Ethiopia Cup of Excellence #20

Producer Leikun Zegeye Dayechew
Farm Leikun Farm
District Bura Woreda
Region Sidama

Sun Exposure Mixed Shade
Farm Size 5ha
Altitude 2,380masl
Latitude 6.59913745865379
Longitude 38.49890304159315

Variety 74158
Process Natural
Fermentation Dry
Drying 20-25 days on Raised Beds

Harvest Year 2024

Flavor Fruit Punch, Raspberry Lemonade, Floral
Descriptors High Clarity, Bright

About this coffee In the Southern Sidama Zone of Ethiopia is the Bura Woreda or District, a small administrative area sitting between 2000masl and 2400masl where the Sidama people have been growing coffee intermixed with subsistence crops for hundreds of years. In 2019 Leikun Zegeye – a young 24 year old who came from a farming family – bought a small 5 hectare piece of land near his home that had the Ethiopian heirloom varietal 74158 planted on it. As a young coffee farmer Leikun applied all his family farming knowledge as well as what he could learn from the neighboring coffee farmers, working to improve his growing and processing skills.

This coffee was naturally processed. Ripe cherries were hand picked and then floated to sort the cherries by density. Afterwards, the coffee cherries were dried on raised beds for 20-25 days before rested for 30 days to improve moisture uniformity before finally hulled. This is the point where Leikun submitted the lot to the Cup of Excellence competition, where it was cupped and judged by a team of cuppers from Ethiopia and finally an international panel of expert cuppers to be rewarded it’s 20th winning place.

Peter joined approximately 20 jury members last year for the CoE Ethiopia program, and over the course of five long days and hundreds of cups, he fell in love with a few of the coffees, including this one. We split this lot with Dabov Coffee of Bulgaria.

Approx 80-85% of the FOB price returns to the producer in CoE auctions. Each country incurs different costs and the in country partner will retain 15-20% to cover the cost of the program.