In the bouquet, strong notes of orange and grapefruit mingle with hints of molasses and lime. These notes get pushed into the background while a sweet cocoa takes the foreground in the cup. This is a heavier-bodied coffee than most Ethiopians and performs best when brewed at least 5 days from the roast date.

Accolades

"Fruit-nectar-like aroma with suggestions of peach, flowers, honey and perhaps sweet white wines such as Gewurztraminer. Lush acidity, medium to full body, silky mouthfeel and juicy, fermenty fruit flavors carrying from aroma into cup: lemon, dried berries, tangerine, cherry, balanced by a pungent hint of aromatic wood. Flavors soften in the finish but linger with a complex balance of sweet and savory."

92 points on CoffeeReview.com, March 2010

Background Info

This coffee was awarded 1st Place in the East African 2009 Harvest Competition that was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Many dry-processed Ethiopian coffees are picked at the tail-end of the season, bagged a few days or even a week before drying, and then dried on cement. Ardi, however, had no wait before it was screen-dried, and when it was dried, it was dried on raised beds, not cement. Ardi also received extra steps in sorting after it was hulled.