Hunkute, Washed Heirloom Cultivars, Ethiopia

Flavour description: A bright aroma of dried apricot and bergamot. The cup is complex yet light-bodied, with flavour notes of candied lemon peel, apricot, and a hint of clementine. It finishes dry, reminiscent of Assam tea. 

Colour: Mild yellow Category: Curious Producers: Hunkute. The cooperative has 2149 members.  Varietal:  Traditional Ethiopian Heirloom varieties and JARC (Jimma Agricultural Research Center) selections such as 74110 and 74112. Process: Washed Washing station: Hunkute Site 2 Location: Dalle, Sidamo  Union: Sidama Union  Harvest: January 2026 Elevation: 2150 meters above sea level Years of relationship: 15 years, since 2011 Price transparency: The FOB price paid for this coffee was US$4.95 /lb

Hunkute is an extremely special coffee to us at Drop Coffee. We’ve been buying and roasting Hunkute for over 13 years, so it plays a huge role in our portfolio as well as our history. Hunkute is located in the Dalle region in Sidamo and is made up of two washing stations (site 1 & site 2) where the coffee is processed and belongs to the Hunkute Sidama Cooperative, which is made up of 2149 members, most of whom are small-scale farmers from the surrounding area. This harvest is from Hunkute Site 2, which is located at 2150 masl. 

In Ethiopia there are over 1.1 million smallholder coffee farmers, delivering cherries to local washing stations. Many people people dry, roast, and brew their own coffees themselves. As a country, Ethiopia consumes over 40% of what they produce (compared to Kenya where they keep less than 5% of all the coffee produced in the country). Since Sidamo is such a coffee mecca, the market is competitive for the cooperatives in the region. 

This is one of the reasons the Sidama Cooperative pays farmers upfront daily during harvest (November-January). All of the volumes and coffee cherry prices are displayed and they also have a second payment based on the selling price which is then paid to the farmers  by August. This differs greatly from how late we've seen some farmers while visiting different cooperatives in Ethiopia. At Hunkute, about 70% of the payment goes to the farmers and the rest is for investments at the washing stations and the cooperative. 

Hunkute is like no other coffee we’ve ever come across, with an aroma of dried apricot and bergamot. The cup is complex yet light-bodied, with flavour notes of candied lemon peel, apricot, and a hint of clementine. It finishes dry, reminiscent of Assam tea. It’s no surprise many longtime Drop Coffee drinkers hold this as one of their favorites. 

Click here to learn more about Hunkute.

Innehåller kaffe, förvaras mörkt och svalt.

Sourced from the Hunkute Cooperative in the Dalle region of Sidamo, this washed Heirloom coffee represents the distinct profile often associated with high-elevation Ethiopian production. Grown at 2150 masl, the cherries undergo a washed process, a technique frequently employed to highlight the inherent clarity and acidity of the bean. Drop Coffee presents this lot with tasting notes of candied lemon peel, apricot, and clementine, showcasing the bright, citrus-forward characteristics common to this renowned origin.

While washed coffees are typically celebrated for their clean, vibrant profiles, the specific nuances of a cup are always influenced by the unique terroir of the region. To better understand how these specific descriptors align with broader sensory categories, you can explore the flavor wheel. This Hunkute selection offers a refined look at the complexity achievable through careful cooperative processing and traditional varietal cultivation in Ethiopia.