Yirgacheffe Smallholder Farms • ZEM Coffee Washed Heirloom

Recommended Roast Level

Full City Plus (Dark)

Tasting Notes

Cacao - This coffee is indeed chocolate forward with incredibly subtle touches of natural acidity. Cacao is a great descriptor of this idea.

Lava Cake - This coffee has a decadent nature to it, with a smooth mouthfeel and a bold chocolatey sweetness. Lava cake brings that idea to a tee.

Toffee - Toffee is a developed sugary dessert; given this coffee’s very smooth and sweet profile, we felt toffee really hones in this idea well.

ZEM Coffee, Coffee Production

Our Ethiopian Yirgacheffe comes to us through ZEM Coffee, a vertically integrated coffee company founded by Ethiopian and American trio Zele, Emily, and Michael. The partnership began in 2013 and has evolved through various ventures, including Catalyst Trade, which rapidly scaled as an Ethiopian coffee importer from 2018 to 2023. ZEM Coffee now operates with a small team in Kansas City and specialized teams in Ethiopia and Peru. Their focus is on quality coffee and intimate, sustainable partnerships in the coffee industry.

This Washed coffee is from the Resetti kebele located in the Gedeo zone. Multiple landrace varieties are blended collectively at the washing station, resulting in a harmonious blend that highlights the diverse terroir of the region. The coffee is meticulously processed at the Resetti washing station, owned by a family of coffee producers and is vertically integrated collaborative partner site with Ethio-Catalyst. Here, ripe cherries are gathered from smallholder farmers and undergo special preparation to produce Grade 2 and Grade 1 coffees. The cherries are sorted, pulped, and fermented, enhancing their flavor and ensuring a high-quality product.

Research indicates that approximately 68% of its cultivated land in the Gedeo zone is dedicated to coffee. The typical size of a coffee plot ranges from 1.7 to 8.5 hectares, with varying yields that range from a few bags to close to 50 bags annually. Coffee trees thrive alongside indigenous shade trees like Cordia Africana and Acacia, and the enset plant, which is crucial for local agriculture. Farmers often face challenges transporting their harvest, relying on donkeys or small taxis to navigate the region’s terrain and bring their goods to market.

Highlights