Ethiopia — Keramo Washing Station JARC 74112 (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍏 Yellow Apple • 🍋 Lime • 🌰 Almonds

DETAILS

• Producer: 1,500 smallholder farmers
• Station: Keramo Washing Station (Daye Bensa)
• Region: Keramo, Bombe Mountains, Sidama Bensa, Ethiopia
• Varietal: JARC 74112, Heirloom
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 2300–2360 MASL
• Harvest: Spring 2025
• Size: 250g

INTRO

From one of the highest washing stations in all of Sidama, Keramo sits at a staggering 2300–2360 MASL in the Bombe Mountains — an altitude so extreme that cherries mature slowly, producing small, dense beans packed with concentrated flavour. This washed lot from 1,500 smallholder farmers delivers the bright citrus and stone fruit clarity that has made Keramo a recurring Cup of Excellence winner.

Managed by Daye Bensa, Keramo exemplifies what Ethiopian high-altitude coffee can achieve: a sparkling, clean cup with remarkable complexity. Suitable for filter brewing.

THE PRODUCER

Daye Bensa was founded in 2006 by brothers Asefa and Mulugeta Dukamo, and has since become one of Ethiopia's most respected coffee exporters. The Keramo Washing Station, located high in the Bombe Mountains of Sidama Bensa, is one of 16 washing stations the company operates across the region.

Around 1,500 smallholder farmers contribute cherry to Keramo, each cultivating coffee on small plots of land — typically under 2 hectares — alongside fruit trees and other crops. The extreme elevation at Keramo (2300–2360 MASL) results in a slow maturation process that produces beans with high density and a heavy concentration of smaller screen sizes — both indicators of the exceptional quality that defines this lot.

Daye Bensa's commitment to quality has been recognised repeatedly at the Cup of Excellence, including a 7th place finish in 2020 and an 8th place finish in 2021 with coffees from neighbouring washing stations. Keramo continues this legacy of excellence.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Keramo Washing Station involves:

• 🍒 Selective Harvest — Only fully ripe cherries are hand-picked and delivered to the washing station on the day of harvest.
• 💧 Flotation — Cherries are floated in water to remove low-density or defective fruit before processing begins.
• 🔧 Depulping — Cherries are mechanically depulped to remove the outer skin and expose the mucilage-covered bean.
• 🧪 Wet Fermentation — Beans ferment in water-filled tanks for 36–72 hours to break down and remove the mucilage naturally.
• 💧 Washing & Grading — Coffee is thoroughly washed in clean water channels, with additional density separation to remove any remaining defects.
• ☀️ Raised Bed Drying — Beans are spread on raised African beds with clean plastic mesh and dried for 9–12 days, turned regularly to ensure even airflow and prevent over-drying.
• 📅 Resting — Once dried to 10–12% moisture, coffee is stored in GrainPro bags to stabilise before dry milling.

This traditional washed method preserves the coffee's inherent clarity and allows the terroir of the Bombe Mountains to shine through in every cup.

THE CUP

Expect a bright, sparkling cup with the sweet-tart clarity of yellow apple leading into zesty lime acidity, rounded out by a subtle nutty warmth of toasted almonds. The extreme altitude lends remarkable density and complexity, whilst the clean washed process showcases the coffee's elegant structure and tea-like finish. A classic high-altitude Ethiopian washed coffee.

Flavour Notes

• 🍏 Yellow Apple
• 🍋 Lime
• 🌰 Almonds