Ethiopia Sidama Red Honey BensaCoffee Beans
Origin
- Region: Ethiopia Sidamo
- Variety: Heirloom variety
- Process: Red Honey Process
- Roast: Cinnamon Roast
- Altitude: 2100m
- Sample Batch:
- Grower:
Flavor Notes:
Lemon, Honey, Berries, Yuzu Tea
- Aroma: Medium
- Cleanliness: Medium
- Sweetness:Medium
- Acidity:Medium
- Body:Average
- Bitterness:Slight
- Aftertaste:Medium
- After Cooling:Medium
Ethiopia Sidama Red Honey BensaCoffee Bean Intro:
Ethiopia · Sidama Red Honey Bensa Coffee Beans
Origin: Bensa Town, Sidama, Ethiopia
Altitude: 2100m
Variety: Ethiopian Heirloom
Processing Method: Red Honey
Grade: G1
Coffee Origin
The Sidama region is located in southern Ethiopia, extending east to the Arsi and Bale administrative regions and west to the Gamogofa administrative region. Coffee in Sidama is cultivated at altitudes between 1400m and 2000m. The local economy is primarily agricultural, with the main coffee-growing areas located around the Great Rift Valley. In recent years, Sidama has developed rapidly and has become an important hub for coffee exports.
The coffee flavors in Sidama are highly diverse. Different soil types, microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties result in distinct characteristics for coffee produced in each town. Among them, Bensa Town (Bensa), located in the eastern part of Sidama at an altitude of 1800m-2300m, produces coffee with even more varied flavors, often characterized by berry acidity and citrusy fruit tea notes.
Ethiopian Heirloom
As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia boasts an enormous variety of coffee species, making it a treasure trove of coffee genetics. However, variety identification is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and most of the coffee is grown by smallholders. After harvest, the beans are processed together, making it difficult to distinguish specific varieties. Therefore, "Heirloom" is a general term used to describe the numerous coffee varieties in Ethiopia, rather than a specific coffee variety. 
Red Honey is one type of honey process. After harvesting, the coffee cherries undergo pulp removal. This process retains 70%-75% of the mucilage. Due to the high retention of mucilage, direct sun drying can easily lead to over-fermentation of the sugars in the mucilage.
Therefore, coffee beans processed with the red honey method need to be dried in shaded, ventilated shelters. The drying process typically takes 12-14 days. Once the moisture content and fermentation level meet the standards, the beans are stored. Roasting Recommendation from Front Street Since the new-season green coffee beans have a higher moisture content, the moisture affects heat transfer during roasting, which can lead to incomplete dehydration. As a result, the coffee beans may appear roasted on the outside but remain underdeveloped in the core. To avoid underdevelopment, Front Street recommends extending the dehydration time (i.e., the time between the turn-up point and the yellowing point) when roasting Bensa beans. Additionally, to highlight the sweet characteristics of the red honey process, the roasters at Front Street appropriately extended the development phase (i.e., the time between the yellowing point and the first crack).
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Region Intro:
Sidamo (specialty region): altitude 1,400-2,200 m | garden coffee system |
The flavor is similar to Yirgacheffe; finely washed or natural Sidamo likewise has floral and orange notes, and its standing is no less than Yirgacheffe. The varieties in these two regions are similar; the beans are medium-sized, but there are also short-stature small bean varieties, which farmers often sell separately. The common Kurmie has relatively poor disease resistance; Wolisho is tall and robust; Deiga has a medium tree form. These three types are the main force behind the specialty natural series Biloya and Aricha.
Brewing Tips:
Filter: V60#01
Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Coffee Grounds: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-Fine (80% through a 20-mesh sieve, Chinese standard)
Brewing Method: Three-Stage Extraction. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, then pour in a circular motion with a slow stream until reaching 125g, then pause. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Remove the filter when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed (start timing from the bloom). Total extraction time: 2'00.
