BEKELE YUTUTE COE "AFRO FUNK #8"

About the Coffee

Bekele Yutute farms just under 4 hectares at the Denbi farm in Bensa, Sidama, at elevations between 2,300 and 2,350 meters. He grows primarily the 74158 variety, a selection developed by the Jimma Agriculture Research Center (JARC) valued for its cup quality and natural resistance to coffee berry disease. For many years, Bekele sold his cherries to cooperatives. In recent seasons, he began processing and exporting his own coffee, working with small family-run drying sites including Kokose and Murago.

This lot is a natural anaerobic, meaning the whole coffee cherry is fermented in a sealed, oxygen-free environment before drying. After cherry selection, the coffee is dried slowly on raised beds. The anaerobic process builds intensity and complexity in the cup, but it also means the coffee needs time to rest after roasting before it's at its best. In 2024, Bekele placed 4th at the Cup of Excellence Ethiopia competition. This lot is a reproduction of that award-winning coffee.

About Traffic

Traffic Coffee was founded by Greg Lancot and Jessie Lewin in Montréal. Both came from creative backgrounds, and when they started the roastery they wanted to do something beyond making coffee that people drink on autopilot. Their packaging reflects that directly: each bag has its own bold illustration and colour scheme, from a No Name-style peanut butter and jelly sandwich to a laser-eyed dinosaur.

On the sourcing side, Traffic sticks to small-batch roasting and works to build lasting relationships with the farmers they buy from. Their approach spans both classic, clean processing and more experimental techniques like anaerobic fermentation, depending on what a given coffee calls for. Afro Funk sits firmly in the experimental camp.

"Traffic's breadth of coffee is remarkable - from dark roasts reminiscent of your grandmother's kitchen, to wild co-ferments with tasting notes we admittedly have to look up. The packaging and the coffee inside is meant to captivate you, and I hope you feel the same when you try this coffee."

- Dean, Director of Coffee