Tasting Notes: Peaches 'n Cream, Blackberry & Oolong Tea

Growers: Koba area smallholder farmers
Community: Koba, Uraga, Guji, Oromia
Variety: Washed Ethiopian Landraces
Altitude: 2316 masl

Yabitu Koba comes to us from Guji's Uraga district in Ethiopiaʼs Oromia region. Oromia is the largest region of Ethiopia, home to more than 30 million people. Guji is one of the oldest coffee-growing areas in Ethiopia. Koba, which is the prevalent native false banana tree in the Oromiffa language, is a remote kebele (town) that's difficult to access, especially during the rainy season.

Koba's producers intercrop using false banana trees, maize, Korch, Wanza, and Sesa for shade, selecting based on the age of the coffee plant and its other needs. Their soil is a highly fertile sandy loam with good water retention and drainage. It's self-sufficient with proper planting practices and doesn't require fertilizer to produce spectacular quality. (source information from Red Fox Coffee Merchants)