DUVIXE – purple fruit characteristics with notes of black tea and dried fruits

• Origin: Alo, Bensa, Ethiopia
• Producer: Tamiru Tadesse, Alo Coffee and local smallholder farmers
• Variety: JARC 74158
• Process: Mosto Anaerobic Natural
• Fermentation: Mosto Anaerobic 96 hours
• Drying: Natural, 28 days
• Altitude: 2,400–2,500 masl
• Tasting Notes: Blackberry Jam, Prune, Mangosteen, Red Wine
  

Tamiru Tadesse’s Mosto Anaerobic Natural

Produced by Tamiru Tadesse and the team at Alo Coffee, this exceptional Ethiopian coffee comes from the high-altitude village of Alo in Bensa, Sidama. Tamiru founded Alo Coffee with his wife, Messi, to give greater recognition to the farmers behind Ethiopia’s finest coffees. Their very first competition lot from Alo won the 2021 Ethiopia Cup of Excellence, establishing the project as one of the region’s most exciting quality-focused producers.

At Alo Station, Tamiru works closely with approximately 60 local smallholder farmers. Rather than anonymously blending each farmer’s harvest, the station carefully separates lots and maintains rigorous quality-control and traceability standards. The coffee grows at approximately 2,400–2,500 metres above sea level, where cool temperatures encourage slow cherry maturation and produce dense, intensely flavourful coffee seeds.

Mosto Anaerobic Natural Process

Only perfectly ripe cherries are selected and handpicked to create a consistent starting point for fermentation. The whole cherries are placed inside sealed tanks and fermented anaerobically for 96 hours with the addition of mosto. Conducted in a cool and controlled environment, this slow fermentation encourages deep fruit expression and aromatic complexity while retaining balance and clarity.

After fermentation, the cherries are transferred to raised African beds and slowly dried for approximately 28 days. The drying team turns the cherries every hour to promote even moisture loss, while the beds are covered during the hottest hours of the afternoon to protect the fruit from overheating. Once the coffee reaches approximately 11–11.5% moisture, it is packed in GrainPro bags and rested for at least 45 days before dry milling, allowing the flavours to stabilize and fully integrate.

This meticulous process creates a cup with the depth and structure of dark fruit preserves. Expect concentrated notes of blackberry jam, prune and mangosteen, supported by a distinctly red-wine-like character. The coffee has a heavy body and a smooth, vinous texture, with the extended fermentation contributing to its rich fruit intensity and layered, wine-inspired sensation.

JARC 74158 Variety

This lot is composed of JARC 74158, a cultivated Ethiopian Arabica variety developed through the Jimma Agricultural Research Center. The variety is recognized for its resilience, strong agronomic performance and high-yield potential, while also producing an expressive and complex cup. Compared with more delicate Ethiopian varieties, JARC 74158 is naturally fuller-bodied and commonly presents floral, stone-fruit and black-tea characteristics.

In this coffee, the variety’s substantial body provides an ideal foundation for the Mosto Anaerobic Natural process. The result is powerful yet composed: ripe dark fruit, red wine, a heavy but silky mouthfeel, and a smooth, lingering blackberry finish that remains long after each sip.