Many of you will certainly remember Mr. Basha's incredible coffee from last season. When we saw this lot coming available again this season, we snapped it up as quickly as we could. 

Basha Bekele's drying station is located is the Bensa woreda in Ethiopia's Sidama region. Basha’s father was once a manager for a co-op in Bombe that supplied coffee to the Sidama Union. Before the government made it possible for smallholders to obtain export licenses, both he and his father sold their cherry to the cooperative. Basha now has his own export license and grows coffee (primarily 74158, known locally as “Walega”) in semi-forested plots on 12 hectares in addition to operating collection sites in Bombe, Shantawane, and Kokose—collecting cherry from producers growing coffee as high as 2300 masl. While cherry prices are extremely high this year, Basha maintained a practice not seen everywhere: delivering a second payment to the 126 producers he bought cherry from once the coffee sold. Like most smallholders around Bensa, Basha exclusively produces dry (referred to in the U.S. as natural) processes, which includes experiments with anaerobic styles of fermentation, and practices cherry flotation before drying his coffee slowly on raised beds (with some preparations drying under shade).

Like last year, this coffee has the sweet, jammy flavors of a classic naturally processed Ethiopian coffee that you are sure to love, with a unique twist of brown sugar or caramel-like sweetness.

Producer: 126 smallholder farmers
Region: Sidamo, Bensa, Ethiopia
Varietals: 74158
Altitude, 7,000 ft
Process: Natural
Tasting Notes: Peach, Caramel, Hibiscus, Melon, Syrupy

In order to expedite order fulfillment, we pre-roast coffees and keep a small inventory for up to one week. Our heat sealed, valved bags keep coffee at peak freshness for up to 90 days and this pre-roasting practice ensures you will receive coffee at peak quality as quickly as possible.