Ethiopia – Odakko Project (Yaye)

A sensory masterpiece from the fertile highlands of Sidama.

Experience coffee at an entirely new echelon of precision. The Odakko Project is the spectacular culmination of four years of intense research and pre-harvest planning between Testi Coffee and Cafe Imports. The goal was simple yet ambitious: to create a completely traceable, single-variety micro-lot with a one-of-one flavor profile that cannot be replicated.

Cultivated by just 50 selected smallholders at extreme elevations of up to 2,300 meters, this single-origin lot shines with flawless clarity in the cup—the direct result of an obsessive attention to detail during processing at the Yaye Washing Station.

Flavor Profile

This coffee tastes like a liquid dessert. It captivates the palate with deep notes of jammy red fruit and an elegant, complex red wine acidity. This vibrant profile is beautifully balanced by the heavy, velvety body of dark chocolate and a mild, sugary sweetness. A remarkably clean, elegant, and long-lasting cup.

The Specs:

- Origin: Ethiopia, Sidama Region (Yaye & Chericho villages)

- Station: Yaye Washing Station (Built in 2021)

- Producers: 50 Smallholders (The Odakko Project)

- Elevation: 2150 – 2300 MASL (Meters Above Sea Level)

- Variety: 100% Sorte 74158 (JARC wild selection cataloged in 1974)

- Process: Natural (Extended 28-day slow drying on shaded, high-ventilation Raised Beds)

- Tasting Notes: Juicy red fruits, red wine acidity, mild sugary sweetness, dark chocolate

What Makes This Coffee Extraordinary:

1. Microclimate & Maturation: Due to the extreme altitude and over 100 inches of annual rainfall, the cherries in Sidama ripen much slower than in almost any other region in Ethiopia. This extended maturation cycle gives the tree ample time to concentrate complex sugars and deep fruit precursors within the seed.

2. Absolute Cleanliness for Maximum Clarity: Testi Coffee estimates that 40% of green defects are caused by contaminants during processing. To counter this, the Yaye station operates like a laboratory: staff wash their hands and sanitize all equipment continuously, and the cherries are washed exclusively with potable drinking water rather than river water. You can taste this dedication in an exceptionally "clean cup."

3. Shaded Slow-Drying as an Art Form: To balance sugar content and complexity, the harvest was sorted by hand to a strict tolerance of exactly 95% full-ripe and 5% overripe cherries. Instead of being exposed to baking sun, the cherries spend 28 days on custom raised beds situated in an area of high wind circulation and indirect sunlight. This deliberate, slow drying process locks in and preserves the delicate volatile aromatics for months to come.

Social Impact & Sustainability

Your purchase directly drives change at origin. The premium generated by the Odakko Project goes straight back into the local coffee-growing communities. Testi Coffee uses these funds to build schools, invest in education infrastructure, and provide vital school supplies to the youth in the surrounding villages.