Harrar

Harrar is one of the oldest known coffee beans that is still grown today. The beans are named for the city of Harar, its local urban centre. Harar is known in Arabic as the City of Saints, and is considered the 4th holiest city in Islam thanks to its multitude of holy sites.

Like many Ethiopian coffees, Harrar is a Strictly High Grown (SGH) variety, meaning slow growth ergo more time spent developing a more complex bean. Loved for its full, heavy body, spicy, almost jam-like flavour, and fragrant aroma, Harrar beans are exclusively dry processed which means that once picked, they are placed in the sun to dry. This process is what brings out the winey flavour of the beans since there is a short period of fermentation in which the wet flesh of the fruit is left to dry on the bean before being sorted and pulped by hand.

Harrar beans are a wild variety, meaning that nearly all of the labour has to be done by hand. They are not cultivated in a plantation or even garden style, but rather are left to grow naturally in the regional forests. Labourers are very knowledgable about their beans, and nearly all labour is done by hand.

Harrar comes in three varieties: peaberry, shortberry, and longberry. Harrar beans are typically quite small in comparison with other beans, and are very rare. They are known for their distinct chocolatey and fruity flavour and intense lingering mouth feel.

Region: Central-east

Elevation: 1500-2000m

Process: Natural

Harvest: October – February

Acidity: Medium, dry

Flavour: Moka (chocolate), dark berries such as blueberry and blackberry, jam, cinnamon, cardamom

Aroma: Berry, earthy, chocolate