BOKU | ETHIOPIA NATURAL

Producer: Esayas Beriso
Origin: Ethiopia
Region: Hambela, Guji
Varietal: 74158
Process: Natural
Fermentation: Classic Natural
Altitude: 2,300 masl
Tasting Notes: Black currant, peach, black tea

Esayas Beriso is the producer behind Boku, a coffee grown in the Hambela Wamena district of Ethiopia's Oromia Region at an impressive 2,350 metres above sea level. He primarily cultivates the local 74158 variety, a cultivar renowned for its outstanding cup quality and vibrant expression.

Before becoming a coffee producer, Esayas worked in a government office in Dimtu. Alongside his brothers, he began collecting coffee cherries from neighbouring farmers and selling them to local washing stations. As the business expanded, he established his own coffee farm and, in 2009, left his government position to dedicate himself fully to coffee production. Today, his wife, Meskerem, plays a vital role in the business, managing harvest operations and overseeing the purchase of cherries from surrounding farms.

Since 2017, Esayas has partnered with SNAP Specialty Coffee, one of Ethiopia's leading specialty coffee exporters. Founded in 2008 by Negusse Debela, SNAP operates washing stations across Sidama, Yirgacheffe, and the Guji Zone, while working closely with producers to improve quality, sustainability, and long term profitability.

SNAP supports more than 6,000 farmers through education and practical resources. Producers receive training in nursery management, cultivation, harvesting, and processing, alongside access to free or low cost agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and crop protection products. Throughout processing, rigorous cherry sorting ensures only the highest quality fruit continues through production, resulting in cleaner and more expressive coffees.

Through his dedication and close collaboration with SNAP, Esayas continues to refine his production methods, producing coffees that showcase the remarkable character, sweetness, and complexity for which Ethiopian coffee is celebrated worldwide.