Koke Indigo, Ethiopia (Carbonic Maceration Natural) Specialty Coffee

KOKE WASHING STATION

The Koke processing station is named after the village of Koke in the Yirgacheffe district, Gedeo Zone. Built in 2011, it is a family-owned station, located on a hillside, with coffee grown both above and below the station, a position that gives it access to varied altitudes and distinct flavor profiles.

The station collaborates with dozens of small local producers, many of them families with generations of coffee cultivation tradition. Over the years, the station's team has constantly invested in improvements and has started to offer direct guidance to partner farmers to improve the quality and consistency of the harvest. One of the decisions that defined their reputation: separating cherries picked from higher altitudes, a small detail that makes a clear difference in the cup.

PRIMROSE

Primrose Specialty Coffee is one of Ethiopia's most respected coffee exporters, founded in 2010 by Abreham Mengiste and Meseret Workneh, both with over 20 years of industry experience at the time of its launch. Primrose works with thousands of producers across nine Ethiopian regions, promoting transparent and sustainable practices and connecting local farms with specialty roasters worldwide. In addition to traditional methods, Primrose has also explored experimental processing — including carbonic maceration — precisely to highlight the unique aromatic potential of Ethiopian coffee.

HEIRLOOM

Ethiopian coffee grows from a mosaic of heirloom varieties — native trees, mostly genetically unmapped, that have developed naturally in Ethiopian forests and gardens over hundreds of years. These varieties have not undergone commercial selection, and precisely because of this, they retain a rare aromatic diversity, difficult to reproduce elsewhere. In the cup, they translate into vibrant expressiveness, with floral, fruity notes and a well-defined natural acidity.

PROCESSING — CARBONIC MACERATION NATURAL

Carbonic Maceration is one of the most precise and spectacular processing methods in specialty coffee, initially borrowed from the world of wine. Whole, intact cherries are placed in sealed tanks and saturated with carbon dioxide. Without oxygen, fermentation occurs inside each cherry individually — an intracellular process that concentrates aromas, intensifies sweetness, and creates a clear, vibrant, and distinct aromatic profile.

After fermentation, the beans are naturally dried on raised African beds, allowing residual sugars to slowly integrate into the bean. The result is a coffee with remarkable aromatic clarity — where tropical fruits and flowers express themselves without noise or artifice.

ALTITUDE

1,800 — 2,000 meters. One of the highest altitudes in Yirgacheffe, which means dense beans, slow maturation, and exceptional aromatic concentration. At these altitudes, the temperature difference between day and night is significant — and it is reflected in the coffee's complexity.

SENSORY PROFILE

A bright and exotic coffee, with a fruity and floral profile that surprises you from the first sip. Apricots and ripe mango dominate the foreground, supported by pineapple notes that add freshness and vibrancy. Green tea appears delicately in the background, bringing floral elegance and a finesse that ties everything together. The body is medium, the acidity is balanced and pleasant, and the high sweetness makes this coffee extremely accessible — and extremely memorable.

Notes: Apricot, Pineapple, Mango, Green Tea, Medium Body, Medium Acidity, High Sweetness