This Ethiopian coffee originates from the Kinjo washing station in Deretu, Yirgacheffe, at 1900-2100 meters altitude. It features indigenous cultivars processed using the fully washed method. The coffee is sourced from 650 individual smallholder farmers, each with 1-2 hectares of farmland. The washed processing involves hand-sorting for uniformity and ripeness, depulping and overnight fermentation in fresh water, rinsing, and drying on raised beds for 15-18 days. Roasted to medium light, the coffee displays notes of red grape, raisin, and honeysuckle.
Kuma Coffee was founded in 2008 by Mark Barany, who started roasting small batches in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood in late 2007. The company now operates out of a warehouse in Interbay with a four person team, roasting on a Loring Kestrel 35k that cuts gas usage by 75 percent compared to conventional equipment. Kuma was the first Seattle roaster to publish a transparency statement disclosing exact per pound prices paid for every bean in its inventory, a move that set a precedent for openness in the city's specialty coffee scene. About half of the company's coffee is purchased directly from farms at above market prices, and all orders are roasted and shipped within 24 hours.
