This Ethiopia Natural is a single origin coffee from Ethiopia processed using the natural method. The cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness when they turn deep purple, then dried whole with the fruit still attached, allowing the sugars to transform and create pungent aromatics and sweet flavors. The coffee features pronounced blueberry and strawberry notes that dominate the cup, with secondary flavors of chocolate and chai emerging in the aftertaste, finished with hints of hibiscus. It's roasted on the lighter side to highlight the coffee's inherent wild character.
Nathan Wyss and Josh Magnani founded Contraband Coffee in San Francisco, opening their original Larkin Street location on Christmas Eve 2010. SF Weekly named it Best New Cafe in 2011, and a second San Francisco location followed in the SoMa district in 2017. Roasting takes place at a facility on 81st Avenue in Oakland, where a vintage Probat and custom built equipment allow each coffee to be approached with its own specific profile. The name carries through to the lineup, with blends like Black Market, Smuggler's Blend, and Sub Rosa alongside single origins from Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala, and Rwanda. Contraband sources exclusively through cooperatives, small farmers, and ethical organizations, refusing to work through middlemen.
