Stones Throw's Ethiopium Coffee

• September 13, 2009

The Coffee:
STONES THROW'S ETHIOPIUM COFFEE
By Intelligentsia. Stones Throw Exclusive $19.99. Whole bean coffee. 12 oz. bag.
Pre-order until: Oct. 31. Coffee ships: Nov. 2nd

The Music:
OH NO - DR. NO'S ETHIOPIUM
Stones Throw Exclusive $9.99, Digital album.
CD: Nov. 2nd (stonesthrow.com exclusive). LP tba.

This is a first for Stones Throw and almost certainly a first for a record label anywhere - a dual coffee and music release. We've been in touch with Intelligensia Coffee for a several months now (See: Yes, We Like Coffee, Apr. '09) and ideas for a music/coffee project have been discussed since the beginning. The release of Oh No's Ethiopium album presented the opportunity we couldn't pass up.

Intelligentsia trades directly with their coffee farmers in the far reaches of the coffee producing hemispheres. At times, that leads to hold ups due to government bureaucracy. Stones Throw’s Ethiopium is currently on a boat on its way across the Atlantic. We are taking pre-orders for whole bean coffee until Friday, October 30th. At that point, Intelligentsia will roast the beans to ensure maximum freshness – we will ship on Monday, November 2nd. Unless the ship is hijacked by Somali pirates. If that happens, you’ll still be able to buy Oh No’s expanded Ethiopium CD exclusively on our webstore.

Below is info about the coffee with photos from the farm, and tasting notes (the coffee equivalent of a record review).

Varietal: indigenous, typical sub-type
Region: Yirgacheffe, Sidama
Altitude: 1700 – 1900m
Harvest: December - January

The Flavor Shouts Out: Tilahoun Gessesse
The Acidity Reminds Us Of: Alemehyu Eshete
And The Finish Is All About: Mulatu Astatke

We’ve always loved the Yirgacheffe bean as it reminds of those delicate days of late summer – still lively and bright, but with a dusty, spicy finish. If we were listening to music while drinking this, we have on Muluken Melesse in the morning and Mulatu Astatke on deck for that late afternoon or after-dinner cup. An all around good pairing for this coffee would be Oh No’s own Ethiopium (and some local greenery). The fresher the better.

Oh No's Ethiopium | www.intelligentsiacoffee.com