Our second year with this beautiful washed coffee from the Daye Bensa group and import partner Atrie at Coffee Legends. This coffee has had a name change since last year (f.k.a Boreta) but the quality is just the same (if not a little better). We visited Ethiopia with Coffee Legends early this year and visiting this washing station was one of the highlights. Seeing coffee drying on the raised beds and the knowing some of that coffee would be making it’s way to Crankhouse was quite special.

Arbegona is one of the 30 district in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Sidama Zone, Arbegona is bordered on the south by Bona Zuria, on the southwest by Bursa, on the northwest by Gorche, on the north by the Oromia Region, and on the east by Bensa. The major town in Arbegona is Arbegona.

The altitude of is around 2,200m above sea level and located at the highest altitude among other coffee-growing areas in the country. The coffee available in this area is categorized as Highland Coffee. Ethiopia (and South Sudan) are the birthplace of Arabica and considered the home of coffee. The intervention level in most Ethiopian coffees (washed and naturals) is low. We’re tasting the quality of the plant stock, soil health, growing conditions and simple processing steps, and the results are quite special. Clean and bright and just downright delicious.

This coffee comes from small plots in the highland area of Arbegona in a specific village called Malawo, which benefits from the very high altitude of 2200 MASL. Coffee is the main cash crop in this area, though many other crops grow here such as sugar cane, false banana, spices and vegetables. Cherries are sorted based on density and quality by floating them in large water tanks. Passing through a fermentation phase for 48-72 hours depending on weather conditions, the parchment coffee is then spread out on raised beds under the sun to dry.