Foundry Coffee Roasters: Ethiopia, Ato, Kayon Mountain, Natural

The Guji region is fast becoming a favourite with us having produced some truly wonderful natural processed coffee over the past few years. For us, this one is the best yet and we know you're going to love it. It is well balanced and yet incredibly complex. In the cup you'll find sweet, tart blueberries and lavender notes sitting alongside cleansing tropical fruit notes. However you brew your coffee, you're going to be absolutely delighted by this coffee.

The Kayon Mountain Coffee Farm was established in 2012 with the aim of producing top quality coffee in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. The farm is situated in the southern part of Ethiopia in the Oromia region, Guji Zone which is about 320 miles from the capital city, Addis Ababa. The farm is privately owned by Ato Esmael and his family.

Guji is a recent addition to the range of beautiful coffees being exported from Ethiopia. Historically it has been exported as a Sidamo type, but after many years of lobbying, the Ethiopian government has granted Guji its own geographical distinction. While the cup profile is quite similar to Sidamo coffees, some people feel that there is a “little something special” in the terroir of Guji.

New Heirloom coffee trees have been planted on this 240 hectare plot in fertile sandy clay loam soil beneath the canopy of a natural forest. Organic processes are used on the farm with animal dung being the main source of fertilizer. The coffee is harvested from October to February by people from local villages. Some of it is washed, fermented and dried on raised beds and the rest is left for the production of high quality natural processed coffee.

The natural process at Kayon involves meticulous cherry selection and hand sorting prior to drying. Drying is done on raised beds for between 14 and 28 days, depending on the weather. The coffee is turned regularly during this time to ensure it remains free of mould and over- fermentation.