Landrace

Our debut release brings together natural and washed lots from the celebrated Danche washing station in the Gedeb region of southern Ethiopia.

As espresso, it’s sweet and fragrant, with notes of apple, golden raisin and a touch of cinnamon - reminiscent of warm apple strudel. With milk, those flavours soften into something closer to apple pie and vanilla custard: comforting, round and quietly indulgent.

Danche sits on a small hill not far from the well-known Chelbesa washing station. At its crest stands a large kararo tree, casting a broad canopy of shade across the grounds. Paired with the steady cool breeze that moves across the hilltop, it creates a calm refuge from the midday sun - a fitting setting for the careful work carried out there.

We first visited Danche in January last year, hosted by station manager Ferew Ayalew, whose background in agronomy is reflected in the station’s thoughtful organisation and attention to detail.

The natural coffees are hand-sorted on arrival and floated to remove underripe cherries, then dried on raised beds for two to three weeks. During this time they are turned regularly and inspected to ensure only the best cherries remain. The washed coffees are pulped and graded on delivery, fermented underwater for around 72 hours, then channel-graded to separate the densest beans. After soaking in clean water, the parchment is dried on raised beds for 8–20 days until it reaches ideal moisture.

This care at every stage results in two distinct but complementary lots. Together, they form a Landrace espresso that reflects both its origin and the considered work behind it.