A double whammy this year with both the 'standard' natural and this anaerobic natural released together. Rumudamo is the jewel in the crown of the Daye Bensa operation and this was clear to see when we visited this region earlier this year with Atrie from importer Coffee Legends.

Rumudamo sits in the Arbegona region, one of the 30 districts 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. After flotation, the cherries for this anaerobic lot are fermented in barrels for 72 hours and then 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.