I featured RAKO Coffee (more accurately RĀKO Coffee Roasters) in my recent feature, 13 Woman Owned Coffee Roasters in the United States. RAKO Coffee was founded in April 2020 by sisters Lisa and Melissa Gerben. The Gerbens operate RĀKO with their focus on environmentally friendly roasting and sustainably sourced single origin coffees. In fact, a portion of each coffee sale supports the coffee country of origin’s International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) Chapter. I was so taken with their mission that I decided to buy one of their coffees to show some support: their Ethiopia Luleesa Limu.
This coffee comes from a direct export farm and washing station owned and operated by two brothers, Mussa and Mustafa Aba Luleesa. It’s a natural coffee grown between 1500-1900 meters above sea level. These companion planted, shade grown coffee farms have been in their family for generations and together the brothers keep tradition alive with their distinct single origin Limu coffees.
THEBASICS
region: Limu Gomma, Ethiopia
farm: Abaluleesa Family Farm
producer: Mussa and Mustafa Aba Luleesa
association: N/A
elevation: 1500 – 1900 meters above sea level
cultivars: Ethiopia Heirloom
process: natural
TASTINGNOTES
The Ethiopia Luleesa Limu’s aroma is nuanced and fine. The notes are a beautiful melange of citrus, sugar browning, and stone fruit.
This is a light-bodied coffee with a silky, buoyant mouthfeel. My initial reaction is that the coffee is like a slice of key lime pie. It’s sweet and bright and citric, with flavors of graham cracker crust and lime acidity. There is also a sweet butterscotch note here while the cup is still hot. As it cools, it bursts like a Gusher candy, with bright, juicy pomegranate and acai berry flavors taking over the flavor profile, gushing over palate and finishing clean with a long, lingering pomegranate finish.
FINALTHOUGHTS
It took me a while to get this one dialed in just right. But when I did… wow. RAKO Coffee Ethiopia Luleesa Limu is a beautiful coffee. The roast profile that RAKO employed for this one is reminiscent of the Nordic-style of roasting, as the coffee was bright, vibrant, citric, and rounded with no sharp edges whatsoever.
What were your thoughts of this one? Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome! Contact me, or enter a comment below
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.