautifully captures everything we love about high-elevation Ethiopian coffees – clarity, elegance and remarkable complexity.
Why we chose this coffee
There are many beautiful Ethiopian coffees every year. Very few manage to combine floral elegance, juicy fruit, sparkling acidity and remarkable sweetness without sacrificing balance. Hambela Goro does exactly that. For us, this coffee represents the very best of washed Ethiopian coffee – transparent, expressive and unmistakably linked to its origin.
About the producer
The story behind Hambela Goro is closely tied to Tagel Alamayehu, founder of the exporting company Olkai and coordinator of the washing station.
Coffee has always been part of his family’s history. His father was considered a pioneer in Guji, building the first washing station in the Bule Hora community in the early 2000s. Despite later losing all of his land, his passion for coffee never disappeared.
Determined to rebuild his family’s legacy, Tagel gradually bought back the farms that once belonged to his father. In 2018, following changes in Ethiopian export regulations, he founded Olkai and began building direct relationships with international roasters. Today, Hambela Goro stands as one of the region’s most respected washing stations.
a community of smallholders
Rather than sourcing coffee from a single farm, Hambela Goro works with around 460 smallholder producers.
Most own only a few hundred coffee trees, yet together they create lots with remarkable consistency and quality. Beyond purchasing cherries, Olkai actively supports local communities by paying above-market prices, distributing coffee seedlings and investing in schools and infrastructure throughout the region.
processing
Only perfectly ripe cherries are selected before undergoing multiple rounds of hand sorting.
After depulping, the coffee ferments underwater for approximately 48 hours, then dries on traditional African raised beds for 10 to 12 days, depending on weather conditions.
The combination of meticulous processing, exceptional altitude and the renowned 74110 variety creates a washed coffee that is both vibrant and refined, with outstanding clarity in the cup.
