Ethiopian | Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants)

Trader Joe’s ORGANIC ETHIOPIA GUJI Small Lot Coffee

When I saw this new Small Lot coffee I first did what I always do, try to smell it. One can usually get an idea of it’s smell by giving the bag a gentle squeeze near the round airvalve. I gave this one a whiff and thought it smelled good. Promising.

When I tasted the brewed coffee though, while I liked it a bit, there was something about it I just didn’t like. Frankly one reason being I am currently entranced (love) by another TJ’s coffee at present and have been since I first tasted it. Their excellent Organic BOLIVIAN BLEND. That may be one of the best coffees I think I ever have gotten there.

This new Small Lot coffee is from Ethopia, so African. African coffee are are unique and different than Latin coffees.

https://coffeehero.com.au/blogs/news/a-beginner-s-guide-to-african-coffee-flavors-and-varieties

They are frequently referred to as being “wine-y” and having a bit more pronounced profile with a bright acidity it them. I have tasted and really liked many African coffees. Let’s face it when it comes to coffee – Ethiopia is The Source. The Beginning. Historically thought of as the locus, the Origin of Coffee, period. Coffee and coffee culture to is said to have begun there many centuries ago. Ethiopia and Coffee are linked in a way perhaps like no other place in the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_production_in_Ethiopia

If you like African coffee you might like this; It does has a typical “winey” profile which many African coffees exhibit and some people really like. I do sometimes but I didn’t love this coffee. I will give it a few more chances to win me over. But again one reason is at the moment my taste buds are really tuned in to “my new coffee” that Bolivian Blend coffee.

If you’ve never had an African coffee, you might want to taste this and see what you think for yourself. However I would first recommend another African coffee there. Trader Joe’s other Ethopian coffee, the Fair Trade Organic Ethiopian Blend Coffee…. which has gotten many good reviews from a number of sites and one that I do like a lot.

Or try the “best of both worlds” – a coffee which is a blend of African & Latin coffee (Afro-Latin Blend BUUNNI Azmari coffee) That one is another excellent coffee at Trader Joe’s and one that is on my top coffee list there.

Learn More About Ethiopian Coffee

https://www.peachcoffeeroasters.com/blogs/our-community/guide-to-ethiopian-coffee

ORGANIC ETHIOPIA GUJI Small Lot Coffee $9.99

Didn’t love it. I would not buy it again

Trader Joe’s “BUUNNI Azmari Coffee” Afro-Latin blend

“This blend combines Ethiopian delicacy with Latin verve…Notes of chocolate, nougat, cherry”

A blend of African & Latin American coffees –

The terrific graphic design of this bag of BUUNII AZMARI coffee beans really caught my eye when I saw it recently in Trader Joe’s NEW PRODUCTS section. Bold bright colors and stylized images that kind of say “farming”….

The best news is that the coffee inside is as good as the outside. This Azamri BUNNII blend is an excellent coffee in a whole bean (light) medium roast. The bag says “medium” but its actually more like the so called blonde roast which has gotten a bit popular. Some people complain Trader Joe’s medium roasts are actually a shade darker than most “mediums” (me, i like dark). This coffee is from a smallish coffee outfit called BUUNNI COFFEE which I am glad to learn is sold under it’s own brand at Trader Joe’s, a kind of rare feat if you know TJ’s usually re-branding of stuff. The packaging for Trader Joe’s looks different from BUNNIs usual packaging so likely it was specially made especially for Trader Joes. Whoever did it did a great job of graphic design.

Opening the convenient zip closure (yet more good design) I got a lovely smell. When I ground the coffee up the aroma was truly excellent and it did have as the bag says, “notes of chocolate, nougat, cherry…”. This coffee has a perfect mix of the best of “African” and “Latin American” coffee styles, for good reason, as that is exactly what this blend is composed of: two Ethiopian single origin coffees mixed with a coffee from Honduras. It has that “winy” sharp African coffee note which that is then balanced by the Latin American smoother notes of the single origin Honduran. All around I found this to be an excellent blend, roasted perfectly to bring out the best of this coffee, in this case a bit of a blond roast. Trader Joe’s is selling it for $9.99 a bag (12 oz). I would buy this again, gladly and hope you give it a try; I kind of feel that everyone might like this coffee, which I’ve had at their original location (Buuni) when they had just opened years ago way up on Inwood at the tip of Manhattan.

I found this to be an impressive coffee for a fairly decent price, well worth checking out if you see it and are a real coffee lover!

BTW, this would be great mixed with darker blends too! I’ve done 50/50 with some dark ones and loved that mix.

update: i went back to buy more and couldn’t find it; I am thinking (hoping) just out of stock… we’ll see – update2 – its back in stock (jun 2022)