Our roots, coffee’s roots, arabica’s roots: it all goes back to Limmu. Three years ago, City Boy shipped its first subscription coffee. It was an exciting year for Ethiopian coffee. For the first time ever, individual farms were able to sell coffee without going through the Ethiopian Coffee Exchange. It was also an exciting time for me, after months of immersion in coffee research and a trip to origin that ended days before the COVID-19 lockdowns began, I had a lesson in roasting from Paolo Maliski. Paolo has become a close friend since then but at the time I only knew of him by reputation. I think it’s fair to say as the years have gone on, that reputation was well deserved. I don’t want to embarrass him, but I truly believe he’s one of the most talented roasters in the world. After tasting dozens of Ethiopian coffees, Paolo helped me turn the fantastic green coffee I’d purchased from the Lulesa family, into something that was worlds better than I would have thought possible.
Over the coming month, he continued to help me grow as a roaster, and my commitment to small batches allowed me to discard anything that didn’t match the standard that our first release had set. It was not a decision that was initially profitable, but I’m a confirmed try-hard. It didn’t matter to me that City Boy was brand new. I wanted the coffee to be outstanding every time. That brings me back to our first coffee.
When City Boy first started shipping coffee, I wanted every release to be indicative of its origin. That’s what our first coffee was. “Juicy Limmu” as we called it, was a washed coffee from JARC cherries. It was tea-like with floral, citrus, and stone fruit notes and felt in line with what people expect from an Ethiopian coffee. As time has gone on however, we like to focus more on expanding people’s perception of what coffee can be. Sometimes that means introducing you to a coffee that feels very typical to a place, but sometimes that means challenging what people expect of an origin or comparing and contrasting coffees. When it came time to celebrate our third anniversary, it felt like an exciting opportunity to do just that. This month’s coffee is also from Limmu. However, it’s very different from our previous Ethiopian releases.
We are thrilled to announce our latest coffee offering: Limmu, Ethiopia. This coffee is not only delicious, but also has a special significance for us. It was the first region we ever featured in our subscription, back when we started City Boy Coffee three years ago. And now, we are bringing it back to celebrate our anniversary and to share with you the amazing story behind this coffee.
Before we get too deep into the coffee, let’s talk about the origin. Limmu is a region in western Ethiopia, where coffee is believed to have originated. In fact, some experts think that Limmu may be the original home of arabica, the most prized species of coffee in the world. Limmu is known for producing high-quality coffees with complex flavors and aromas, thanks to its rich soil, high altitude, and diverse microclimates. In 2008, the Ethiopian government started a program to encourage farmers to preserve the natural forests and grow coffee on the edges. This was a win-win situation for both the environment and the economy, as coffee farming provides income and incentives for conservation.
One of the farmers who benefited from this program was Mesfin Dabasa, who had a degree in agricultural economics. His father had also been growing coffee since the 1940s. The government granted Mesfin 150 hectares of land. His brother Yidinekachew also received land from the government and recently the two of them created a combined company to manage their farms and market their coffees. The farm is still quite young, having been acquired in 2008, the oldest trees on the farm are just 11 years old. The brothers are stewards of the nearby forestland, which is habitat to antelope, hyenas, apes, colobus monkeys, leopards, and numerous birds.
The 150 hectare farm that Mesfin got now only produces naturally processed coffees (also known as dry process coffees), which means that the coffee beans were dried inside the fruit, before being removed. As you might expect, the flavor is quite different than what we previously shipped from the Lulesa family. It was a washed coffee, which means that the coffee beans were removed from the fruit and washed before drying. This process usually results in fuller, more intensely flavored coffees and that’s exactly what we got. The coffee scored a high 89 points on our cupping table and the mouthfeel was unexpectedly special. We described it as silky, smooth, velvety, and full bodied. The aftertaste is also incredibly smooth, warm, and comforting — nothing astringent at all. When it came to taste, we picked up on tamarind, dark chocolate, fig, angostura bitters, and oak barrel. It also had a quality that reminded us of the fresh feeling you get from biting into a strawberry. All in all, this coffee is something everyone will appreciate whether you like traditional or experimental profiles, it really has something for everyone. We also nailed the roast. After sampling it several times, we found a target roast level and found the perfect articulation when we went to production. This coffee is excellent as espresso, iced coffee, pour over, French press, and cold brew. Really and truly, this is complex, versatile, and incredibly special.
Limmu is no longer the up-and-coming region that it was when we first featured coffee from the area, like City Boy, it’s matured and we now see coffee from this area frequently. We were so happy to offer coffee from the region and the Dabasa brothers who’ve remained committed to excellent coffee and building a stronger community. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate our third anniversary than with this special coffee. It is a tribute to our roots, our journey, and our vision. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Join us as we embark on this exciting new journey with Sphere and savor the flavors of this exceptional coffee!
