Ethiopia | Abdo Aba Mecha Washed

Region: Agaro, Ethiopia
Variety: 74110, 74112
Process: Natural
Elevation: 2000-2100 masl
We Taste: Blueberry, White Peach, Lavender

This is our second year purchasing Abdo Aba Mecha's coffee, though last year it was only featured as a component in our year round offering, Embassy. We're very happy to have his coffee back on our menu, this year with the intention of also featuring it on our single origin menu in two different lots: washed and natural. Although we love the unique profile of washed coffees from the Agaro and Jimma region, we have found that these coffees often aren't as intense and fruited as coffees from southern Ethiopia (eg: Guji or Sidama). This lot was a bit of surprise for us and may be our favorite coffee from Agaro we've had. It still stands firmly in its regional profile, with the classic, waxy oolong or white tea flavors we associate with Western Ethiopia, but the volume is also turned up on the fruit and florals with a very pleasing, juicy texture. In the cup, we're finding flavors of apricot, peach, and persimmon alongside aromatics of osmanthus, jasmine, and oolong tea.

Abdo Aba Mecha is a member of the Tokuma group in Agaro, Ethiopia, which is a group of small farmers who are pushing the boundaries of coffee production in Ethiopia in terms of traceability and producer autonomy. In the context of the history of Ethiopian coffee, which has largely been sold through the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange, the idea of seeing single-farmer lots is still a relatively new concept. Individually held export licenses have provided greater agency for producers to market and sell their own coffee, while improving the traceability of Ethiopian coffee. However, it is still common practice for these producers to buy cherries from their neighbors, process it, and sell it in order to have more consequential volumes of production to export. The Tokuma producers differ in that their lots are comprised solely of coffee that they grow. This model creates lots of the utmost traceability, while allowing the Tokuma producers to keep their cost of production low.This gives them a unique opportunity to keep their pricing very competitive, while maintaining high profit margins. This degree of control over their own production is rare and cutting edge for Ethiopia, and we believe strongly that their work together with Osito is a model for progressive and sustainable purchasing in Ethiopia.

Every year, the bulk of our purchasing in Ethiopia has been directed towards Mohammed Aba Nura of the Tokuma group, but unfortunately his harvest experienced severe issues, and so this year, we pivoted our effort towards Abdo Abamecha and Mensur Abahika, both of whom we have also purchased from in the past.

Price Breakdown

Our Total Cost: coming soon
Packaging, labor, and weight loss: coming soon
Green Price: $5.75/lb
FOB Price: coming soon
Farm Gate Price: Same as FOB price because Tokuma group coffees are exported by the producer.
Importer: Falcon

*We roast on Tuesdays and ship the following day; order cutoff is 7:00 am Tuesday morning