Ethiopia Sidama Bensa Natural Grade 2

Ethiopia, Sidama, Bensa; JARC 74158; Grade 2; Natural; 2024

Dark Chocolate | Red Fruits | Beer Hops

Sidamo stands out as the first gateway we enter to the coffee dreamland of Ethiopia. Before the administrative regrouping of the old Ethiopian provinces along ethnolinguistic lines, Sidamo encompasses today's Guji and Yirgacheffe regions. In a way, all the beautiful coffees in our collective memories come from Sidamo. In June 2020, the region officially adopted the new name of Sidama, which is named after the eponymous indigenous tribe. 

The all-weather road that leads from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya to its south, is a major regional trade route for coffee as well as other goods. Names of famous coffee stations line this route, e.g. Yirgacheffe and Chelelektu on the road. To the north of Yirgcaheffe, Sidama region straddles on both sides of this road. Enjoying the usual deep volcanic soils, Sidama's cultivation method remains traditional without the excess of modern fertilizers and pesticides, making it a conventional organic coffee.

Bensa woreda (district) at the far east of Sidama has been gaining attention for its coffee quality since 2010s. Within Bensa, Parchmen & Co has featured previously a microlot 'Della' from the local washing station of Shanteweni and another lot from the highlands of Kokose, both exhibiting the classic notes of blueberry and flowers in our roast. Our current Bensa lot is from Cofinet. Featuring a naturally processed Ethiopia which is arguably a Singapore's favourite, it dries in 3-5cm thick layers on African raised beds at 1.2m above ground on a net, stirring and turning the cherries every 20-30 min to allow even drying. Moisture is checked after 14 days and coffee is dried to export requirement. 

In 1970s, Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) destroyed a lot of coffee cultivation in Ethiopia. In 1974, the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (JARC) successfully developed CBD resistant varieties from pure line selections of the heirloom varieties. To remember this year, the varieties are given serial numbers starting with '74'. JARC currently houses 30 researchers and has a developing global academic influence in crop sciences.

Sidama is best enjoyed for its good body and berry notes. Washed Sidama is usually preferred for clarity in its characteristic fruitiness. Cofinet Bensa is JARC 74158 variety and is natrually processed to exhibit a spectrum of flavours tending towards more 'full bodied' notes. 


Roast Level
To bring definition to the fruity notes, we have chosen to roast this coffee light towards light to bring forward the red notes like strawberry and raspberry. Such notes are elusive and we have chosen to roast it lighter than usual to preserve them. Against its high density, this coffee will present more brightness but we are careful to limit it to engender greater acceptability amongst new coffee drinkers. We aim to bring forth a cup that is balanced from start to end, without disturbing acidity as it cools and with an extended afterflavour, without a flavor crush immediately upon swallowing.


Brew Flavour
On the Timemore Crystal Eye using Abaca Mola paper at grind size 700 µm, we brew a coffee that starts with notes of red fruits, permeating the air even as we brew and ends with caramel, dark chocolates and warm spices, on a medium-light body and vibrant acidity. As of all Ethiopia, it comes with some lemony notes which are more pronounced when hot than when cold. There is some alcohol notes, which are not the usual winey notes but more beer like. Such notes are more pronounced in a darker roast but less so in our light roast. A very clean coffee that is sun-dried, its flavour clarity is best enjoyed when hot to warm. It is indeed a complex coffee that is enjoyable and easy to drink, just like all Ethiopia coffees. Our brew recipe is as follows, with a bloom and two pours, maintaining a faster pour rate:

16g for 260ml of 90°C water
0th sec - Pour 45g water
15th sec - Finish pouring

35th sec - Pour 75g of water, to reach 120g
60th sec - Finish pouring

90th sec - Pour 140g of water, to reach 260g
120th sec - Finish pouring

135th sec - Finish dripping

Savouring our world in a cup!
Enjoy!