Sweet, fruity, and with a slightly “boozy” character—that’s Rum Cherry Rum from the Dutch roastery Sprout Coffee Roasters. This Ethiopian coffee certainly doesn’t play it safe. The flavor profile combines bold maraschino cherries, Jamaican rum, and a rich, brownie-like body. The result is a funky, tropical-fruity cup with a distinct fermented character. The coffee is roasted as an omni, so you can brew it using either a filter or an espresso machine.
The coffee comes from the Lalesa estate in the Gedeb region of Ethiopia and is sourced by Ephtah Specialty Coffee. Ephtah has owned Lalesa since 2023, and today the estate encompasses 3.5 hectares of land and 350 drying beds. The estate lies at an elevation of 2 ,150–2,200 meters, and native Ethiopian varieties known as “Heirloom” are grown here. The coffee trees grow naturally in the shade of trees, primarily enset, also known as false banana. During the harvest, the team expands from 20 permanent employees to approximately 250 people.
Rum Cherry Rum undergoes anaerobic natural processing. The coffee ferments for nine days in plastic barrels without oxygen, creating conditions for a more pronounced fermented character, which is also evident in the flavor profile itself. This phase is followed by drying for 13 to 18 days. The dried coffee is then stored directly in Lalesa and later transported to Addis Ababa. Sprout states that the chosen processing method aims to maximize the final quality of the coffee.
- Elevation: 2,200 m above sea level