R13:
Farm/Producer: Alo Village, Alo Main Station, Tamiru Tadesse
Region: Ethiopia, Sidama, Bensa
Process: Natural Mosto Anaerobic
Altitude: 2250 - 2480 masl
Variety: 74158
Cup Profile: Juicy Apricot, Citrus Jam, Toffee Yoghurt
We first encountered Alo Coffee on our cupping table back in our very first year at Cedar. At the time, we were a much smaller company and couldn’t yet commit to purchasing those lots, but even then, we knew that what Tamiru Tadesse was producing at Alo was something special. Fast forward to today and this coffee feels like a full-circle moment; not only is it our first pallet of Ethiopian lots, but it’s also a privilege to finally showcase Alo Coffee’s work in our portfolio.
Alo Coffee, founded by Tamiru Tadesse and his wife Messi in Bensa, Sidama, has become known for producing high-elevation coffees that celebrate Sidama’s unique terroir. They have previously won Cup of Excellence for one of their lots back in 2021. Tamiru works closely with smallholder farmers, emphasizing careful cherry selection, traceability, and innovative processing methods that bring out clarity and sweetness in the cup. They mainly work with the JARC 74158 variety: a selection developed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Center for its excellent cup quality, disease resistance, and adaptability to high altitudes. Its slow cherry maturation produces dense beans with layered fruit complexity and bright, clean acidity.
We chose this lot as our next Special Release simply because of how uniquely complex and expressive it is, driven largely by its experimental mosto anaerobic natural process. Only fully ripe, high-Brix cherries are selected for this lot. As the first batches of cherries begin fermenting, the naturally released juice (mosto) is collected and added back into sealed, oxygen-free fermentation tanks. This boosts fermentation activity and intensifies fruit development without pushing the coffee into over-fermented territory. The cherries rest in anaerobic conditions for 96 hours before being moved to raised African beds, where they dry slowly over 15–25 days with frequent turning to maintain clarity. The result is a coffee that combines the sweetness of a natural with the precision and depth of controlled fermentation.
On filter, we tasted bright, juicy apricot with a clean, refreshing sweetness. As an espresso, the cup shifted into a deeper sweetness with a concentrated citrus jam character. When paired with milk, the flavours transformed completely, developing into a creamy toffee yoghurt finish.
