Producerr: Solomon Hamiso
Region: KokoseBensa
Varietals: 74158, 74112
Process: Natural
Elevation: 1800-1960m 
FLAVOUR NOTES
Strawberry, Jasmine,  Mandarine Orange
 
(Imported by Apex)
Importers Notes: 
Approximately 500 smallholder producers in Kokose cultivate organically grown, sugar-rich, high-quality coffee cherries. This success can be attributed to the village's high elevation, favorable climate, and nutrient- rich soils across 1 to 2-hectare plots, which also support the cultivation of various food crops. For this specific lot, the cherries were sourced from a single farm operated by Solomon Hamiso.
Kokose Village is rapidly gaining recognition as a prominent specialty coffee- growing community in Sidama Bensa.
BENSA DISTRICT
The Bensa district is situated within the renowned coffee-producing region of Sidama in Ethiopia. Coffee from this area is celebrated for its high-quality coffee beans and distinctive flavour profile, which can include floral notes, fruity undertones, and a vibrant acidity.
TERROIR
Bensa is characterized by its ideal coffee- growing conditions, including high altitudes, fertile soil, and suitable climate.
Since the 2013/14 harvest, our partner ZEM Coffee, along with other key players, have been instrumental in establishing Bensa as a globally recognized region for high-quality coffee production. In Bensa, coffee is primarily cultivated by smallholder producers who use traditional methods, including hand-picking the ripe cherries during the harvest. The region's reputation for producing high-quality coffee makes Bensa a special origin for specialty roasters and coffee enthusiasts.
JIMMA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER
Bensa district 2000 - 2226 masl.
During the 20th century, coffee commercialization intensified and the government introduced a coffee grading and sorting system, leading to the creation of the Ethiopian National Coffee Board in 1957. To improve the uniformity and reliability of the country's coffee production, the Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC) was founded in 1967. Located just outside Jimma, JARC's main responsibility is to collect, characterize and conserve coffee germplasm, improve agronomic practices, update processing techniques and, finally, develop varieties as a priority. These are then distributed to growers. These varieties are grown alongside local varieties that have been identified, classified and carefully selected, thus dispelling the misconception that all Ethiopian coffee is wild or of unknown origin. Since the 1970s, JARC's coffee breeders have developed and disseminated a total of 40 coffee varieties, now grown in all the major coffee-growing regions of Ethiopia.
The Arabica cultivar is native to the montane rainforests of southwest Ethiopia. This part of the country's forest is known for its rich genetic diversity of Arabica coffee.
INNOVATION
JARC is the driving force behind several generations of improved coffee technologies.
BIRTHPLACE OF COFFEE
74158, 74112
Kokose Lot 130
Varieties and Process Lot Info
Ethiopia's coffee-growing areas, being the center of genetic diversity for Arabica coffee, offer the country's coffee breeders the opportunity to rapidly develop distinct varieties adapted to specific production challenges. As part of the breeding program for resistance to coffee berry disease (CBD) in the 1970s, JARC researchers explored the forests around Bishari, in the Metu woreda of Illuababora. In 1974, they selected 76 mother trees, six of which were chosen for distribution. Variety 74158 was mainly distributed in south-west Ethiopia, while 74112 was widely propagated throughout the country, becoming one of the most common varieties in Ethiopia.
NATURAL PROCESSING
The cherries are meticulously processed at the washing station, which for this natural lot involves density sorting, hand sorting on drying tables, and prolonged drying under the Ethiopian sun to achieve optimal moisture levels. Once processed, the coffee is dry-hulled, bagged, and transported to Addis Ababa for milling and export.