HABTAMU FIKADU AGA — DANCHE WASHING STATION, GEDEB, ETHIOPIA

THE CUP

Bright, juicy, and refreshingly elegant — this washed lot from Danche bursts with ripe peach, lychee, and lemon-lime. The cup opens with notes of stone fruit and citrus, carried by a delicate white tea and bergamot florality that gives the profile lift and poise. As it cools, layers of melon and peach candy sweetness emerge, leaving a long, silky finish. A stunningly clean and expressive coffee that captures the essence of Gedeb’s highlands.

THE ORIGIN
Producer: Habtamu Fikadu Aga
Region: Danche Kebele, Gedeb, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia
Varieties: Kurume, Dega
Altitude: 1,900–2,100 masl
Process: Washed
Harvest: December 2024

THE PRODUCER

Habtamu Fikadu Aga is both a producer and exporter, managing several washing stations across southern Ethiopia. His approach focuses on transparency and traceability, developing village-specific separations that allow coffee lovers to taste distinct micro-terroirs within iconic regions like Gedeb and Yirgacheffe.

This lot comes from 160 smallholder farmers living around Danche, one of the most celebrated kebeles in Gedeb. These smallholders farm between 1 and 2 hectares each, cultivating Kurume and Dega varieties in fertile red-brown soils under partial forest shade. Habtamu’s careful processing and farmer collaboration have made him a rising figure in Ethiopia’s new generation of coffee professionals — pushing quality forward through precision and community-driven sourcing.

THE PROCESS

Ripe cherries are hand-sorted for ripeness and density, then depulped before undergoing a 48–72 hour submerged fermentation. After this initial stage, the coffee is washed clean and soaked again in fresh water for an additional 12 hours to refine the profile and enhance its clarity.

Following washing, the seeds are dried on raised beds for 10–12 days, turned regularly to ensure uniform drying, and shaded during the hottest hours of the day. Once dried, the coffee is rested to stabilize its moisture before export — a final step that preserves its sweetness and vibrancy.

WHY ILSE LOVE IT

This coffee captures everything Ilse adores about Gedeb: clarity, florality, and that perfectly pitched stone fruit brightness. Habtamu’s focus on single-community separations like Danche brings even more definition to Ethiopia’s already stunning diversity. A cup that’s radiant, refined, and deeply memorable — the kind of coffee you can’t stop thinking about.

What is the roast recency?

Ilse doesn't advertise a roast preference to Filter or Espresso, instead they are roasted for the best amongst both - often called Omniroast. That being said, Ilse typically roast light.

We recommend brewing with beans that are at least two weeks off roast. All beans are roasted to peak flavour at around 8-12 weeks. We have the option to either purchase standard beans (at least 2 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks off roast), or rested beans (at least 7 weeks off roast, no longer than 12). For peak flavour, if you are looking to use immediately, we recommend purchasing the rested beans. If you are adding to your rotation of beans, we recommend purchasing the standard and allowing the beans to naturally rest and mature whilst you rotate through other beans.