Ethiopia · Sidamo ALO Main Station WashedCoffee Bean Intro:
Front Street Coffee: Ethiopia · Sidamo ALO Main Station Washed Coffee Beans Region: Sidamo · Bensa
Processing Station: Alo Main Station
Altitude: 1900~2000 meters Processing Method: Washed Flavor: Citrus, Passion Fruit, Pineapple
What does Alo mean?
Alo Coffee PLC is a coffee trading company from Ethiopia, founded in 2020, primarily responsible for exporting coffee from the Bensa region, thus also functioning as a green bean brand.
In the second year of its founding, its founder, Tamiru Tadesse Tesema, participated in the 2021 COE competition with beans grown and processed in Alo Village, winning first place (Anaerobic Natural 74165) and fifth place (Natural 74158). Since then, Alo Coffee and Alo Village have gained widespread recognition in the coffee community, catching the attention of countless coffee enthusiasts.
Where is Alo Village located?
Alo Village is situated in the northeastern part of the Sidamo region, on the highest slope of Bensa Town (Bensa Woreda). The Bensa area is known for its unique geographical advantages, with altitudes ranging from 1800 to 2300 meters. Compared to many classic Ethiopian coffee-growing regions, many coffee trees in Bensa are grown at elevations between 2200 and 2350 meters, with the renowned Alo Village standing out even further, reaching an altitude of 2400 meters.
As mentioned in previous articles by Front Street, for specialty coffee, the higher the planting altitude, the slower the growth rate of the coffee cherries, resulting in later harvesting times compared to other areas. The resulting green beans also have higher density, leading to more complex and intense aroma structures. Additionally, due to the high altitude, the drying time of coffee cherries is extended, and the post-harvest fermentation process occurs at relatively lower temperatures, resulting in more pronounced floral and fruity aromas.
The Man Behind Alo Coffee
A native of Bensa, Tamiru was born in Alo Village. He studied engineering in university, taught at the university for two years after graduation, and has since been involved in the specialty coffee industry. In 2020, after seeing fellow growers from Bensa Town win awards at COE, he realized the immense potential of the high-quality specialty coffee produced in this region. However, due to small-scale production and limited resources among farmers, it was difficult to bring these coffees to market. Determined to promote the "taste of Bensa" to the world, he founded his own company, Alo Coffee.
Tamiru first obtained his Q-grader certification. Leveraging his deep understanding of coffee cultivation and production in Bensa, as well as years of experience in green bean export trade, he began systematically analyzing the region’s production, sales, and quality from scratch. He also assessed the challenges and opportunities facing Ethiopia’s specialty coffee industry. Within just two years, Tamiru had successfully positioned Alo Coffee in numerous specialty coffee shops overseas.
In the same year he founded the brand, he established a green bean processing station in Alo Village and built a dedicated transportation system to collect and process coffee cherries from over 200 smallholder farms in the surrounding area. He also provided professional training and technical support to farmers while strictly controlling every detail of the green bean processing to ensure traceability. In his personal life, Tamiru is also a compassionate individual, using part of the company’s revenue to build schools and improve educational conditions for local children.
Front Street believes that Alo Coffee’s current reputation is first and foremost due to Tamiru’s unwavering passion for his hometown, the Bensa region, and secondly, his dedication to high-quality coffee and strict quality control of green beans.
Exploring Alo Coffee’s Production Footprint
Currently, Alo Coffee’s harvesting operations are primarily focused in the Bensa Town area of the Sidamo region. By village, in addition to the most well-known Alo Village, there are also batches from Bombe Village, Murago Village, Bashiro Gute (part of Bona Zuria Woreda), and others, each about 20 minutes apart by car.
Regarding processing stations, Tamiru has disclosed relevant information on the company’s official website. Currently, Alo Coffee’s green bean processing facilities include eight stations: Main (main processing station), Chilaka, Morke, Hatessa, Mewa, Hurro, Gute, and Chire Kalo.
According to research by Front Street, the Main, Hatessa, and Chilaka processing stations are all located in Bensa, Morke is in Bura, Mewa and Hurro are in Nensebo, and Gute is in Bona Zuria. All processing stations are strategically located near coffee farms to facilitate faster post-harvest processing and ensure the freshness of the coffee cherries.
In Ethiopia, many processing stations (washed coffee factories) primarily handle coffee cherries from surrounding areas, so the stations are often named directly after the villages they serve. For example, regulars on Front Street’s menu, such as Kochere and Banko Gotiti, are named after their respective villages. Similarly, Hatessa, Mewa, and Gute are both village names and the names of washed coffee stations.
In terms of planted varieties, Alo Coffee primarily produces JARC (Jimma Agricultural Research Center) 74-series varieties, including 74158, 74165, 74112, 74110, etc. The 2021 championship-winning variety was 74165, but currently, 74158 is the most commonly seen variety. COEThe champion variety in 2021 was 74165, but currently, 74158 is the most commonly available variety. 。
The batch acquired by Front Street this time is 74158，sourced from Alo Coffee’s main processing station, with the fresh coffee cherries undergoing traditional washed processing.
Washed Processing
Farmers hand-pick fully ripe coffee cherries and transport them to the Main processing station, where they undergo multiple rounds of sorting. Before washing, the cherries are floated again for classification.
Washed processing involves first removing the fruit pulp with a machine, then soaking the mucilage-covered coffee beans in water to soften the mucilage for easier removal.
For natural/dry-processed coffee, washed coffee beans are easier to dry, and size variations can be detected earlier, resulting in higher quality. Generally, washed processing represents the basic flavor profile of a region, while natural processing adds additional aromatic layers on top of the washed base.
Through cupping comparisons, Front Street observed that the green beans in this batch are mostly smaller in size, with a round, compact appearance, measuring approximately 10–12 on the sieve. For this coffee, Front Street aimed to highlight its sweet, ripe fruit characteristics while preserving its floral notes. A medium-light roast was chosen to showcase the elegant profile of this Alo lot.
