Ethiopia — Hamasho

• Producers — Hamasho farmers
• Region — Bensa, Sidama
• Varietals — Mixed Heirloom
• Terroir — 2000 masl, 18-24 degrees Celcius, subtropical highland climate
• Process — Washed

Tastes like

Orange zest + Brown sugar + Juicy

Recommended brewing

• Best: Espresso
• Great: Pour over with the Orea Brewer V3
• Very good: Filter (batch brew, Chemex)

Hamasho

This coffee takes its name from the Hamasho district within the Sidama region of south-central Ethiopia. Smallholder farmers in Hamasho grow their coffee at altitudes of up to 2200 masl. And this particularly high elevation does come through in the taste experience of lots from this area in the form of markedly complex flavour notes.

The majority of Hamasho coffees, including this specific lot, are exported by local organisation Daye Bensa. Founded by local farmers and brothers Asefa and Mulugeta Dukamo, Daye Bensa has played a significant role in improving Hamasho’s coffee processing infrastructure. Investments in healthcare access, school facilities, utilities and transport are just the beginning. 

For this washed coffee, a dry fermentation stage was introduced to the post-harvest – a technique encountered by Asefa’s son Kenean during a research trip to Guatemala.

For this, the ripe cherries were washed clean of their pulp before being placed in a tank with no water present. The idea being that this more intense fermentation process will result in a full and multi-layered flavour profile. And, a reduction in the amount of water needed to process the coffee.

In the cup, Hamasho has deep, rich citrus flavours paired with a brown sugar sweetness. It’s one of the most luxurious coffees we’ve tasted in a long time when pulled as an espresso, and super smooth brewed as filter.

Illustrated with: Ben Sibley

We invite people we work with to taste coffees before they're released, to help define the tasting notes that inform the brush stroke illustration for the coffee. For this coffee, we invited Ben Sibley.

View taste card here.