Ethiopia Guji – Black Coffee Roasting Co via Better Grounds

Better Grounds is a new subscription service that focuses on organic coffees from roasters around the country. The subscription focuses on selecting roasters that not only roast & source organic coffee, but also focus on farmer relationships, have a focus on community initiatives, and keep sustainability at the forefront. It’s a nice way to differentiate themselves from other coffee subscriptions and I’ve been very impressed with the coffee so far. The featured roaster for October 2021 was Black Coffee from Missoula, Montana. It was my first exposure to Black Coffee and I really enjoyed this washed Ethiopian.

The coffee began with a rich fragrance where I smelled notes of chocolate, hazelnuts, and dark berries. The richness carried through to the flavor that featured similar notes of semi-sweet chocolate, pomegranates, and blackberries. I really enjoyed the coffee’s mouthfeel which was silky and medium-full bodied. The sweetness featured notes of rich caramel and berries. The acidity & the sweetness were both a bit more delicate, but quite lovely throughout. The finish sported more of the chocolate notes from earlier, as well as subtle floral notes.

The Bottom Line

While this Ethiopian wasn’t as big and bold as some I’ve tried, it was an excellent choice by Better Grounds to begin their subscription. The pairing of chocolate, berry & floral notes created a lovely complexity in the coffee, but also an overall very approachable profile that would appeal to a wide audience.