Ethiopia - Demeka Becha Bona Zuria - Fermented Washed

Bona Zuria washing station is located in Bona Zuria village where the towering altitudes of 2,000 to 2,330 meters above sea level make the ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. This altitude used to be too high for coffee cultivation but recent changes in temperature from climate change has made it possible to grow coffee here.

The Bensa zone in Sidamo has been making the quality headlines the past few years. Bona is located in that same highland as the well known Bombe region. Coffees from the Bona Zuria district stand out for their brightness and intensity. They have a unique flavour profile that can hold their own against the famed locations in Yirgacheffe. One theory to explain this quality status is that coffee cultivation in these highland regions took off only recently, with plantations dating back 10 years. The coffee trees are in their prime now and producing good yields with high quality coffee.

The general picture for these broader regions shows harvest and quality following strong on and off cycles because of lacking agricultural practices. These younger plantations in the Bona area help bring back the glorious bright and floral cup quality that Ethiopia is so often associated with.

Many would say that the strength of Sidamo coffees lies in the regions’ diversity of profiles. The many microclimates and varying soil types lead to striking differences from town to town. But across all Sidamo coffees is a profound complexity that many attribute to the diversity of local landrace varieties. Varieties can differ from town to town and even farm to farm where each farmer may have more than one unique variety seldom or never found outside their plot.

Spontaneous Dry Fermentation 

Spontaneously fermented coffees utilize wild (spontaneous) yeasts and bacteria which naturally occur in the environment. This further individualizes the coffee, producing a cup that uniquely expresses not only the region’s unique terroir, but also the environment of the washing station itself. 

This particular coffee undergoes a dry fermentation process, which is more aggressive than its wet counterpart. In wet fermentation, pulped coffee is submerged in water, allowing the mucilage to degrade slowly. In the dry process, pulped coffee is instead placed in tanks without water, increasing the coffee’s exposure to oxygen, weather conditions, and wild yeasts and bacteria that may act on and enhance the coffee’s natural qualities. To further promote this interaction, the coffee is sorted into smaller batches, increasing the surface area for wild yeasts and bacteria to interact with and break down the mucilage. 

Here's where we recommend starting:

• Rest time: 3+ weeks after roast
• Filter: 1:16-17, 94°C
• Espresso: 1:2.5-2.7, 26-30s