Ethiopia Crown Jewel Flavor Breakdown

Crown Jewel Buyer Chris Kornman reflects on the differences between our current selection of Ethiopia Crown Jewels.

CROWN JEWEL ETHIOPIA ORGANIC RFA GUJI KAYON MOUNTAIN WASHED 

Black Tea, Lemon, Caramel, Chamomile, Dark Chocolate 

I often think of Guji (the zone just east of Yirgacheffe) as producing more dense and slightly funkier versions of the Southern Ethiopia coffee flavor profile. This double-certified coffee from Kayon Mountain is the creamiest and densest of our washed Ethiopia CJs, with the flavor profile of a deconstructed ice cream sundae: vanilla, fudge, fresh banana, candied nuts, and maraschino cherry juice with hints of hibiscus-like florals. 

CROWN JEWEL ETHIOPIA ORGANIC GORBOTA DESTA GOLA DOUBLE WASHED 

Black tea, grape, lemon, jasmine, and peach 

Desta Gola, a multi-year Crown Jewel qualifier, has produced yet another zinger. His coffee’s floral notes shade towards fresh herb-like – we taste jasmine, but also fresh mint and basil and lemongrass – and the fruit flavors are unique for the region – besides the classic Meyer lemon citrus, there’s ample grape, raspberry, and even hints of sundried tomato. 

CROWN JEWEL ETHIOPIA ORGANIC MEKONISA ZELELU ARARSO WASHED 

Pink apple, oolong tea, pear, rose, and milk chocolate 

An utterly iconic Yirgacheffe-style washed coffee, this gorgeous coffee is a cupper’s delight: heavily floral (jasmine, lilac, rose, etc.) with solid citric accents and lots of soft fruit tones like lychee, apple, and peach. Farmer Zelelu Ararsu at age 60 a longtime coop member and participant in the Single Farmer Lots Program collaboration between the Yirgacheffe Coffee Grower’s Cooperative Union and Royal Coffee. 

CROWN JEWEL ETHIOPIA ORGANIC KONGA TAKELE MAMMO DENBI NATURAL

Blackberry, Apple, Grape, Raspberry, Lemongrass 

Farmer Tekele Mammo – the former director of the entire Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmer’s Cooperative Union – has produced a delicate and pristine natural coffee. It’s refined, balanced, and in some ways restrained – look for floral notes like lavender to compliment gentle raspberries, cherry, and apple flavors. 

CROWN JEWEL ETHIOPIA ORGANIC ODO SHAKISO KAYON MOUNTAIN NATURAL 

Cranberry, Butter, Dark Chocolate, Apple, Floral 

True to form, this Guji zone coffee, much like its sibling washed Crown Jewel, is denser and funkier than its western neighbors. We’re slinging shots as espresso at The Crown, and the coffee gives off orange blossom florality, pound-cake sweetness, and hints of minty-freshness with a solid chocolatey base. 

Check out a visualization of the flavor comparison: