Red berries, nectarine, black tea. Galatooma coffee is like a delicate mosaic of flavors that slowly unfolds with every sip. It is light, smooth, and yet surprisingly layered. With each sip, its bright fruit acidity, nectarine-like sweetness, and clean black tea finish unfold. It is the first harvest from altitudes where, according to most, coffee should not grow – let alone ripen perfectly and offer such a clean flavor profile. Yet it is here that a micro-lot with an unusually clean character has been created, which, thanks to slow drying on raised beds, has retained all its liveliness and complexity.
The project is the brainchild of producer Dege, who, together with a small group of growers from the remote Arbegona area in the Sidama region, has pushed the boundaries of what is possible. At an altitude of 2,600 meters above sea level, where coffee trees do not usually thrive, they have grown this exceptional harvest. After careful hand-picking and selection, the cherries were slowly dried to preserve all the subtle flavor nuances imparted by the extreme conditions. The result is a coffee that not only tastes different, but also tells a story of courage, curiosity, and a deep connection to the land.
The cherries for this batch were processed using a dry method known as natural. This involves drying the whole fruits slowly and gently on raised beds, where they are exposed to the sun and air. This process takes several days and allows the coffee to retain all the flavors it has acquired at this altitude. The result is a cup full of the juicy acidity of red fruits, the sweetness of ripe nectarines, and a velvety body with a long finish reminiscent of black tea.
- Producer: Dege
- Altitude: 2600 m above sea level