Ethiopia Hambela Natural

Ethiopia Hambela Natural Specialty Coffee

For years, premium Ethiopian coffee came down to one name: Yirgacheffe. But Guji, and Hambela in particular, has stepped out of that shadow over the last decade and built an identity of its own.

Hambela sits in Guji, a region that was long sold under the banner of other areas before its producers earned independent recognition for the character of their soil and climate. At around 2,200 meters, Arabica trees here produce cherries rich in natural sugars, yet the finished cup is clearly different from the classic Yirgacheffe profile everyone knows. That difference is exactly what specialty coffee drinkers look for when they want something beyond the usual.

The Process: Natural

The whole cherry is dried in the sun with its skin on, with no washing and no pulp removed. As it dries, sugars from the fruit gradually work their way into the bean, which gives Ethiopia Hambela Natural its pronounced fruit sweetness and its distinctive character in the cup.

Cup Notes

The cup opens with tropical pineapple sweetness, followed by berries that add fruity depth, and finishes with a touch of pomegranate that leaves the cup clean and refreshing. This lot scored 86 with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA).

Roast Approach

A medium roast, chosen on purpose to protect the clarity of the fruit notes the natural process built.

We roasted Ethiopia Hambela Natural for the brew methods that bring out the best in the bean: filter (V60) or any pour-over that gives the coffee enough time to reveal its fruit layers one after another.

Ethiopia Hambela Natural, Coffee Details:

• Origin: Ethiopia
• Region: Guji, Hambela
• Variety: Arabica
• Process: Natural
• Altitude: 2200 masl
• SCA Score: 86