Golis Coffee · Specialty

Coffee from the
Golis Mountains
in Somaliland.

Grown high in the mountains of Somaliland, across the water from Yemen and next door to Ethiopia. Brought to the world by Ray.

Join the first harvest listWatch the farm

A new origin

From the birthplace of coffee, a new frontier.

Coffee was born next door, in the highlands of Ethiopia and the terraces of Yemen. Somaliland sits right between them and has never had structured coffee production of its own. Golis Coffee is starting it: high grown, community owned and made for specialty cups around the world.

A story of land, resilience and community. Every bean carries the altitude and the heritage of the Golis.

Clusters of ripe red coffee cherries on a tree
Ripe cherries on the farm
~2,400 mDallo Mountain, our highest ground
~2,008 mGacan Libaax, in the Golis range
1stStructured coffee production in Somaliland
4Target markets: US, EU, UAE and Japan

Origin

Where the Golis meets the clouds.

The Golis range runs along northern Somaliland, rising fast from the Gulf of Aden coast. Our coffee comes from two of its mountains. Tap a peak.

Map of Somaliland and the Golis Mountains with Dallo Mountain and Gacan Libaax Gulf of Aden Ethiopia Yemen Somaliland Golis Mountains hargeisaberbera gl~2,008 mdallo~2,400 m

Terroir

Altitude is flavor.

  • High altitude makes denser beans.
  • Slower ripening builds more complex flavor.
  • Grown at heights comparable to Ethiopia and Yemen.
  • Forest canopy and mist give the trees natural shade.
Elevation of the Golis peaks, in metres 05001,0001,5002,0002,500 Gacan Libaax~2,008 m Dallo Mountain~2,400 m Gulf of Aden coastW → E

From the farm

Red cherries. Golis sun.

Red and green coffee cherries ripening among bright leaves
A heavy branch of ripe coffee cherries

On the farm in the Golis, harvest season. Ripe cherries, ready to pick.

Sunset over the Golis Mountains: limestone cliffs, a rocky peak and green forested slopes, with a few farm buildings in the valley

The Golis

A mountain range the world hasn't tasted yet.

The Golis Mountains, Somaliland
An illustration of the Golis mountains rising from the coast, with mist, forest and a camel caravan Gulf of Aden
  1. 01

    A wall above the sea

    The Golis rise straight up from the hot coastal plain of the Gulf of Aden and run east for about 300 miles. In Somali they are Buuraleyda Golis. Down on the coast, the land bakes. Up here, the air turns cool.

  2. 02

    Mist on the ridges

    Clouds coming off the sea catch on the high ground. On Gacan Libaax, mornings arrive wrapped in mist. That cool, damp air is exactly what coffee trees love.

  3. 03

    Forests older than memory

    Further east at Daallo, a dense forest clings to a limestone escarpment below Shimbiris, Somaliland's highest peak. Some of its trees are more than a thousand years old. Gazelle, wild ass and rare birds like the Warsangli linnet live in their shade.

  4. 04

    Caravans, and now coffee

    For generations, camel herders have crossed these mountains on their way to the coast. Now the same high slopes are starting to grow coffee: slowly, carefully, the way great coffee is grown.

Every cup of Golis carries this place with it.

Terraced rows of coffee trees heavy with red cherries on a steep mountainside

Meet Ray

Brought to the world by Ray.

Rayzak Hassan, known to everyone as Rayzak, has lived on the road as a touring musician and in the studio as a fashion designer. Now he is putting that same energy into a cup, and putting the Golis on the world stage.

MusicianFashion designerFounder

The coffee

Two ways to taste the Golis.

Golis Superb Espresso black 12 oz bagGolis Specialty Coffee white 12 oz bag

Superb Espresso

Golis coffee built for the espresso machine. Same mountains, a darker bag. Tasting notes arrive with the first harvest.

Coming soonWhole bean12 oz (340 g)
Get first access

Community

Owned by the people who grow it.

Golis Coffee is built as a cooperative. The farmers who grow the coffee share in what it earns, and the land is looked after for the next harvest and the next generation.

Model

Cooperative ownership

Farmers hold a real stake in the business they grow.

Model

Profit sharing

When the coffee sells, the community earns.

Model

Local jobs and training

Employment and skills, from picking to processing.

Land

Agroforestry

Shade trees and soil regeneration keep the mountains healthy.

Land

Water conservation

Every drop counts in the Horn of Africa.

Land

Community reinvestment

Part of every harvest goes back into the villages.

Roadmap

The road from farm to cup.

  1. 1Phase 1

    Pilot farms

    Plant, learn and prove the Golis as a coffee origin.

  2. 2Phase 2

    Washing stations

    Process cherries close to the trees for clean, consistent quality.

  3. 3Phase 3

    Export and brand

    Single-origin micro-lots, export-grade green coffee and the Golis roasted range.

Headed for cups around the world.

Direct trade relationships with roasters and partners in four markets.

  • United StatesSpecialty cafés and roasters
  • EuropeDirect-trade buyers
  • UAEGulf coffee culture
  • JapanPrecision brewing
Trade routes from Somaliland to the United States, Europe, the UAE and Japan United StatesEuropeUAEJapanGOLIS

First harvest

Be first to taste the Golis.

Join the list for first release dates, harvest updates and stories from the farm.

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