Ethiopia Gemede Dekama – Color Roasters

Color Roasters has been added to my long list of Colorado roasters that I love. Color Roasters is located in Eagle, Colorado—just a few hours west of Boulder, a hot spot for favorite coffee roasters for me over the past few years.

I was excited to try their washed Ethiopia Gemede Dekama when they sent a bag a few weeks back. While blueberry and raspberry notes in African coffees are my go-to, I love to explore coffees that fit the bright, sweet profile but include some more unique flavor notes. This coffee did that wonderfully.

The aroma started out a bit weaker than normal for fruity African coffees, but had nice notes of stone fruit, peach and more subtle floral notes. When I brewed the coffee in the v60 I found the peach notes really shot to the forefront. When brewed with the Chemex or other methods the flavors were more balanced with various citrus, floral and peach notes. While the balance, brightness, and body of the coffee were all solid, I was most impressed with the sweetness. The coffee had a wonderful honey-type sweetness that was consistent throughout each sip and was accentuated in the aftertaste, which I always love.

The Bottom Line

This was a delicious coffee that while checking many boxes for a typical Ethiopian coffee, also broke the mold a bit. It offered a delicious sweetness and some wonderful peach flavor notes. If you enjoy fruit-forward coffees that also include other components (floral, citrus, etc.), I think you’ll love Gemede Dekama from Color Roasters.