Ethiopia Metu Illubabor
Extra Bold Profile | Dark roast
Tasting Notes: Smoked Caramel, Baking Spices, Dark Chocolate
IT ALL STARTS AT THE COFFEE FARM
Nestled in Ethiopia’s highlands, the Illubabor zone is a fertile, underdeveloped gem. With its temperate climate (20.7°C average) and abundant rainfall (1800mm yearly), the land thrives—rolling hills (1400–2100m elevation) cradle steep river valleys and waterlogged plains.
Reaching Illubabor requires a flight to Addis Ababa, then a 30-minute hop to Metu, the regional capital. From there, a bumpy journey on paved and dirt roads leads to the Metu washing station, operational since 2015. Here, 300–400 tons of coffee are processed annually—washed, pulped, fermented, and dried with meticulous care. Each batch is tracked by origin, ensuring traceability from farm to export.
Farmers deliver cherries via motorcycle, horse, or donkey to collection centers, their fields shaded by native false banana trees. The Oromo people, deeply rooted in tradition, make up most of the population of the region. Due to education and urban migration barriers, many young people decide to stay on their parents’ farms or buy neighboring farms, to continue growing coffee and dedicating themselves to their families’ craft for the rest of their lives.
TRACEABILITY
LA JOYA, EL SALVADOR
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Illubabor
Importer: Red Fox
Producer: Several Smallholder Producers
Processing: Washed
Varietal: Ethiopia Landraces
Altitude: 2000 - 2100 meters
Mill/Washing Station: Metu Washing Station
SCA Cupping Score: 85.13
Price Transparency: $4.85 - Price paid by Driftaway; $3.98 - Coffee C-Market price per pound; $0.05 - Driftaway’s World Coffee Research contribution per pound.
Love the coffee? You can share your compliments & tasting observations with the farmers.
1 year
Length of producer relationship
100% (in 2023)
Transparent coffees purchased
HOW DID WE ROAST THIS COFFEE?
This coffee is being roasted by Ian T. from Aug 11 to Sept 5 in Brooklyn. We use the Loring Kestrel roaster for this profile. We have strict guidelines for each of the coffee profiles, and this roast has to pass the development time ratio test as measured in real-time by the roasting software, Cropster. Once it does, it is approved for production.
QUALITY CONTROL
We perform Quality Control via a process of coffee tasting called cupping on all of our production roasts once a week at our roastery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Each cupping is conducted by Ian T., Anu M., and Suyog M. using standard equipment, and is logged by our Q-certified cupper Ian T. All coffees are evaluated on a scoring scale of 0 to 3.
- 3.0 = exceptional roast - exceeds expectations
- 2.5 = on par with profile - matches expectations
- 2.0 = good roast, but 1 or 2 elements could be improved - needs improvement
- 1.5 or lower = failed - do not ship
PRODUCTION AND SHIPPING
Less than 24 hours after roasting, we bag your coffee in our production facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Our production team is led by Torie, and supported by a rotating cast of local artists, musicians and independent professionals.
AT YOUR HOME
Brew this coffee with your favorite home brewer and enjoy the taste of incredible coffee! Here are a few tips on how to make the best coffee on each brewer.
View other posts about how to make better coffee at home on our blog Coffeecademy.
