Ethiopia Bombe

Ethiopia Bombe

Region: Bensa District, Sidama

Altitude: 2000 – 2400 masl

Coffee varieties: Heirloom varieties

Process: Washed

Drying: Raised bed

Owner: Daye Bensa

Cupping notes: Mandarin, Orange Blossom, Sugar Cane

Cupping score: 86.5

The process for this coffee was developed after Kenean, who is the son of Asefa Dukamo owner manager of Daye Bensa, visited Guatemala with roaster partner David Bueller of Greenway Coffee and was impressed with the processing protocols at La Esperanza Antigua by Josue Morales from Los Volcanes Coffee.

Josue called Daye Bensa’s Quality manager and explained his washing and dry fermentation technique and this coffee is the result of that collaboration.  Processed by a variation on the traditional washed process (fruit removed from the beans before drying) that adds no water to the tank during fermentation, hence a “dry” fermentation.  The dry fermentation involves letting the coffees rest in climate controlled fermentation tanks post de-mucilaging (this is where the seed is removed from the skin and pulp of the fruit).

The coffee rests warm and dry while fermentation kickstarts faster than normal in the warm air environment, activating esters during fermentation, resulting in a hearty, complex, and apparent red fruit flavor while still being washed of its pulp. This process uses a lot less water and has helped the environmental sustainability in its production.