Organic Ethiopia Bombe Natural – Black Sails Coffee

Black Sails Coffee is a one-man operation run by Sean out of California. I had the opportunity to try some of their offerings in 2020 and was blown away by some of his roasts, especially the Ethiopia Dur Feres and The Ranger blend. I was excited to try this other naturally processed Ethiopian from Bombe Village to see how it compared.

The coffee began with a bright and creamy fragrance that was full of citrus and chocolate. In the flavor I tasted notes of cantaloupe/melon, strawberry and more creamy sweetness. As the coffee cooled the flavor went through an amazing transformation as the melon citrus notes evolved into a much jammier coffee full of berry notes. The body was surprisingly full and rich—a quality I always love when paired with a bright, naturally processed coffee. The acidity was beautiful; it was citrus-forward, but extremely balanced and steady throughout. The citrus melon dominated the sweetness and the finish featured lingering acidity and the sweetness of berries.

The Bottom Line

The best coffees in my opinion are complex with layered flavors and are never one dimensional. That’s exactly how this Bombe natural was. It had a nice depth of fruit notes and sweetness, as well as an evolution throughout each sip that made every sip an adventure.