Keffa Coffee Welcomes Us!

Learn more about this fantastic Ethiopian coffee

Recently, Peggy and I took a trip to Washington, DC. Not only did we get to see the famous cherry blossoms and landmarks, but we also got to visit one of our importers, Keffa Coffee.

We hopped on a real train to Baltimore where Shane met us at Penn Station. Here we are arriving at Keffa with owner, Sam
Demisse.

The tour began, and we met Josh the Roaster. He tracks, roasts and preps the coffee samples. Keffa cups more than 1000 coffees a year and are very discriminating with their offerings. They currently have fortyish coffees available.

We spent some time visiting with Sam(uel), Keffa’s owner. His first signed contract hangs on his office wall. He grew up in Ethiopia and moved to the U.S. to start his business. A true entrepreneur, he started the company in his basement, and it’s named for the region where he lived. And yes, it’s where coffee originated!

Sam’s guiding principles for Keffa came from his family. When people in his village needed help, they came to his house. This spirit of generosity pervades Keffa. From the farmers to his employees, everyone is treated fairly. (pic)

Per KeffaCoffee.com

“We believe in small businesses, working hard and growing together. We built Keffa from the ground up, and we understand that what every new business needs are someone to believe in them. We work with roasters of all sizes, those who are brand new and those who are well-versed.

Our top priority is supporting and sustaining the people behind the beans by working with origin partners who pay higher than average wages and who treat workers fairly.

On the ground in Ethiopia, Keffa’s licensed Q-grader Tsega Melesse cups every lot before we purchase and send us samples and celebrate our cupping score. She also coordinates export logistics with our exporters for expedited shipments.

Drawing on decades-long relationships, we work closely with our partners to make sure each coffee we import is up to our standards. Through these close connections, we can improve processing methods, export sorting and bringing coffees to the level of Zero Defect. We are deeply invested in and committed to the growth of the specialty coffee community.

We are a member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, Roasters Guild, and the Barista Guild of America.

Samuel Demisse founded Keffa Coffee in 2006. Samuel was born and raised in Ethiopia. His father was a coffee professional and taught Samuel about the industry at a young age.

Samuel has competed in the United States Coffee Cup Tasters Championship. He placed 3rd in 2017 and 2015 and 2nd in 2013 and 2011. Samuel is a Licensed Q-Grader and an Assistant Q-Instructor.”

We were able to cup several coffees during the visit.

Some of which will be appearing at Rock Creek in the future. These include a new coffee from Burundi and another from a country we’ve never featured, Zambia. It was a great trip, and we were sent off with a bunch of samples and a couple of great custom cupping spoons. Thanks for your hospitality and great coffee, Keffa

If you’d like more information on when our latest coffees are available, contact us here or join our mailing list!