Ethiopia
Kola Bolcha

Washed process Ethiopian Heirloom

Flavour: lemon curd, white peach, orange blossom

Body: Acidity:

Kola Bolcha is a relatively new cooperative in the Agaro woreda of the Jimma Zone. Within Agaro, there is a small subregion known as Gera, and that’s where you’ll find this washing station.

Kola Bolcha falls under the Kata Muduga Union and geographically sits within a portion of the forest between two other washing stations whose names may be familiar: Duromina and Hunda Oli.

The Kola Bolcha cooperative has around 400 members, though that number will grow. The cooperative’s increasing experience and skills in producing amazing washed process coffee is a drawcard to new members seeking experience and also the higher earnings possible within the specialty coffee market.

Once again, in large part due to the efforts of Technoserve, a non-government organisation who have been working in East Africa to bring farmers the right training, processing facilities and services, needed can grow coffee for the specialty market and significantly boost their incomes.

Jimma, in the southwest of Ethiopia, was traditionally associated with lower commodity-grade coffee. With increased exposure to specialty coffee and education from partners such as Technoserve, the truly great potential of this area is beginning to be realised.

Learn everything about this coffee:

Ethical, traceable sourcing

This page has all the sourcing information (variety, process, region, story, importer, and more) that our importers share with us, and give us permission to use.

The transparency helps us talk confidently about the quality and background of our product, and it helps you know exactly what you’re buying.

Learn more:
Coffee page transparency legend
Our coffee philosophy
Our business approach

Fresh harvest coffee

We only source and roast coffee from each country’s latest harvest season (so the green coffee is never older than 1 year from the time of picking, processing and packing). This ensures the sensory qualities are always at their peak and unaffected by excessive ageing.

Roasted for espresso and filter (best enjoyed black)

Roast style: omni. Omni roasts are designed to brew and taste great both as espresso and filter. Our omni single origins generally sit on Agtron values in the ~70-60 value range. So, technically, they are somewhere in the lighter side of the medium spectrum.

Designed for espresso and filter brewing. Best enjoyed black.

Learn more:
Our Loring Kestrel S35 roaster
Our roasting style and approach

Best brewed within days 15-49 post-roast

The ‘fresh is best’ saying doesn’t apply to coffee (contrary to popular belief). Waiting before opening and brewing your bag of whole coffee beans helps develop peak flavour and acidity.

But heads up: if you buy pre-ground coffee, brew it as soon as possible.

Learn more:
Our recommended brewing window

Try our custom brewing recipes

Our recipes and ratios are tailored to our coffee sourcing and roasting styles, bringing the best flavour and feel out of each coffee.

For pour over, immersion, and other filter brewing styles, check our brew guides.
For our espresso single origins, we recommend a coffee:yield ratio of 1:3:

Dose: 20g ground coffee
Yield: 60g espresso
Total brew time: ~24-28 seconds

This is just a starting point! We encourage you to experiment, taste, and adjust to find the recipe that you enjoy the most.

Learn more:
Our espresso brew guide (single origin)
Brewing ratio calculator

Packaging and sustainability

Bags: ABA-certified home compostable (AS 5810-2010)
Labels: recyclable
Valves (only on +250g bags): general waste
Box and tape (online orders): recyclable

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Our packaging

Producer: Kola Bolcha Cooperative
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Gera, Agaro
Altitude: 1900-2200m above sea level
Variety: Ethiopian Heirloom
Process: washed
Importer: keta Muduga
Body: Light
Acidity: Bright
Tasting notes: Lemon curd, white peach, orange blossom
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Variety

Ethiopian Heirloom variety

Heirloom (or sometimes Landrace) is an umbrella term that refers to all the coffee varietals endemic to Ethiopia.

The location

Coffee from Ethiopia

Seen as the birthplace of domesticated coffee, there are not many more exciting times at the Sample warehouse as when our fresh Ethiopian lots arrive. Legend says it’s our favourite origin…

The Jimma region of Ethiopia

Region in the southwest that traditionally only produced commodity grade coffee. With increased exposure and education the truly great potential of this area is beginning to be realised. Can also be referred to as ‘Jimmah’, ‘Jimma’, and ‘Djimmah’

Farm processes

Washed process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.