Basha Bekele White Honey
Our third year working with Basha Bekele, and our first time featuring his White Honey lot. This coffee is a radiant showcase of sweetness and nuance — lively, fruit-forward, and deeply aromatic. Expect notes of wild blueberries, lavender, and crisp pear, brought together in a cup that’s both delicate and vibrant.
Variety: JARC 74158
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Bombe, Bensa, Sidama
Process: White Honey
Altitude: 2231 MASL
Harvest: 2024/2025
Producer: Basha Bekele
Roast Level: Light
Tasting Notes
🫐 Wild Blueberry – intensely sweet and juicy aromatics
💜 Lavender – floral and aromatic, adding depth and elegance
🍐 Crisp Pear – refreshing malic acidity with a clean, juicy finish
🍯 Blue Gummies & White Honey – a playful sweetness that lingers long and smooth
In the Cup
This coffee opens with an intense aroma of wild blueberries and lavender, leading into a juicy pear-like acidity that gives it balance and structure. The texture is silky and clean, finishing with a sweet, candy-like honey note that makes it both comforting and memorable. It’s vibrant, floral, and irresistibly sweet — a perfect reflection of Sidama’s high-elevation terroir.
About the Producer
Before smallholders in Ethiopia could obtain export licenses, Basha Bekele and his father sold their cherries to local cooperatives. Today, Basha is one of Sidama’s most respected independent producers, cultivating coffee on 12 hectares in Bombe and operating collection sites in Bombe, Shantawene, and Kokose. His farms sit among semi-forested plots where coffee grows beneath native shade trees, preserving biodiversity and natural soil health.
Basha primarily grows 74158 (known locally as “Walega”), a JARC variety prized for its sweetness and clarity. With support from Crop to Cup, Basha recently acquired a de-pulper, enabling him to experiment with unique processing styles like this White Honey lot.
A dedicated family man with 11 children, Basha runs his operations with the help of his family — including his son Beleteno, a Hawassa University graduate who now manages the Hora Ganet (“Spring Paradise”) farm. Basha’s leadership, innovation, and community focus make him a cornerstone of quality coffee in Sidama.
Processing
After harvest, cherries are pulped immediately, keeping a thin layer of mucilage intact. They are then dried slowly on raised beds under shade, turned regularly, and monitored closely to ensure even drying and preserve sweetness.
This meticulous White Honey process results in a cup that is silky, floral, and fruit-driven — a stunning expression of Sidama’s terroir and Basha’s precision craftsmanship.