ORIGIN: Bensa, Sidama, Ethiopia
VARIETAL: Mix Variety
PROCESS: Natural
ALTITUDE: 2300 masl
HARVEST: November to December
SOURCING
PRODUCER: Basha Bekele
RELATIONSHIP: Third year of purchasing
ORIGIN PARTNER: CoQua
This sun-dried Natural coffee strikes the perfect balance between wild and precise. It is a beautiful coffee that easily stands out in a crowd, with hard-hitting and indulgent tropical tones upfront and delicate clarity at the back. A gateway filter for those looking to take a walk on the slightly wild side.
In the grand scheme of things, the Bensa highlands in Sidama would be very much considered a younger sibling in the birthplace of coffee. Until 2019, Sidama was considered a zone within the SNNPR (Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region). However, after a vote, the zone broke away and established itself as the tenth recognized region in Ethiopia. The Bensa highlands, where this lot is from, have experienced climate change over the last fifty years, creating the conditions ideal for growing coffee in the region. Much of the industry in the highlands is at most 20 years old. The high altitude here means limited access to water for cherry processing, resulting in a preference for natural processed lots. Necessity drives innovation, and the young producers of this region are a testament to that.
Our head roaster, Ryan, met with Basha, along with other producers from the region, during a visit to Ethiopia this year. Sidama is an area where coffee is fuelling significant change, and Seven Seeds is happy to be a part of that.