Fruity and Floral: Ethiopia Natural Guji Kayon Mountain

When I was a barista trainer many years ago for a previous coffee company, the green buyer at the time had a genuine distaste for natural processed coffees; as a roaster and cupper in the 90s, finding high-quality washed coffees was the preference for many companies. At the time, natural coffees had a reputation for being wild and unpredictable in terms of quality, and he had certainly had his share of tasting unclean and underwhelming natural processed coffees. This lasting impression followed him throughout his career, and when he became a green buyer, he only sought out washed coffees. Once, a partner importer sent him a sample of natural processed coffee from Guji, Ethiopia, simply asking for his unbiased opinion. After all, he was well respected in the industry and known for his precise evaluations. To his surprise, he was floored. Not only did he praise this coffee, he asked if he could buy it. Who knew that after all these years, his mind would be open to change? It was a huge deal when the leadership team announced that we would be serving this coffee. All the baristas and I were excited to drink and share it, too–it reminded us of blueberries and chocolate cake.

a coffee tree with ripe and unripe cherries

Thanks to all the hard work and efforts of coffee producers, there are plenty of tasty, natural processed coffees to be found. But natural coffees from Guji always brings back a sense of nostalgia, and reminds me of my days as a young coffee professional exploring the flavor wheel with my peers. When looking for a fun, new coffee to feature on our menu, I received a handful of samples, but this one from Kayon Mountain Coffee Farm took center stage.

Coffee cherries on raised drying beds

Kayon Mountain was established in 2012 by a group of family farmers who have been producing coffee for over a generation. Their efforts in sustainable farming, eco-friendly processing, and finding solutions for challenges faced by their families have allowed them to consistently produce high quality coffees. Ato Esmael is one of the owners of Kayon Mountain, and he and his family produced this lovely coffee.

coffee cherries are meticulously rotated to promote even drying. defective cherries are sorted out.

The farm is located in the Shakiso District of Guji, Oromia. This is a large farm with 240 hectares rich with sandy clay loam soil and is under the canopy of a natural forest. Organic processes are used on the farm, and folks from the local villages work on the farm during harvest season. While some coffees are washed, Ato Esmael’s farm mainly produces natural processed coffee. Freshly picked cherries are washed, in which low-density beans are channeled away and sorted as lower-grade coffees. The remaining clean high-density coffee cherries are placed on raised beds and left to dry for 12-20 days. They are meticulously hand-turned, and any defective cherries are picked out. Afterward, the dried cherries are milled and further sorted before being graded and prepared for export.

This coffee is fruity and complex, with blueberry, black tea, and orange blossom notes. With a heavier brew, we have also tasted chocolate-covered gummy bears!