Fresh, tropical, and beautifully aromatic—that’s Ethiopia Basha Bekele from the New York-based roastery SEY. In the cup, juicy kiwi, sweet guava, and the delicate scent of orange blossom come together, lending the entire profile a sense of lightness and elegance. The fruity notes are pronounced yet clean and balanced, so the coffee remains pleasantly fresh from the first sip right through the finish. It’s the perfect coffee for those moments when you’re craving something vibrant, fragrant, and a little tropical.
The coffee comes from the Badigalo area in the Bensa district of Ethiopia’s Sidama region, where it is grown at an elevation of 2, 300 meters by farmer and coffee producer Basha Bekele. Badigalo is his new, higher-altitude growing area. Basha is one of the region’s leading producers and won first place in the Cup of Excellence competition in 2024. This lot consists of the 74158 variety, which was bred in Ethiopia and widely adopted for its disease resistance.
After hand-picking perfectly ripe cherries, the fruit is first sorted in water to remove lower-quality pieces. The skin and most of the pulp are then removed as quickly as possible; however, when using the honey method, the remaining mucilage layer is intentionally left on the bean. The beans are then dried in the shade on raised beds along with the remaining mucilage, which enhances their natural sweetness and fuller fruity character during the drying process. The result is a clean and distinctive cup in which the coffee’s tropical fruitiness and delicate floral notes can truly shine.
- Producer: Basha Bekele
- Altitude: 2,300 m above sea level
- Harvest: December 2025