Tasting Notes: Lemonade, Black Tea, Prune
Producer: Alo Coffee
Location: Alo Village, Bensa, Sidama
Altitude: 2,400-2,550 masl
Process: Washed
This washed coffee from Sidama is our second Ethiopian offering from the renowned Tamiru, former university teacher and electrical engineer turned award winning coffee producer. Him and his wife, Messi, remain focused on a singular mission: to prove that Sidama’s finest coffees can stand among the world’s best.
After harvest, ripe coffee cherries are de-pulped and washed immediately using a mechanical washer, skipping the traditional fermentation step to preserve the clarity of the cup and the purity of the terroir. The freshly washed parchment is then transferred to African drying beds, where it is carefully dried over a period of 12 days.
The 74158 (Walega) variety was developed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC) in Ethiopia, a pioneering organization in preserving and developing high-quality coffee varieties. Introduced in the 1970s, this variety originates from the Metu Bishari region, renowned for its native coffee trees that strongly embody Ethiopia’s coffee heritage.
We find this to be a complex and clean coffee with a flavor reminiscent of an Arnold Palmer. The sweetness and acidity combine perfectly, offering a lemonade-like flavor that is finished with notes of dried fruit and black tea. The resulting cup is one that is vibrant and dynamic. This coffee recently took home a Silver medal in the Filter category at the 2026 Golden Bean The Americas competition.
