Ethiopia’s highest elevations aren’t just reserved for scenic views. They’re home to cherries that are anything but ordinary, and to farmers who won’t settle for mediocrity. Bekele Yutute is exactly the kind of producer that baristas on the European side of the globe whisper about, and a cup of his coffee proves why. First comes fresh black currant, then you’ll smell a mandarin bursting with juiciness, followed by a silky note of milk chocolate, and finally, cherry jam rounds out the entire profile into a shape that simply fits like a dripper on a mug. A creamy texture, a clean fruity character, and no unnecessary distracting notes.
The coffee is grown in the Bensa region, in the heart of the famous Sidama area in southern Ethiopia, home to some of the country’s most acclaimed lots. It is cultivated by Bekele Yutute, a farmer whose name has appeared with remarkable regularity in the Cup of Excellence competition in recent years and who ranks among the top Ethiopian specialty coffee producers. His plots lie at an elevation between 2 ,300 and 2,360 meters, where cool nights and intense sunshine significantly slow the ripening of the cherries and impart an extraordinary aromatic richness to the beans. The local JARC 74158 variety is grown here, bred by the Ethiopian Research Institute and perfectly adapted to local conditions. The entire project is overseen by the Lalisaa program, which emphasizes quality processing, fair compensation for farmers, and the long-term sustainability of the local coffee culture.
Processing was carried out using the dry, or natural, method, which has been practiced in Ethiopia for centuries and is considered the oldest way to prepare coffee after harvest. Whole coffee cherries are spread out on raised African drying beds and slowly dried in the sun for several weeks, while being turned regularly and thoroughly covered at night or during rain. The bean thus ripens directly inside the fruit and absorbs sugars and aromatic compounds from the pulp, which gives it a natural fruity depth and a creamy texture. What makes this lot exceptional is that, despite being a natural-processed coffee, it exhibits no overripe notes or heavy fermentation undertones. Careful monitoring of every step of the drying process has resulted in an exceptionally clean profile, where ripe sweetness blends with lively acidity and perfectly defined flavor notes.