Ethiopia - Alo Coffee - Bombe Delo - Natural (CoE 2021 #2 Farm)

Only a year into establishing Alo Coffee Export Plc, Tamiru Tadesse has already achieved remarkable success, winning 1st Place at the Ethiopia Cup of Excellence. This significant accomplishment brings him closer to his goal of shining a spotlight on Sidama Bensa coffee farmers, whose hard work and dedication produce some of the finest coffees in the world.Tamiru's six years in the coffee industry exposed him to the great disconnect between the exceptional flavors of his hometown's coffees and the way they were undervalued in the market. Recognizing how this disparity disadvantaged smallholder coffee-growing families and the country's coffee industry, Tamiru founded Alo Coffee with a mission to create change. Through his company, he aims to bring greater recognition and rewards to the farmers of Sidama Bensa.Tamiru's six years in the coffee industry exposed him to the great disconnect between the exceptional flavors of his hometown's coffees and the way they were undervalued in the market. Recognizing how this disparity disadvantaged smallholder coffee-growing families and the country's coffee industry, Tamiru founded Alo Coffee with a mission to create change. Through his company, he aims to bring greater recognition and rewards to the farmers of Sidama Bensa.Alo Village serves as the processing headquarters for Alo Coffee, where coffee growers from the surrounding areas bring their cherries for post-harvest processing. Situated at an elevation of 2,400 meters above sea level, the village provides the perfect environment for producing top-quality coffee. In this selection, we present a coffee from the same location that yielded the first-place-winning lot at the Cup of Excellence. The Sidama Bensa-grown 74158, a JARC variety known for its Geisha-like characteristics, is a testament to the region's potential. Tamiru works closely with about 200 farmers in Delo kebele, Bensa zone of the Sidama region, collecting approximately 182,000 kilograms of red cherries from 80 hectares of land. Tamiru is deeply involved in every step of the coffee selection process, starting with the standardization of the variety at the farm level. All the coffee is processed at Alo Village, ensuring strict quality control. Upon arrival, the cherries are color-sorted to ensure only the ripest fruits are used. Planted at an altitude above 2,400 meters, these cherries are naturally sweet. They are then placed on African raised beds and sun-dried, a process that takes 2-3 weeks to reach the desired moisture level. Once dried, the cherries are hulled and rested before being packed and exported.Most of Tamiru's coffee is destined for China, where the demand for high-quality coffee continues to grow.