C65:
Farm/Producer: Alo Village, Alo Main Station, Tamiru Tadesse
Region: Ethiopia, Sidama, Bensa
Process: Honey
Altitude: 2250 - 2480 masl
Variety: 74158
Cup Profile: Red Plum, Dried Fruits, English Toffee
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.
This lot is processed using the honey method, where ripe cherries are carefully depulped while leaving the mucilage intact. The coffee is then slow-dried for 10–14 days on raised African beds under moderate sunlight. During this time, the remaining sugars in the mucilage are gradually absorbed into the bean, contributing to a rounded sweetness and added depth in the cup.
In the cup, this coffee shows a vibrant red plum character on filter, with clarity and gentle sweetness. On espresso, the profile deepens into a mix of dried fruits, think mango, apricot, and soft prune notes. When paired with milk, the coffee becomes richer, finishing with a smooth English toffee sweetness.
