At 2,060 metres above sea level, the Garse station in Yirgacheffe is home to some of the region’s most vibrant and expressive coffees. Built in 2011 by Dukale Wakayo Dakola (DWD), the station now works with 110 smallholder producers from the surrounding villages of Garse, Dobe Toga, and Wachile. Farmers here continue centuries-old traditions of coffee cultivation, passing knowledge from generation to generation to ensure exceptional quality.
The story of DWD begins with Ato Dukale, who grew up on his family’s coffee farm near Bensa in Sidama. After years of collecting small lots across the region, he built his first washing station in the late 1980s. Today, DWD has grown into a company with 16 collection centres across Sidama and Yirgacheffe, now run by Dukale and his sons Assafa, Shahsamo, and Yamrot. Together, they remain committed to highlighting Ethiopia’s terroir with coffees of clarity, elegance, and distinction.
Yirgacheffe sits in southern Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone, at altitudes that often exceed 2,000 metres. This high elevation, combined with rich volcanic soils and steady rainfall, creates one of the most ideal environments in the world for coffee. Smallholder farmers cultivate tiny plots, often less than a hectare, using methods passed down through generations. The result is coffee that reflects both the land and the people who tend it.
What makes Yirgacheffe special is its clarity. The coffees are renowned for their floral aromatics, tea-like elegance, and bright, citrus-driven acidity. Notes of jasmine, bergamot, peach, or tropical fruits are common, often layered with delicate sweetness and clean structure. Few origins in the world deliver this kind of vibrancy with such precision.
Over the years, Yirgacheffe has become a benchmark for washed and natural Ethiopian coffees alike. Whether processed for sparkling florals or for fruit-forward depth, the region continues to set the standard for what coffee can be: pure, expressive, and unforgettable.
