Gedeb Lalesa

Cherry cola isn’t a note you see often on an Ethiopian coffee, and it’s what makes this natural from Monogram in Calgary stand out. It’s processed at Lalesa, a drying station in Gedeb at the southern tip of the Yirgacheffe region, owned by the women-founded and women-led exporter Ephtah Specialty Coffee. Cherries get sorted first, then spread out to dry whole on covered beds. The cover keeps direct sun off the fruit and stretches drying to 20 to 25 days, with the coffee turned regularly throughout. That slow dry inside the cherry is what builds the deep, sweet fruit behind the cherry cola, and the steady turning keeps it tasting clean. Look for bright splashes of peach next to the cola, with a fresh lavender underflow on the finish. Drying Station → Lalesa (Ephtah) Location → Gedeb, Ethiopia Variety → Ethiopian Landrace Process → Natural