Alo Coffee, Hatessa Mini Station (Wholesale)

THE DETAILS
Country: Ethiopia 
Producer: Alo Coffee
Farm: Multiple Smallholders
Varietal: 74158
Process: Anaerobic Natural
Notes: Concord grape, blood orange, white peach
Mood: Elegant, complex, soft 
Genre: Science Fiction

I’ve been looking forward to releasing this stellar coffee for some time. Alo Coffee has been producing some noteworthy coffees for some time, and it is an honor to finally be roasting and offering this particular lot. Only 5 - 8 tons of natural coffee is processed at Hatessa Station each year with cherries sourced from nearby smallholder farms. 

Ripe cherries are carefully selected for uniformity, and then placed in sealed tanks for 72 hours of anaerobic fermentation in a cool environment. It is during this stage of processing that the coffee’s delicate, complex, and elegant flavor profile is fostered, generating a coffee that is exceptionally clean and well structured. 

Following this, the cherries are dried on raised beds for about 25 days, with consistent turning to ensure an even drying process. Once the desired moisture content is reached, the cherries are then stored in sealed bags for a minimum of 45 days before they are milled prior to shipment. 

Situated in the genre of science fiction, this coffee straddles a delicate balance of classic Ethiopian natural flavor profiles - stone fruit and berries - and more epic, futuristic ones of concord grape and blood orange. I’m reminded of those epic stories contained in Lord of the Rings and Dune.  Slow down for this one, and experience its many layers as it cools down.