Ethiopia Sidamo Hamacho Waeno

The Ethiopia Sidamo Hamacho Waeno might sound like a bit of a mouthful, but it's a delicious mouthful: this washed coffee is a beautiful, floral cup with bright citrus acidity, and a lingering fruity sweetness. It comes from Hamacho Waeno, one of the largest cooperatives in southern Ethiopia with over 4,000 members and four washing stations. Their members have cultivated 2,000 hectares of the sloping, volcanic soils of the region 2,000 meters above sea level, to support some of the highest quality indigenous heirloom variety coffees.

The Hamacho Waeno co-op is committed to sustainable growth not only for their products, but also for their community, investing profits back into their local area. Hamacho Waeno has also partnered with the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (which is, in essence, a cooperative of 46 cooperatives across the entire Sidamo region). SCFCU provides export services, credit and technical services for its members. We purchased this lot from green coffee importers at Royal Coffee.

Ethiopian coffees are typically hand picked from various farms, homesteads, and small plots, and carefully sorted. The farmers will then sell them to their cooperative for processing, where they will be mixed in with coffees harvested by other members. There are countless indigenous heirloom varieties in Ethiopia, many of which are still not identified, so the heirloom varieties you might receive in one bag of green coffee are incredibly diverse. In processing washed coffees like this one, the cherries are pulped and the coffee is allowed to ferment. The seeds are then carefully washed and sun-dried on raised beds. Most washed coffees from this region have similar profiles: pronounced acidity, strong fruity flavors, and a medium body. The Ethiopia Sidamo Hamacho Waeno ticks all of those boxes, and yet it has a unique floral profile that has enchanted us as well.

Enjoy Ethiopian coffees as drip, pour over, or a unique single origin espresso. View our current offerings here.