Curator's Notes
Wow! I can’t believe we got our hands on this one. At a sky-high cupping score of 90.85, Ethiopia Rumudamo took 1st Place washed, and 2nd Place overall at the very first Cup of Excellence Ethiopia. Through our exclusive partnership with Cup of Excellence, we were lucky to obtain a special lot of this coffee for Bean Box customers. At less than 150 bags total, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sample one of the best, most elegant, Ethiopian coffees in the world.
Aromatic, lush, and fruity, Ethiopia Rumudamo is one of the most refined coffees I’ve ever tasted. There’s so much sweetness and depth in this cup, opening with a buttery floral aroma like a fresh field of flowers: lavender, jasmine, honeysuckle, a touch of savory spice. The flavor profile is bursting with sugary fruit: juicy summer peach, strawberry jam, orange marmalade. Deep, silky notes like maple syrup, or dark amber honey, throughout. The finish is super sweet, crystalline, like a brown sugar caramel melting in your mouth. Ethiopia Rumudamo is roasted light-medium, by our friends at Herkimer Coffee, to bring out its dynamic, sugary flavors. I spent hours bidding in COE’s online auction to win this coffee, and spent more money than Bean Box has ever spent on a single roast. For many of you, it might be the same— but let me tell you: it’s SO worth it. This is pure luxury coffee, and I’m excited to give you the chance to taste it for yourself.
No coffee experience compares to a classic washed Ethiopian. Nuanced, delicate, floral, tea-like, with a complex bouquet of flavors: these coffees have stood the test of time, remaining as popular today as they were centuries ago. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, its “Garden of Eden”, where up to 10,000 varietals of coffee still thrive in their native habitat. Most Ethiopian coffees are grown by small producers in a semi-forested environment— only 5% of coffee in Ethiopia comes from a dedicated plantation. This lot comes from Rumudamo Coffee, in Sidama region, and their network of 35 local growers. They submitted multiple lots to the COE competition, and won 2nd, 3rd, and 8th place! 2020 is the first year that Cup of Excellence ran a competition in Ethiopia, and it broke all the records by raising $1.3 million dollars for small coffee farmers— many farmers who would normally sell their coffees for less than $1/lb. The Cup of Excellence is the “Oscars of Coffee”, a non-profit with a mission to discover the very best small coffee farmers and reward them for their efforts. As Bean Box’s coffee curator, I’m proud to be an international juror for Cup of Excellence, and I’m proud to bring coffees like this into the United States — and into the kitchens of coffee lovers like you!
The last time we shared a Cup of Excellence winner with Bean Box customers, it sold out before we could blink. We have less than 150 bags of the exquisite Ethiopia Rumudamo Lot #2, a cup of strawberry, lavender, and caramel that entranced this year's jury and beat out thousands of coffees in the very first Cup of Excellence Ethiopia. Placing #2 Overall, and #1 Washed, this world-class coffee sits at a pinnacle of flavor and quality that is simply beyond compare. Every different coffee you’ve tasted from Bean Box? You were just training your palate for this one. Pre-order your own bag today, for yourself or someone you love— don’t miss this rare, amazing opportunity to enjoy the ultimate in coffee luxury.