Ethiopia Arbegona - Natural - 250g

We had a huge crush on this natural coffee from the Sidama region: it made us relive the emotions of the natural coffees of Ethiopia that had surprised us so much a few years ago when we discovered specialty coffees.
 
It’s an intense and complex coffee. Floral notes (vanilla and musky), citrus (ripe lemons, orange peel), red fruits (strawberry, raspberry) and peach, are accompanied by a generous body, with a syrupy texture.
 
We offer this coffee as a "Filter" roast, as we find that filter extractions bring out its qualities particularly well, with well-balanced cups, but the "Espresso" roast is also possible, ideally for extractions in an automatic machine with integrated grinder.
 
Region: Arbegona, Sidama
Producer: 391 coffee farmers
Variety: Heirloom
Altitude: 2200 m
Post-harvest treatment: Natural
 
This lot has been sourced by Falcon Specialty in partnership with the Daye Bensa exporter. Daye Bensa is very much a community-focused business that aims to deliver additional bonus payment to the farmers based on the volume they contribute to their station micro-lots, and they reward consistency in both volume and quality to their farmers year after year.
 
Traceability is extremely important during the production of micro lots. The record-keeping book is carefully handled and separation of lots is key to guaranteeing the highest level of quality. When the cherries are received, they are separated by village, the coffee is then kept separate throughout drying, processing, and storage, with labels stating the delivery dates, farm name, lot number, and more details related to the particular lot. They also run an out-growers program that benefits farmers with an off-season payment on top of the harvest fee and have been active in working to improve the farmers’ living situations and standards, with healthcare access, utilities, education, and transport infrastructure. Additionally, Daye Bensa are working with the school principals in the villages surrounding the farms, providing basic school materials for the students.
 
This coffee comes from small plots in the highland area of Arbegona which benefits from the very high altitude of 2200 masl and is processed by the washing station of the same name. 391 farmers contributed cherry to the lot whose small farms are between 3-5 hectares. Coffee is the main cash crop in this area, though many other crops grow here such as sugar cane, false banana, spices, and vegetables.
 
This is a naturally processed lot. Cherries are sorted based on density and quality by floating them in large water tanks. After flotation, the cherries are transferred to African raised beds with mesh nets. The coffee is rotated every 30 minutes for even dryness and to control the fermentation process. The average drying time takes about 12-15 days based on the temperature and humidity. Then the dried cherries are stored in warehouses for flavor development.