This award-winning lot from producer Eshetu Mergiya Teklegiorgis took sixth place at the Cup of Excellence (COE) Ethiopia competition. Believe it or not, this is Eshetu's first submission to the competition and more broadly, to the international market! We were fortunate to taste this debut coffee in Addis Ababa last February while sourcing coffee with the exporter Daye Bensa. The spectacular flavors led us to purchase half of his lot on the spot directly from Eshetu...and we would've purchased the whole thing if the rest hadn't already been submitted to the competition. Up until last year, Eshetu felt that he lacked guidance and knowledge on how to enter the international market, leading him to sell all of his coffees locally on the Ethiopian Coffee Exchange. "The price was very low compared to my efforts," he said. But while this newcomer to the COE may have been an underdog, he certainly is not without experience. Eshetu has spent over thirty years farming and processing an annual average of 80-100 quintals of coffee (approx. 8-11 US tons) on his drying station. All this from his 4.5 hectare farm located in West Arsi, Nansebo Woreeda, Bulga Kebele. We are confident that he can continue to produce high-quality coffees and we're glad that he will be receiving fair compensation for his efforts. We are proud to introduce you and the world to Eshetu and hope this global recognition continues to provide more opportunity to improve quality of life for Eshetu, his family, and his surrounding community.