LALESA, ETHIOPIA

Tasting notes

In the roaster’s words

Location : Gedeb Harvest Month : December 2025 Altitude : 2,150 - 2,200 masl Varietal : 74112 & 74110 Process : Anaerobic natural Flavour profile : Blueberry, tepache & caramel Category : Limited & Experimental Free shipping over £32. Buy 2x250g bags and get 50%off your third one. For the last two years we had the pleasure of working with three lots from the Lalesa washing station through Ephtah, with them being some of our firm favourites of the year. This year we are happy to have lined up another three lots in partnership with our friends at Falcon. This year we see a repeat on the slow dry natural and anaerobic natural, and then a return to the oh so special black honey from a couple year backs - if you know, you know. The first release of this years triptych is the anaerobic natural, a similarly super complex and rich lot like last years. The cup profile is sweet, tart, tropical and bold in nature. Intense blueberry kicks things off, reminiscent of an old school natural Ethiopian. That thought ends as soon as it starts, with the cup moving into rich tropicals, ever so slightly sparkling, with hints of funk and booze. This combines with a high sweetness throughout with a moreish vanilla and brown sugar finish. ETHIOPIA Ethiopian coffee production is profoundly influenced by the country's three main seasons. The Bega season (October-January) is the long dry period, crucial for coffee harvesting and processing. The Belg season (February-May) brings the first rains, essential for coffee flowering and early fruit development. The Krempt season (June-September) sees heavy rainstorms from the east, crucial for the later stages of coffee fruit development and ripening. By the end of September, the rains cease abruptly, allowing the coffee fruits to ripen, leading to a bustling harvest period by November. LALESA This anaerobic lot comes from Lalesa, in Gedeb woreda, and is processed at an Ephtah-owned site. Ephtah purchased the land in July 2023, before building the warehouse and drying beds in September 2023. The site sits at approximately 2,150 to 2,200 metres above sea level and is the largest drying site in Gedeb. Coffee in the area is naturally grown under shade trees, mainly Ensete, also known as false banana. The lot is made up of local heirloom cultivars and is harvested between December and January. The Lalesa site covers approximately 3.5 hectares and has around 400 drying beds. It employs seven permanent staff and around 130 seasonal workers during

Notes

Harvest month listed as December 2025; lot is from an Ephtah-owned Lalesa site in Gedeb and categorized as Limited & Experimental.