Ethiopia Wubanchi (Espresso)

This lot comes from the Aricha Wubanchi washing station in Guji, Oromia, just outside Yirgacheffe. Over 1,700 farmers in the village of Aricha grow this coffee in their own backyards, then bring their cherries to the station together. It's a genuinely community-grown coffee before it's anything else.

The station's processing partner, Primrose Coffee, recently funded the construction of a local road to support the farmers who supply them. That's not a footnote, that's the kind of thing that keeps a washing station worth sourcing from.

Flavour notes

Strawberries and Cream. Caramelised Berries.

A Supernatural process, meaning the cherries get a longer, more deliberate drying window than a standard natural, which is exactly why the fruit here reads soft and creamy rather than sharp or boozy.

You've got questions, we've got answers.

Is this only for espresso?

Yes. This one's roasted specifically for the machine, so you get a shot that's sweet and syrupy rather than sharp or sour. If you want it for filter, it's not this bag.

What's "Supernatural" process actually mean?

It's an extended natural. The fully ripe cherries are hand-picked, then dried whole (fruit still on the bean) for 22 to 26 days instead of the usual two weeks. That extra time on the drying beds is what pulls out the strawberry and cream character instead of leaving you with something boozy or overripe. Nothing supernatural about it really, just patience.

Won't fruity coffee taste weird with milk?

Not this one. That's the whole point of the "and cream" in the tasting note. The Supernatural process gives it a natural creaminess that plays properly with milk instead of fighting it. Try it as a flat white before you write it off.

Why does the roast matter here?

Our IMF hot air roaster means every bean roasts evenly with no scorching, so we can pull this one back just enough to protect the fruit without ever tipping into sour or underdeveloped. Precision, not guesswork.

How does it taste?

Strawberries and cream up front, caramelised berries through the back half, and a finish that lingers sweet rather than sharp. Fruity, but round. Not one for people who think fruity coffee has to be a punch in the face.

Specs

Origin: Ethiopia
Region: Guji, Oromia (Mesina, Adola)
Farm/Producer: Aricha Wubanchi Washing Station, in partnership with Primrose Coffee
Variety: Heirloom Ethiopian (JARC 74110, 74112, 74165)
Process: Supernatural
Altitude: 1950 to 2200 MASL
Harvest: Hand-picked from November

Roasted fresh, never pre-ground, dispatched fast.

We roast five days a week and dispatch at 1pm every day. So you get your coffee FAST!