Decaf Abdo Aba Mecha • Ethiopia

This is our second time purchasing coffee from Abdo Aba Mecha in Ethiopia, via Osito Coffee and Addis Exporter.

Abdo Aba Mecha entered the coffee export scene five years ago, after inheriting a 30-hectare estate in Illbu Kebele, within the scenic Gomma Woreda district. Abdo met and began working with Osito in late 2023 after hearing glowing reviews from some of his friends and neighbors. (Abdo is actually neighbors of Nesru Aba Nura and Mensur Abahika, whom we also purchase coffee from!)

Abdo is committed to excellence, and it shows in his meticulous processing approach, capitalizing on his farm’s elevation and the JARC 74110 variety for its’ remarkable quality. In processing, Abdo’s precision stands out: only the ripest cherries undergo a careful examination before being placed on raised beds, where they dry for about 14 days until reaching the optimal moisture content (in this case, 10.5%). Beyond coffee, Abdo is a devoted father of four who cherishes time with his children. He is also a very passionate soccer fan, especially of the Premier League and his beloved Arsenal.

This coffee was selected for decaffeination by Osito, not Abdo. This offering is actually two different lots of coffee: one is a washed lot of the JARC 74110, and the other is a natural lot of the same variety! This coffee was blended after processing and shipped to the Coffein Compagnie decaf processing facility in Bremen, Germany via ethyl acetate. Once it arrived, the green coffee is treated with steam to remove the outermost layer of the coffee, the silverskin. The water content of the coffee is increased to open up the cell structure. Then, a water-ethyl acetate-solution is used to extract the caffeine from the coffee in several steps, where the caffeine diffuses from the coffee and into the solvent-water-solution around it. After this, steam is used to “flush” the remaining ethyl acetate from the coffee, which is finally dried to their initial moisture content before decaffeination.

Moving forward, we are planning to carry two decaf offerings at any given time: a staple decaf offering from Colombia, and a rotating decaf offering. We love decaf here at Commonplace, and we thought it was time to expand on our offerings and shine more light on delicious decaf coffees from all over the coffee producing world! This coffee has a very interesting flavor profile and, we think, is a real treat for any coffee lover. We get velvety chocolate notes and feel, fruitiness that reminds us of persimmon and citrus zest, and a vivid cola finish.