Ethiopia Alo from the French roaster Tanat Coffee is a coffee we’d recommend when you’re in the mood for something juicy and fragrant. In the cup, you’ll be immediately captivated by an elegant aroma dominated by intense notes of pineapple, coconut, and strawberry yogurt. This is a coffee for those seeking sophisticated, floral-fruity, and deeply complex profiles with precise clarity.
This lot comes from the renowned Alo station in the Bensa region of Sidamo, founded by visionary producer Tamiru Tadesse, winner of the 2021 Ethiopian Cup of Excellence. It is grown at an extreme altitude of over 2,240 meters above sea level, which gives the coffee cherries ample time to ripen slowly and concentrate their natural sugars. The coffee consists of the pure 74158 variety, which is prized in this region for its resilience and brilliant flavor profile. Thanks to the altitude and the specific microclimate of the village of Alo, the beans acquire an exceptional density and complexity that define this rare nano-lot.
The processing itself is a technological masterpiece. After hand-picking only fully ripe cherries, the coffee undergoes the “Mosto Anaerobic Natural” process, which lasts a full 96 hours. During this anaerobic fermentation, the cherries are sealed in a controlled environment with the addition of “mosto”— the juice from pressed coffee cherries—which dramatically enhances the fruity intensity and wine-like complexity of the final beverage. After fermentation is complete, the coffee is dried on shaded raised beds for three to four weeks, ensuring an even drying process and excellent flavor stability.