Hailing from the Gutiti micro-region, this Ethiopian heirloom is hand-selected by native Samuel Demisse. Taught the trade of farming by his father, Demisse is committed to sustainable, distinct tastes.
Gutiti is grown in the South Nation region of Yirgacheffe at elevations ranging from 1950-2100 meters. The coffee is carefully de-pulped and washed before it is dried and milled at the Werka Bauka facility. This lot shows as a stunning example of a washed Yirgacheffe: the best of what aficionados look for in Ethiopian coffee.
This is a rare and special coffee: we don’t expect to encounter a better Ethiopian coffee this season.
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping a cup of Ethiopia Gutiti, from Buzz: Killer Espresso in Chicago, Illinois. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THE BASICS:
origin: Gutiti, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia
farm: Werka Bauka Mill
producer: smallholder farmers
association: ECX
elevation: 1950 – 2100 meters above sea level
cultivars: Ethiopia Heirloom
process: fully washed, raised bed dried
certifications: standard
THE BREW:
method: Chemex
grind: 18, Preciso
coffee: 30 g
water: 475 mL
bloom: 1:00
pour: 2:00 pour, 1:00 drop
THE COFFEE:
Ooh, baby. The aroma of this Gutiti is unreal. Massive red berry bombs blow up like fireworks and further delicious scents of brown sugar, cinnamon, and graham cracker follow up in their wake.
The first few sips of this coffee are really interesting; complex, intricately layered, each sip presenting something different. What’s more, each sip is flipping delicious. Fantastic flavors of cookie dough, chocolate, strawberry rhubarb, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, sour cream coffee cake, and honey graham cracker pie crust.
As the cup cools, the coffee explodes like a volcano and a juicy deluge of sweet/tart tropical fruits comes flooding over the tongue; bright and lively notes of lemon meringue, strawberry wine, oaky wine tannins that prick the sides and back of the tongue, effervescent 7UP (a lemon-lime soda quality), and silky rose petal and cherry blossom, with each sip finishing with a lingering aftertaste of bittersweet chocolate chips.
Medium body; winy mouthfeel; berry acidity; clean finish.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
I love coffees like this. Coffees that are really complex and bursting with flavor. Coffees that don’t make any sense to my palate. Coffees that are every bit as challenging as they are rewarding.
Buzz Killer Espresso’s Ethiopia Gutiti is that coffee.
To the nth degree.
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Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.