Hatessa Mini Station

Description

Origin: Ethiopia
Region: Hatessa village, Bensa, Sidama
Processing station: Hatessa Mini Station
Varietal: 74158
Processing: Anaerobic Natural (HFS3)
Elevation: 2320-2460 masl
Profile: plum, blood orange, purple notes
Price per lb (shipping + greens): $24.15

About the coffee:

This limited micro-lot comes from a small processing station in Hatessa, a highland village in Bensa, where only 5 to 8 tons of natural coffee are produced annually from local smallholder farmers.

Farmers carefully select uniformly ripe cherries by hand before delivering them to the station. The cherries are then sealed inside blue plastic tanks for a 72-hour anaerobic fermentation period in controlled, cool conditions. This extended, low-temperature fermentation brings out the coffee's nuanced flavors with precision and harmony.

After fermentation, the cherries move to African raised drying beds for 25 days. To ensure uniform moisture reduction, workers turn the cherries every hour throughout the drying period. During the hottest part of the day (12–3 PM), the beds are covered to protect the fruit from excessive heat.

When the cherries reach their target moisture content of 11–11.5%, they're packed into GrainPro bags to lock in and develop aromatics, then placed in traditional jute for storage. Before dry milling, the coffee rests for at least 45 days, allowing the flavor to stabilize and mature.

Roaster's notes:

Reserved this lot in early February, and it landed mid-November. :) Our first coffee by Alo.

This one works well with a bit of rest. This cup skews more towards darker colored fruits, and results in a layered cup with notes flowing between plum, blood orange, and some blackberry (?).

Brewing Notes:

N/A

Additional Notes:

Learn more about how we price our coffee here.

Text from thoughtful coffee nyc's listing.