February 2026: Podium Gold. Freelance Coffee Project

Country: Ethiopia
Varietals: Kerume
Process: Washed
Producer: More than 800 smallholder farmers
Elevation: 1,900-2,150 MASL
Tasting Notes: Red currant, apricot, lilac

The coffee:

Adorsi Washing Station is owned and operated by the Yonis family, long-time leaders in quality-driven coffee production in southern Ethiopia.

Located near the village of Aricha in the Yirgacheffe district of the Gedeo zone, Adorsi serves more than 800 smallholder farming families from the surrounding highlands. Farmers deliver freshly picked coffee cherries daily to the washing station, ensuring peak ripeness and freshness at intake. The region’s combination of high elevation, fertile soils, and cool climate provides ideal conditions for slow cherry maturation and complex flavor development.

Yirgacheffe is internationally recognized for producing some of Ethiopia’s most refined and aromatic coffees, and this lot is a classic example. Grown at elevations exceeding 2,100 meters above sea level, the coffee offers a bright, complex cup with layered florals, fresh matcha, caramel sweetness, subtle spice, and a juicy mango note that lingers on the palate. It’s a clean, expressive washed coffee that highlights both the strength of the region and the precision of the Yonis family’s work.

The roaster:

Freelance Coffee Project is an independent roasting company rooted in curiosity, craft, and a refusal to take shortcuts. Founded over four years ago, the project began with a simple goal: to approach coffee with intention, transparency, and respect for everyone involved, from producer to drinker. What started as a small, hands‑on operation has grown into a recognized name within the specialty coffee community while still maintaining the independence and flexibility that keep the work personal and thoughtful.

At the heart of the project is a commitment to single origin coffees. By focusing on individual regions rather than blends, each coffee is allowed to express its own personality, its terroir, its processing, its story.

Every origin has something distinct to say, and Freelance believes that life’s too short to blend in. This approach, paired with slow decision making, rigorous evaluation, and constant refinement, has led to multiple national and international distinctions over the past four years. These awards are not treated as endpoints but as confirmation that the process matters and that careful execution shows in the cup.