We have been buying Kayon Mountain coffee from Esmael for many years… and have some great green coffee lots available now
Once again as we cup through our entire lineup of Ethiopian arrivals, the coffee from Kayon Mountain are some of our best. Regardless of whether wet or dry processDry process coffee is a method for taking the fruit from the tree to an exportable green bean. The whole intact coffee cherry is dried in the sun... ...more, their coffees always seem to tick off so many boxes for what we consider quintessential Guji flavors, like rue herb, refined fruits, and florals.
The Kayon Mountain group are really a family business, with Esmael Hassan managing a lot of the day to day operations. (In fact we also buy from his brother Kedir for many years too!) Most of his sites are in Shakisso, Guji zone, and very close to their farms. Esmael grew up in this area, and his ties to local community have helped him establish Kayon as buyer.
Looking back at our notes , our buying history with Kayon goes back to when they first exported coffee, in 2016. At that time in EthiopiaEthiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia, or a coffee cultivar: Ethiopia, or more specifically the Empire under Haile Selassie, was known as Abyssinia. The name is Latin, derived from... ...more, only cooperatives and large farms could obtain export licenses, and Kayon Mountain’s 200 hectare farm that had just come into production allowed them to export their own coffee under the “Kayon Mountain” name.
Since then, Kayon Mountain has grown to include a hand full of farms and wet mills, which we’ve offered under names such as “Goro Bedessa”, “Kayon Mountain”, “Genet”, “Taaroo”, and others. They process their own coffee, as well as buy cherryEither a flavor in the coffee, or referring to the fruit of the coffee tree, which somewhat resembles a red cherry.: Either a flavor in the coffee, or... ...more from the farmers in the villages where they operate. We’ve visited many of these farm and sites, always impressed by their post-harvest processingThe removal of the cherry and parchment from the coffee seed.: Coffee is either wet-processed (also called washed or wet-milled) or dry-processed (also called wild, natural or natural... ...more, some of which is documented some of those visits in the photos below.
Check out our current Kayon Mountain coffees:
- Ethiopia Guji Goro Bedessa: Perfect for pour-over brewing, a light-and-bright coffee, with perfumed top notes that shine through in the cup. Simply syrup, aromatic notes of rose water, tropical hops, and hint of rue wrapped into a sweet finishSimilar to aftertaste, but it refers to the impression as the coffee leaves the palate. Aftertaste is the sensations gathered after the coffee has left the mouth. We... ...more. City to City+City+ roast is an ideal roast level that occurs roughly between 425 and 435 degrees Fahrenheit in many coffee roasters with a responsive bean probe where First Crack... ...more.
- Ethiopia Dry Process Guji Genet: Delivers pronounced fruit flavors at both ends of the roast spectrum, juicy and sweet, blackberryBlackberry flavor in coffee sometimes relates to slightly more developed roast levels.: Blackberry is found as a fragrance, aroma or flavor in some coffees. I find that it... ...more, creamyCreamy is a mouthfeel description indicating thickness and soft, rounded texture. See also buttery. ...more cherimoyaA tropical fruit found in Colombia, with complex tropical fruit flavors. Very aromatic.: In coffee, a specific multi-faceted tropical fruit flavor found in Cherimoya (Chirimoya). Wikipedia: Some characterize... ...more, grapefruit, Tej honeyIn coffee, honey-like sweetness is often found, but we use terms such as refined honey (highly filtered and processed) as opposed to raw honey rustic honey sweetness. This... ...more wine, blueberryBlueberry flavors in coffee take different forms. Dried blueberry was something we first encountered in natural Harar coffee from Ethiopia. It seemed to be most potent in fresh... ...more pancake syrup, rusticA general characterization of pleasantly "natural" flavors, less sophisticated and less refined, but appealing. : What is Rustic? This is a general term we came up with... Dried... ...more cocoa, and complexThe co-presence of many aroma and flavor attributes, with multiple layers. A general impression of a coffee, similar to judgments such as "balanced" or "structured" ...more aciditc impression. City to Full City.
- Launching 9/6! Ethiopia Shakiso Wesi: Clean cupClean cup refers to a coffee free of taints and defects. It does not imply sanitary cleanliness, or that coffees that are not clean (which are dirty) are... ...more sweetnessSweetness is an important positive quality in fine coffees, and is one of five basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Savory (Umami). In coffee, sweetness is a highly... ...more, snappy acidityAcidity is a positive flavor attribute in coffee, also referred to as brightness or liveliness. It adds a brilliance to the cup, whereas low acid coffees can seem... ...more, with floralFloral notes in coffee exemplify the connection between taste and smell. Describing the taste of a specific flower is near impossible...we always default to “it tastes like it... ...more aromatics that tie in nicely to the sweet flavors. Black tea, lemonLemon notes, as well as other related citrusy flavors or acidities, are prized in coffee. These usually express themselves as a bright accent in the cup, or aromatic... ...more spritz, BergamotBergamot Orange is the size of an orange, with a yellow color similar to a lemon, and has a pleasant fragrance. The juice tastes less sour than lemon,... ...more, lemongrass, lavender, rose water, coriander, citrus bitters, and ginger bread cookie. City to City+.
