Ethiopia - Aricha Natural

A Trip Down Memory Lane

This coffee takes us back to those natural Ethiopian coffees that first got us into specialty coffee 8~10 years ago.

I'll be honest — my personal preference for naturals has taken a significant hit over the past few years. The explosion of experimental processing has really muddied the waters in terms of what you can expect from dry processed coffees. I've actually gravitated so much towards clean, balanced washed coffees that I rarely drink naturals recreationally anymore. But since y'all love them, we try to sprinkle in some great ones from time to time!

The Cup Profile

Wow. This coffee is a whirlwind of fruit...sugar...cocoa.

Centering on blueberries, we've tasted everything from dried blueberries to blueberry pastry. It quite reminds me of those unfrosted blueberry Pop Tarts my Mom used to get when I was an itty, bitty lad. The sugar aspect? Time and again, it's a very specific bubble gum... maybe cotton candy.

Back to 2015

This coffee has been bringing me back to 2015 because these kinds of Ethiopian coffees were way more common then. It's been a treat altogether to get the chance to experience it again.

Hope you all enjoy this one this season!