This week, we are very proud to be bringing back another incredible harvest from Mr. Tadese Teko, our first year over year Ethiopian coffee purchase since starting Shoebox in March of 2025. Alongside this one, we also have another beautiful washed Ethiopian coffee from Jigesa Washing Station in Shakiso. **Neither of these coffees will be in the upcoming 8/5 sub drop
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Ethiopia Mr. Tadese Teko Washed(2026:)
In 2012, Cafe Imports began working closely with their Ethiopian export partners to source some of the first fully traceable, direct trade single-farmer lots from Ethiopia. In this process, the co-op representing the farmer would negotiate prices and advocate for them, but their personal name would be on the contract and coffee bag for the final product. Though this practice is now common and nearly taken for granted, this was very out of the ordinary at the time. Fast forward to today, and quality from these single-farmer lot separations often rivals some of the best top lots from big name washing stations around the country.

In the Shale village near Worka, Yirgacheffe, Mr. Tadese Teko owns 8 hectares of land. Utilizing natural fertilizer techniques and diligently caring for his land led to his coffee being selected for a single estate microlot separation upon collection at the Halo Beriti washing station. Coffees at Halo Beriti are typically washed 12-24 hours being dried on raised beds. Last year, we chose Mr. Tadese's coffee due to its incredibly unique lime-forward and floral profile, which offered notes of pink peppercorn and nectarine to go along with it. This year's harvest, we find that same punchy lime note, though this time offering a sweeter presentation like grated lime zest in a cocktail. The stonefruit has shifted closer to apricot, and the florals have absolutely exploded, now dominating the cup profile with layers of bergamot, jasmine and apple blossom all at varying intensity and balance throughout the cup's transition from hot to cold.
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Ethiopia Jigesa Washed:
The Jigesa Washing Station serves over 850 smallholder farmers in Shakiso, Guji, each owning an average of 2.5 hectares of land between 1800-1950masl. Farmers contributing cherry to Jigesa typically grow coffee as their main cash crop, alongside corn, wheat and bananas. Farmers are also encouraged to grow Birbira, Acacia and Wanza trees for shade. Jigesa is owned and operated by Testi Coffee, which was founded by Faysel Abdosh in 2009. Faysel's broader work in managing washing stations has contributed to many lots we've sourced through Testi from Cafe Imports and Trabocca, where these coffees have gained a reputation for extremely consistent quality standards. This G1 lot from Jigesa holds to that same standard, with a uniquely red cup profile absent of stonefruits, which really sets it apart from your typical washed eth flavor expectation. In the cup, we are immedietly met with a sticky watermelon sweetness, followed by a tart punch of ruby grapefruit juice that then mellows out into cool red tones of rose and hibiscus.