Good natural's from Ethiopia are some people's key memorable moment in their coffee journey. The first time you taste one there's a hesitation and self questioning - "is this really coffee?"! Very good ones seem few and far between these days but we came across this beauty at a cupping outside of the London Coffee Festival this year with Atrie from Coffee Legends.
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.
This coffee comes from small plots in the highland area of Arbegona in a specific village called Rumudamo, which benefits from the very high altitudes up to 2300 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. Cherries are sorted based on density and quality by floating them in large water tanks. After flotation, the cherries are transferred to African raised beds with mesh nets. The coffee is rotated every 30 minutes for even dryness and to control the fermentation process. The average drying time takes about 12-15 days based on the temperature and humidity. Then the dried cherries are stored in warehouses for flavour development.