There are a lot of amazing roasters around the world producing some fantastic coffee while supporting a sustainable coffee economy. Unfortunately, traveling to all of these coffee roasters and sampling their products is pretty much impossible (especially when you’re facing a global pandemic).
To help Twin Cities residents get a better taste of what’s out there, we regularly rotate our featured roaster throughout the year. This allows us to serve a variety of unique coffees while keeping our menu fresh. We started 2021 off with Onyx Coffee Lab. Onyx is a renowned coffee roastery based in Arkansas.
Today, we wanted to highlight one of Onyx’s products that made a notable impression around the world in 2020. It’s called Gare Ware Jilo.
What’s So Special About Gare Ware Jilo?
The first thing people likely notice about Gare Ware Jilo is its beautiful packaging. The second thing is the price. While ethically sourced coffee tends to cost more than lower grade products (and for good reason), Gare Ware Jilo is priced a bit higher than its peers. This is due to the effort that goes into creating it, as well as the quality of product itself.
For this competition, coffees from across the country are graded by a group of national judges. They’re then assigned a score and ranked in order of their final tally. Though Cup of Excellence has been rating and comparing coffee since 1999, this was their first competition in Ethiopia, which is noteworthy considering Ethiopia is generally considered the birthplace of coffee. Ethiopia is the fifth largest coffee producer in the world, and their beans are also considered to be among the best.
All this to say, Onyx’s Gare Ware Jilo is a big deal.
This fruit-forward coffee features hints of tangerine, blackberry compote and apple. Its name comes from a coffee producer in the West Guji Zone in Ethiopia. Gare Ware is a 30-year-old father of two who produces 30,000 quintals of coffee every year. By placing in this competition, Gare Ware is able to earn a higher premium on his product and continue to grow and expand his operations.
Get It While You Can
While we love Onyx and the coffee they make, their time as our featured roaster is almost to an end. If you’re looking to try some of their products at one of our coffee shops, you’ll want to act quickly. At our Minneapolis location, we’re currently serving Geometry from Onyx. Geometry is a blend of Colombian and Ethiopian coffees that features flavors of berry, sweet lemon, Earl Grey and honey. This silky, well-rounded coffee works great for both espresso and drip.
At our Eden Prairie location, you’ll find Monarch. Monarch is also from Ethiopia and Columbia, though it’s darker, thicker and more chocolatey than Geometry. Like Geometry, however, it works great for both espresso and drip.
Visit our coffee shop in Minneapolis or Eden Prairie to try some of these delicious roasts – and buy some beans to take home too!
