Ethiopia Bensa Bombe - White Honey Landrace (Tamiru Tadesse)

Details

• Origin: Ethiopia

• Producer: Various Producers

• Farm: Alo Coffee

• Variety: JARC 74158

• Process: White Honey

Tasting Notes

Intro

This coffee showcases Alo Coffee’s dedication to quality, innovation, and community-led production in Sidama and West Arsi. Carefully sourced from high-elevation smallholder farms and thoughtfully processed, it highlights both the terroir of the region and Alo Coffee’s modern approach to fermentation. The result is a vibrant, elegant cup that balances clarity with sweetness and expressive fruit character.

The Producer

 

Alo Coffee was founded by Tamiru and his wife, Messi, in response to Ethiopia’s evolving specialty coffee landscape following the country’s first Cup of Excellence in 2020. Based in Sidama and West Arsi, Alo Coffee works closely with hundreds of smallholder farmers, focusing on high-elevation coffees and quality-driven production. By combining traditional washed and natural methods with controlled and experimental fermentations, Alo Coffee has quickly earned international recognition while remaining deeply committed to reinvesting in local communities and supporting the livelihoods of the farmers they work with.

The Process

 

This coffee is produced using a range of carefully managed processing methods that reflect Alo Coffee’s balance of tradition and innovation. Depending on the specific lot, coffees are processed as washed or natural, emphasizing clarity, sweetness, and terroir expression. In addition, Alo Coffee applies controlled fermentation techniques, incorporating coffee-derived materials such as mossto, cascara, and mucilage to guide fermentation in a precise and consistent way. These approaches allow for both clean, approachable profiles and more expressive, competition-style microlots, while maintaining quality and consistency across their network of smallholder partners.

Take a Sip

Bright and refreshing on the palate, this coffee opens with crisp notes of starfruit and juicy kiwi. A gentle sweetness follows, reminiscent of sweet tea, adding balance and elegance. As the cup settles, smooth caramel undertones emerge, rounding out the finish with a soft, comforting sweetness.

What is the roast recency?

We recommend brewing with beans that are at least two weeks off roast. All beans are roasted to peak flavour at around 6-12 weeks. We have the option to either purchase standard beans (at least 2 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks off roast), or rested beans (at least 7 weeks off roast, no longer than 12 - should we have any left in stock!). For peak flavour, if you are looking to use immediately, we recommend purchasing the rested beans. If you are adding to your rotation of beans, we recommend purchasing the standard and allowing the beans to naturally rest and mature whilst you rotate through other beans.