Tasting Note:
Dark chocolate, perfumey jasmine, toffee, and cooked cherry flavors, with sugary sweetness and a juicy malic acidity.
The Story
Tara is a name that carries both serenity and strength. In Buddhism, Tara is a goddess of compassion and protection, often seen as a guiding light — someone who helps others cross difficult paths with grace and clarity. She’s peaceful, but never passive; gentle, yet full of presence.
When we cupped this Ethiopian natural, it immediately stood out — fragrant with jasmine, layered with toffee and cooked cherry, grounded by dark chocolate and lifted by juicy acidity. It felt composed yet expressive, elegant but confident. That’s when the name came to us: Tara.
We named this coffee not only for its delicate beauty, but for the sense of inner strength and brightness it brings — just like the goddess. With each cup, Tara offers a moment of quiet brilliance — something you feel more than you explain.
| Farm | Duwancho |
|---|---|
| Process | Natural Special Preparation |
| Variety | Heirloom Ethiopian Varieties |
| Elevation | 1900-2150 MASL |
| Region | Sidama |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Harvest | November - January |
Process: Natural Special Prep
With the special prep (what the producers generally call “Premium” in Ethiopia) the cherries are collected from a limited number of small-holder farmers. 90% of the cherries are perfectly picked, the right red color. 5% semi red and 5% overripe. All of it is processed and stored it separately from the other lots. They generally produce a very small number of bags in this way every year. In most instances, cherries used to produce these lots are collected from a day lot (picked in one day). Natural coffees in Ethiopia are first sorted for ripeness and quality before being rinsed clean Then they are spread on raised drying beds or tables, where they will be rotated constantly throughout the course of drying. Drying can take an average of 8–25 days, depending on the weather.
Duwancho
This lot comes from us from the Duwancho washing station in Sidama.Coffee is soaked for two hours here before being placed on raised beds. They believe this extended soaking time adds a level of sweetness they hadn't experienced prior to instituting it.During drying, they specifically told us that they try to keep the thickness of cherries as thin as possible to ensure consistency. They place the beds in areas of good airflow and dry slow for up to 30 days.