Alo Chilaka Village Safo Station Tamiru Tadesse White Honey 74158 | Ethiopia

Ethiopia — Tamiru Tadesse (Alo Coffee) Chilaka Village, Safo Station 74158 (White Honey)

Tastes Like — 🥭 Mangosteen • 🍋 Meyer Lemon • 🍵 Oolong Tea

DETAILS

• Producer: Tamiru Tadesse, Alo Coffee
• Station: Safo Station, Chilaka Village
• Region: Bensa, Sidama, Ethiopia
• Varietal: JARC 74158
• Process: White Honey
• Altitude: 2,330–2,390 masl
• Roast Profile: Light
• Rest: 4–6 weeks from roast date recommended
• Roaster: Moonwake Coffee Roasters

INTRO
A remarkably clean white honey from Safo Station in Chilaka Village, one of Alo's latest-harvest lots. Creamy mangosteen sweetness sits at the center of the profile with a bright Meyer lemon acidity, and a medium-bodied oolong tea quality carries into a long, lingering finish. In the cup: mangosteen, Meyer lemon, and oolong tea.

THE PRODUCER
Alo Coffee began in the village of Alo Bensa, where Tamiru Tadesse was born. He worked in coffee while also working as an electrical engineer and university professor. In 2020 the CQI announced Ethiopia's first Cup of Excellence, and Sidama coffees went on to win every year from 2020 to 2024, which Moonwake attributes to terroir and to 74158, a variety developed primarily for Sidama and a perfect match for it. Tamiru won the 2021 COE with a simple, high-grown, well-sorted natural from Alo Bensa.

Since then he has travelled the world marketing his coffees and talking with producers in other countries to build a forward-thinking strategy. He has brought back Green Tip Gesha from Panama, introduced vermicomposting, soil analysis, and soil amendment before planting, and advanced processing methods, buying from single farmers before the season starts at elevations up to 2,700 masl and offering lots as small as 30kg that are dark-room dried for 60+ days. He works with around 800 farmers across his supply chain.

THE PROCESS
The White Honey process for this lot involves:

🍒 De-pulping — cherries de-pulped
🚿 Immediate washing — washed straight away until only 5% of the mucilage remains
☀️ Slow drying — 10–15 days under moderate sunlight on African beds

Washing the mucilage down to 5% before drying is the defining step. It's what keeps the cup so clean, with creamy mangosteen sweetness and a bright citrus lift.

THE CUP
Remarkably clean, with creamy mangosteen sweetness at the center and bright Meyer lemon acidity adding a layered presentation. It's fun and easy to dial in, showing differently on pour-over depending on the brewing approach. As it develops, a medium-bodied oolong tea quality emerges in the background, carrying through to a long, lingering finish with a soft, rounded character, balancing tropical sweetness, citrus brightness, and a tea-like finish.

Flavour Notes
🥭 Mangosteen 🍋 Meyer Lemon 🍵 Oolong Tea