Producing Partner: Ethiopia Uchoro

Catalyst Trade is a coffee importing business that resonated with us right from the start. They’re out to make a mark on the global coffee industry by creating more equitable profit distribution and a higher quality of life for those who work in coffee. Catalyst is Ethiopian-American owned, woman-led, and devoted to equality. They source amazing Ethiopia coffees with special attention to sustainability. We met with them in their Portland offices to cup coffee and were so impressed that we chose some coffee for our most popular blends, like Ruby’s. We also flagged some single origin offerings and three special limited editions for the season. The Ethiopia Uchoro is the first of these limited editions to arrive in the U.S. This coffee is a great example of a washed Ethiopia, with floral, citrus, and chocolate notes that can be showcased with different brew methods.

Coffee for this particular roast experienced an anaerobic washed process at the farm. Anaerobic processing is unique from honey, natural, or fully washed processes in that the beans are subjected to an extreme no-oxygen environment. Why? It gives the growers ultimate fermentation control and allows them to bring forward coffee characteristics that just aren’t possible with other processes.