White chocolate, black currants, and flowers in an espresso? Bensa Ayla proves that Ethiopian coffee doesn’t have to be a heavy classic, even when brewed with a lever machine. This coffee from the Czech roastery Father’s Coffee Roastery combines the sweeter notes of white chocolate with juicy black currants and a delicate floral hint reminiscent of pansies. The resulting profile is fruity and aromatic, but thanks to its chocolatey sweetness, it also has enough body to work beautifully as an espresso. Father’s roasts it specifically for this brewing method and recommends it for both lever-operated and automatic espresso machines.
The beans come from the Ayla processing station in the Bombe area, located in the Bensa district of the Sidama region in southern Ethiopia. Approximately 725 smallholder farmers from the Shentawane area bring their coffee cherries here; their plots are situated at elevations ranging from 1 ,950 to 2,150 meters above sea level. They primarily grow the 74110 and 74158 varieties, which were selected in the 1970s by the Ethiopian Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC) from local coffee trees based on their resilience, yield, and cup quality.
Bensa Ayla undergoes dry processing, during which the cherries remain intact throughout the entire drying phase. Upon arrival at the station, the team first removes unripe, overripe, and damaged cherries; the cherries are then passed through a water bath, where high-quality beans are separated from lighter, defective ones based on density. The selected cherries are then spread out on raised African beds, approximately 25 kg per bed in a layer about 5 cm thick. Over the course of 15 to 21 days, workers turn them 5 to 6 times a day until the moisture content drops to 11 to 12%. The slow drying of the whole cherries enhances their fruitiness and sweetness, which are then reflected in the character of the resulting espresso.
- Processing Station: Ayla
- Producers: Approximately 725 smallholder farmers from the Shentawane area
- Elevation: 1,950–2,150 m above sea level