No. 19of 19

YirgacheffeEthiopia

Heirloom country, roasted for comfort.

Small family garden plots in Ethiopia's Gedeo Zone, at 1,700–2,200 m, growing mixed heirloom varietals with more genetic diversity than any other origin we buy. We take it washed and roast it for sweetness and body rather than the bright acidity Yirgacheffe is usually sold on.

Gedeo Zone · Ethiopia

Elevation
1,700–2,200mAs on our lot sheet
Zone
Gedeo, southern Ethiopia
Varietal
Mixed heirloom
Grown on
Small family garden plotsOften interplanted with other crops
Process
Washed
Lot
Cozy Cookie
From the roastery
≈ 4,800kmDelhi, as the crow flies, to the region
Still to confirm
Washing stationWe are asking the estate. Blank means blank, not guessed.
Ethiopian highland landscape with trees under cloud
Plate 01Ethiopian highland landscape with trees under cloudPhoto by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash
J F M A M J J A S O N D Oct TODAY

It is October, and the harvest is under way. Picking runs to January.

  • BlossomFeb – Apr
  • HarvestOct – Jan

A typical year for this kind of country. This farm's own dates can run a few weeks either side.

Coffee poured from a traditional jug into a cup, Ethiopia
Plate 02Coffee poured from a traditional jug into a cup, EthiopiaPhoto by Amanuel Kebede on Unsplash

Small plots, high altitude, mixed crops

Yirgacheffe is a small growing area within Ethiopia's Gedeo Zone, at high altitude, commonly cited at 1,700–2,200 m — the same band BROOT's own lot sheet uses. Coffee here typically grows on small family plots, often interplanted with other crops as "garden coffee" rather than on cleared single-crop estates. Ethiopia's heirloom varietals carry a genetic diversity not found at any other origin we buy from, which is a large part of why Ethiopian lots taste unlike anywhere else.

Roasted coffee beans on a wooden surface
Plate 03Roasted coffee beans on a wooden surfacePhoto by Eko Sutrisno on Unsplash

Sweetness and body over bright acidity

Most Yirgacheffe on the market is sold on bright, floral, citrus-forward washed character. We roast ours the other way: for sweetness and body rather than acidity — gentle without being boring, sweet without being heavy. Cocoa, roasted nuts and soft vanilla on filter; caramel cookie, chocolate and malted vanilla as espresso.

What we buy

1 on the shelf today
Lot01Omni roast

COZY COOKIE

Washed

From Rs. 950View lot

“Cozy Cookie is our best-seller for a reason: it takes an origin most people already associate with delicate, bright coffee and roasts it for comfort instead. It's the easiest cup in the shop to hand a first-time specialty drinker, black or with milk.”

Notes and sources

  1. BROOT wholesale lot sheet
  2. BROOT product pages cozy-cookie, the-four-best-sellers-sampler
  3. General background on Yirgacheffe geography, elevation and heirloom varietals: Bean Box, "Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee" (beanbox.com) — used for regional context only, corroborates BROOT's own elevation figure

The contour lines behind the title are decoration, not survey data. Distances are great-circle, measured from Delhi to the point shown in the ledger.

Photography

Plate 01, Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash · Plate 02, Photo by Amanuel Kebede on Unsplash · Plate 03, Photo by Eko Sutrisno on Unsplash.

Photographs show the country around the estate unless a caption says otherwise. We are asking the growers for their own; when they arrive they replace these.