Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and for good reason. Its lush southern regions and deep, rich soil create ideal growing conditions for thousands of coffee varieties. Unlike coffee grown in many other parts of the world, Ethiopian coffee often grows without agricultural chemicals, making these beans superior in quality. When you buy Ethiopian coffee, you’re getting coffee as it was meant to be.
What Makes Ethiopian Coffee Special
Ethiopian coffee is known for its floral, bright, and fruity flavors, usually with higher acidity, a light to medium body, and a complex flavor profile. Ethiopian coffees are also among the rare origins where you can experience that coveted blueberry note — if you’re hunting for a “blueberry bomb” coffee, look no further.
The Three Main Growing Regions
Yirgacheffe is a small town famous for producing some of the world’s best beans. Most producers here favor wet processing, yielding brighter coffee with lighter bodies.
Guji, located south of Sidama, is another prominent region where some of the world’s best roasters source their beans. Guji coffees tend to have a tea-like body with sweet floral notes like jasmine, peach, and melon.
Harrar, in the east, is known for delicious dry-processed beans with syrupy bodies. These tend to have a wild, fruity character with a winey taste.
The Reviews: From Bottom to Top
7. Jim’s Organic Ethiopian Sidama
This coffee comes from the Sidama coffee farmers co-op. We weren’t overly impressed — while it wasn’t bad, it didn’t taste particularly fresh, and it was hard to tell what smoky flavor was intended versus what resulted from over-roasting.
6. Cooper’s Ethiopian Coffee
A great choice if you’re passionate about supporting small Ethiopian coffee farmers. These are farmgate beans, meaning they were purchased directly at the farmer’s gate — true single-origin, micro-lot coffee. We picked up floral notes of nectar, raw honey, lemon tart, and a citrusy vibe. Not a bad coffee, but hard to recommend over options higher on our list.
5. Birch Coffee Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
Grown at 5,000+ feet and roasted by a New York coffee chain, this Yirgacheffe is good but not quite as standout as the other Yirgacheffes we tried. The taste is tangy and light-bodied with fruity layers, notes of floral honey, strawberry, and lemon, plus a touch of grassiness. An ideal sipper.
4. Volcanica Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
Sourced from the Yirgacheffe region where coffee trees grow wild, Volcanica is known for roasting fresh and shipping faster than competitors. We found this to be a fun coffee with interesting flavors — a slight twist on the traditional Yirgacheffe profile. The taste was noticeably strong with floral and fruity notes, plus lavender, dark chocolate, guava, pineapple, and ripe strawberry.
3. La Colombe Yirgacheffe
Every coffee plant in the world traces back to the Ethiopian highlands, and Yirgacheffe is famous for its distinct fruity and floral beans. This La Colombe roast has a medium body and is very easy to recommend. The taste was vibrant and delicious with a hint of grassiness, a tangy acidity that makes it great for sipping black, plus sweet notes of honey, citrus, and berry. A great example of a Yirgacheffe.
2. Kaviari Coffee Roasters Ethiopia
We really enjoyed this one. The taste delivered blueberry, almond biscotti, jam, and lavender — a stunning and unique coffee that’s incredible no matter how it’s prepared. It has strong blueberry notes that are brighter and more acidic than Peet’s Ethiopian Supernatural. While phenomenal, it may not appeal to all palates. There’s also a nutty, pastry-like quality that makes it absolutely worth trying.
1. Peet’s Ethiopian Supernatural
Peet’s Ethiopian Supernatural is a limited-release coffee that Peet’s promotes both online and in stores — and the promotion is well deserved. This is a rare example of a major chain coffee that packs strong natural blueberry notes. It’s also likely to be a crowd-pleaser, as it isn’t terribly acidic and has lower tones. The taste is sweet and full, fruity with noticeably dried blueberry and white floral character. We rated it 4.5 out of 5 and highly recommend picking up a bag while it’s available.
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