ETHIOPIA KARAMO COFFEE NATURAL

The name Karamo comes from the village where the coffee is grown and processed… a place that has become synonymous with quality in Sidama’s highlands. The same name gained global recognition when Niguse Gemeda won Ethiopia’s inaugural Cup of Excellence in 2020 with a natural lot scoring 91.04, named “KARAMO.”

Karamo Coffee was founded in 2020 by Niguse Gemeda, a farmer who grew up in the coffee-rich landscapes of Bensa and Bura. He worked as a commercial coffee supplier for over 25 years but it wasn’t until 2015 that he decided to pivot towards specialty coffee.

The COE triumph inspired the company’s name and mission: bridging Sidama’s generational farmers with specialty coffee. Karamo trains station workers in precision drying and defect removal while supporting smallholders through knowledge sharing on organic practices and selective harvesting.

For this natural lot, fully ripe cherries are delivered to the station, hand-selected, and laid to dry slowly on African raised beds for up to 25 days, depending on the weather.

We love natural Sidamas for their melon notes, and this coffee definitely delivers. Up front, we're tasting lemon curd sweetness and a fresh cantaloupe notes with a delicate finish that reminds us of sencha tea.