The 2024 Cup of Excellence Champion was non other than Basha Bekele. This is the 2nd harvest we have received of this 74158 Natural G1 and this year the quality is even higher. It is once again another banger. These coffees are some of the most stunning and vibrant Naturals available.

This gorgeous coffee taste similar to last year, maybe a little more juicy, and reminds us of Juicy Jammy Fruits, Raspberry, Blackberry, Mango, and Tropical Yellow Fruits.

The 74125 varietal is processed in 3 drying stations (Kokose, Bombe, Shantawane). Cherry is collected, floated, then dried 18 days in the sun on raised beds (27-30 days under shade for anaerobics and experimental lots)

Basha’s father—also a community man who with Basha built a church for the community at their site in Bombe—was once a manager for a co-op in Bombe that supplied coffee to the Sidama Union. Before the government made it possible for smallholders to obtain export licenses, both he and his father sold their cherry to the cooperative. Basha now has his own export license and grows coffee (primarily 74158, known locally as “Walega”) in semi-forested plots on 12 hectares in addition to operating collection sites in Bombe, Shantawane, and Kokose—collecting cherry from producers
growing coffee as high as 2300 masl. While cherry prices were high this year, Basha maintained a practice we didn’t see everywhere: delivering a second payment to the 126 producers he bought cherry from once the coffee sold. Like most smallholders around Bensa, Basha exclusively produces dry processes—which includes experiments with anaerobic styles of fermentation—and practices cherry flotation before drying his coffee slowly on raised beds (with some preparations drying under shade).

74158

Gibirinna 74110 is one of the most planted varietals in Ethiopia. In 1974, The mother tree of this varietal was selected by JARC (Jimma Agricultural Research Centre) in the Metu providence because of its Coffee Berry Disease resistance. In 1979, 71458 was released after JARC's R&D approval and was planted at 1500-2100 masl.

We suggest letting the coffee rest for 2-3wks.

Transparency:

We paid Showroom : $22/kg cad

Roasted Cost: $25.50/kg cad