Ethiopia — Eliyas Dukamo & Atiklit Dejene Elto JARC 74158 (Natural)

Tastes Like — 🍑 Nectarine • 🍊 Dried Apricot • 🫐 Blackberry • 🍓 Raspberry

DETAILS

• Producer: Eliyas Dukamo & Atiklit Dejene (Elto Coffee)
• Region: Bare, Sidama, Ethiopia
• Varietal: JARC 74158
• Process: Natural
• Altitude: 2,200–2,300 MASL
• Harvest: 2025
• Size: 250g

INTRO

A second year working with Elto Coffee from Bare, Sidama — and this time a naturally processed expression of JARC 74158, marking a departure from their previous washed lot. Complex, juicy, and deeply sweet, this is a coffee of remarkable stone fruit character and berry-forward vibrancy. In the cup: nectarine, dried apricot, blackberry, and raspberry, with a light body and a sweet, clean finish.

THE PRODUCER

Elto Coffee was founded by Eliyas Dukamo and Atiklit "Mimi" Dejene with a clear and ambitious focus: precision, innovation, and the pursuit of competition-grade microlots from Sidama. The name Elto carries two meanings in the Sidama language — "abundance" and "more than passion" — a dual definition that speaks directly to the ethos behind everything they produce. Their emphasis on industry best practices and a commitment to pushing Ethiopian specialty coffee toward ever-higher standards has established Elto as one of the most compelling emerging producers in the region.

JARC 74158 was approved for release by the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre in 1979, selected from mother plants in the Metu woreda of the Illuababora zone. Developed for its high yield potential and resistance to coffee berry disease, it has proven to be far more than a workhorse variety — at 2,200–2,300 MASL in Sidama, it produces a naturally processed cup of exceptional depth, sweetness, and fruit complexity.

THE PROCESS

The Natural process at Elto involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 🔍 Sorting — Carefully sorted at every stage before processing 💧 Flotation — Floated to remove defects and ensure consistency ☀️ Natural drying — Mucilage and natural cherry sugars left intact on the seed prior to drying, allowing fruit character to develop fully throughout

The retention of the mucilage throughout drying is the defining step — unlike the previous washed Elto lot, this natural process allows the cherry's sugars to slowly integrate into the bean over the drying period, producing the deeply sweet, stone fruit-forward character and juicy berry complexity that define the cup.

THE CUP

A complex, juicy, and beautifully sweet natural from one of Sidama's most ambitious young producers — nectarine brightness and dried apricot warmth give way to juicy blackberry and raspberry, with a light body and a long, clean, sweet finish. A confident second chapter from Elto, and a compelling showcase for 74158 at altitude.

Flavour Notes

🍑 Nectarine 🍊 Dried Apricot 🫐 Blackberry 🍓 Raspberry