Koke Shalaye, Black Honey

by Five Senses Coffee

Apricot, strawberry buttery body. --- From the lush highlands of Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone comes Koke Shalaye, a black honey-processed gem grown at 1973 masl by over 2,000 smallholder farmers in the village of Koke. Nourished by the Futay River and cultivated organically from heirloom landraces, this coffee is as expressive as the land it comes from. At the Koke Shalaye Washing Station — established in 2019 by Abreham Mengiste — cherries are selectively hand-picked, fermented for 48–72 hours, and dried with 80% of the mucilage intact. This meticulous black honey process draws out a remarkable intensity and depth. The result is a coffee that’s complex and intense up front, with ripe apricot notes, a buttery body, and plenty of structure. As it cools, creamy strawberry sweetness emerges, layering beautifully into the cup's evolving character. Sourced through our partners at Primrose Coffee, a veteran Ethiopian exporter and member of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance, this lot celeb