Crush 3.0 has just arrived, and this time it’s going to be a slightly sweeter romance. The third installment of the Kofio and Doubleshot collaboration brings us a natural Ethiopian coffee that transforms into a little dessert when brewed as an espresso. The cup is dominated by strawberry jam, complemented by an almond-sweet and slightly liqueur-like note reminiscent of amaretto. The espresso is full-bodied, syrupy, and distinctly sweet, yet it retains its clarity and pleasant fruity freshness. On its own, it tastes almost like a liquid dessert; when brewed with milk, the strawberry sweetness and almond notes come through even more distinctly.
The coffee comes from the Mirado processing station in the Bensa area of Ethiopia’s Sidama region. The station is owned by the family-run company Daye Bensa, founded by brothers Asefa and Mulugeta Dukam. Their goal was to improve coffee processing options for smallholder farmers in the surrounding villages and create a more stable pathway from harvest to export. Mirado receives coffee cherries from hundreds of local growers who cultivate traditional Ethiopian varieties on small family plots. The coffee trees grow at an elevation of approximately 1,800 to 2,200 meters, where the slower ripening process produces sweet and aromatically distinctive cherries.
This lot underwent dry processing. After being hand-harvested, the ripe cherries are thoroughly sorted and then dried whole for approximately twenty days on raised African drying beds. Regular turning ensures even drying and helps maintain a clean flavor profile. The prolonged contact between the beans and the pulp enhances sweetness, a fuller body, and intense fruitiness, which in an espresso is reminiscent mainly of strawberry jam. A subtle almond note and a hint of amaretto liqueur then add depth to the coffee and a long, dessert-like aftertaste.
- Producer: Daye Bensa, the Dukam family
- Processing station: Mirado
- Altitude: approximately 1,800–2,200 m above sea level
- Harvest: 2026