From source to sip
The story behind your next cup.
High on the slopes of Bombe Mountain in southern Ethiopia, coffee cherries ripen slowly at 2,150 meters above sea level. This is Sidama, historically called Sidamo, one of the most respected coffee zones in the country that gave the world Arabica.
Ethiopia ranks among the top coffee-producing nations on earth, and within it the Sidama zone stands out for the density and clarity of its flavors. The Bensa district, where this lot grows, sits at elevations that few origins can match. The cherries here come from the village of Durato, gathered from 626 smallholder farmers who tend small plots on the mountain.
Read the full story
The Coffee Story
The SourceDurato Village, Bombe Mountain
Ethiopia ranks among the top coffee-producing nations on earth, and within it the Sidama zone stands out for the density and clarity of its flavors. The Bensa district, where this lot grows, sits at elevations that few origins can match. The cherries here come from the village of Durato, gathered from 626 smallholder farmers who tend small plots on the mountain.
The thin air and cool nights at this altitude force the cherries to mature gradually, concentrating sugars and acids in the seed. That slow ripening is the foundation of the cup. This lot is the work of Daye Bensa Coffee, a family company founded in 2006 by brothers Asefa and Mulugeta Dukamo, who operate sixteen washing stations and four dry mills across the region.
The CraftSun-Dried at the Kontama Mill
After harvest, whole cherries travel to Daye Bensa's Kontama mill, where they are laid out on raised beds and dried in the sun for ten to fifteen days. This is the natural method, the older of Ethiopia's two main approaches. The fruit stays intact around the seed throughout drying, and its sugars migrate inward, producing the jammy, fruit-forward character that defines a great natural. You can read more about the distinction in our guide to natural and washed processing methods .
We roast this coffee to City+, a level that keeps the fruit intact while building enough body to carry it. Push Ethiopian naturals too far and the delicate berry notes burn off. Our solar-powered roastery keeps each batch small so the sweetness reaches the cup the way the mill intended.
The CupJammy, Layered, Bright
The first sip leads with ripe blueberry and a winey pomegranate tartness, the kind of fruit you only get from a clean natural process. Underneath, pineapple sweetness keeps the cup lively while a soft milk chocolate base rounds out the finish.
As it cools, the watermelon and tropical notes lift and the acidity sharpens into something close to fresh berries. It is a cup that rewards attention, layered enough to taste differently from the first pour to the last.
