New Release: Ethiopia Qabballe Natural

Maraschino cherries, pomegranate, and lavender from the cold mountains of Guji

There is a place in southern Ethiopia where the air is thin, the altitude unforgiving, and the coffee extraordinary. It is called Uraga, in the Guji zone of Oromia, and it sits at 2,225 meters above sea level. The farmers who work here named this coffee after their climate. Qabballe. Cold.

We tasted it and knew immediately. This one belonged at Mudhouse.

What Makes Qabballe Special
Fifteen smallholder farmers cultivate heirloom varieties 74110 and 74112 on steep mountain plots, delivering their cherries to the Raro Nensebo Drying Station under cover of night. That detail matters. Nighttime delivery minimizes fermentation before processing begins, preserving the clarity and lifted fruit character that makes Guji naturals so singular.

At the station, the team follows some of the most disciplined natural processing protocols in Ethiopia. Cherries are hand sorted multiple times, laid out in beds no deeper than 4 centimeters, and turned six times a day. The drying cycle runs 21 to 28 days. Nothing is rushed. Nothing is left to chance.

The result is a coffee with maraschino cherries, pomegranate, and lavender in the cup. Bright, sweet, and complex in a way that stops you mid-sip.

The People Behind the Cup
We source Qabballe through our trusted partners at The Coffee Quest, whose long relationship with the station gives us access to some of the finest lots coming out of Guji each season. But this is about more than access.

The team at the drying station invests directly in the communities where it works. Farmers receive pre-harvest loans so they can focus on quality without financial pressure. Women are prioritized in hiring. A school has been built. Infrastructure has been improved. When we talk about sourcing coffees grown in a socially responsible and ecologically sustainable manner, this is exactly what we mean. 

The care shows up in the cup.

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