Limu Region | Lemma Nicolas Negusie G3 | Heirloom Natural Process Local Indigenous Varieties

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Ethiopia Limu Region | Lemma Nicolas Negusie G3 | Heirloom Natural Local Varieties Flavor

In 2008, Ethiopian agricultural products including wheat, corn, sesame, and coffee were fully folded into the E.C.X (Ethiopian Commodity Exchange) trading system, replacing the older auction and export methods. Under this approach, farmers or cooperatives deliver coffee to centralized E.C.X warehouses, where beans of the same grade and region are blended together and then auctioned. Buyers cannot know which farms or cooperatives produced them. The practice does not actually affect yield or quality, and it makes quality easier to judge by price, the familiar idea of "you get what you pay for." What it does affect is traceability: merchants cannot directly identify the farmer or cooperative behind a lot, and anyone trading outside the E.C.X system faces heavy taxes. Today, roughly 90% or more of coffee moves through this system. For buyers who love specialty coffee, that is not good news. For this reason, Ethiopia introduced the D.S.T (Direct Specialty Trade) system in 2010. Under D.S.T, irregular Ethiopian auctions allow only coffees scoring above 80 points on the SCAA cupping scale to be traded with foreign green-bean merchants under their own name. Small-volume, high-quality joint cooperatives became targets for many foreign buyers.

This lot from Ethiopia's Limu region, from Lemma Nicolas (Negusie), is a natural-processed selection of wild traditional varieties. The coffee grows in pristine forest where no one deliberately tends these inconspicuous but divine gifts. Local women pick the cherries and dry them on the hard ground in front of their homes. These methods have not changed from their ancestors' ways: this is authentic Ethiopian natural-processed coffee.

Limu was the highest-scoring winner in cupping for both D.S.T 2009 and 2010, breaking the long dominance of the Yirgacheffe and Sidamo regions.

Farm Information

Farm Name: Various small producers

Farm Owner: Various small producers

Grade: G3

Region: Limmu Kossa

Country: Ethiopia

Altitude: 1,700-2,000 meters

Variety: Mixed Heirloom (a blend of local traditional varieties)

Processing Method: Dry Process (Natural)

Harvest Time: October to January of the following year

Appearance: 17-18 screen

Aroma/Flavor: Strawberry, spice, fermented notes, mango, papaya, pineapple, toffee, chocolate, honey, milk

Acidity: Lemon, orange, malic acid, passion fruit acidity

Complexity and Other: Distinct spice notes, a honey-smooth texture, intense tropical fermented fruit richness, and prominent fruity aromas

A strong fruit aroma with maple and milk sweetness makes this another noteworthy region beyond Yirgacheffe and Sidamo.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this wild, fruit-driven Limu natural appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian naturals are worth a look. The FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui is the market favorite, a natural-processed heirloom with strawberry, mango, jackfruit, citrus, and blueberry notes and a distinctly tropical, ripe-fruit character. The FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Red Cherry, dried with the whole cherry intact, leans toward peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon with a creamy body.

For the forest-grown side of Ethiopia, the FrontStreet Kafa Forest is another option, with white florals, lemon acidity, sweet orange, and bergamot over a green-tea finish.

For brewing, FrontStreet suggests a Hario V60 at 90°C, ground on a Fuji Royal grinder at setting 3.5. Use a 1:15 water-to-coffee ratio with 15g of grounds: pour 25g of water for a 25-second bloom, pour again to 120g and stop, wait for the water level to fall halfway, then continue pouring slowly to 225g total. Extraction takes around 2:00. Pausing the pour extends the contact time, which suits the V60 since its ribs drain quickly, and it helps separate the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the cup.