What is the Illubabor Forest coffee varietal?

Illubabor Forest is a specific wild Ethiopian coffee variety associated with Bench Maji Zone - formerly Illubabor Zone - in southwestern Ethiopia. This is the same ecologically rich region where the Gesha variety was originally collected, and it hosts several forest coffee populations of significant genetic interest.

The cup profile follows the pattern of other forest-grown Ethiopian coffees from the same zone: complex florality, stone fruit character, and clean brightness associated with high-altitude multi-canopy agroforestry growing conditions.

Illubabor Forest coffees are rare in international specialty markets and represent the kind of highly traceable, terroir-specific offering that the upper end of the market seeks out. Limited commercial cultivation and low volume are part of what makes them interesting - and expensive when they do appear.