C74: 

Farm/Producer: Tamiru Tadesse, Chilaka Village

Region: Ethiopia, Bensa, Sidama

Process: Honey

Altitude: 2340 - 2550 masl

Variety: 74158

Cup Profile: Nectarine, Mandarin, Buttery Flapjacks

Background info

This is our second year working with Alo Coffee, and we’re excited to showcase another coffee from them. We’ve enjoyed getting to know their coffees and the work they’re doing in Bensa, and this lot from Chilaka is one that stood out to us.

Alo Coffee was founded by Tamiru Tadesse and his wife, Messi, in Bensa, Sidama. Tamiru grew up in the area and built Alo around working closely with the smallholder farmers and communities around him. Their coffees have received international recognition, including Tamiru winning first place in Ethiopia’s inaugural Cup of Excellence in 2021.

This coffee comes from Chilaka Station in Bensa, one of Alo Coffee’s processing stations. The coffee is processed using the honey method, where the cherries are pulped while leaving some of the mucilage on the coffee. It is then slow dried for 10–18 days under moderate sunlight.

On filter, we tasted nectarine and stone fruit, with a clean, sweet finish. On espresso, the profile moves towards citrus, predominantly mandarin. With milk, we found a buttery flapjack character, with a fuller and softer texture.