Bensa, a sub-region in Ethiopia's Sidama zone, is a sub-region known for its high altitude and unique microclimate, and the coffee it produces is often described as "little perfume." This article introduces Bensa's geographical advantages, cultivation patterns, and variety characteristics, especially how the 74 series disease-resistant varieties released by JARC contribute to its stable and stunning flavor. The Ethiopia Hamasho (74158 natural medium-light roast) on Front Street Coffee's bean list is a typical example; when ground, it releases light floral notes and the sweet aromas of mango and strawberry, and in the cup it presents rich layers of guava, citrus, and white flowers, with a light, clean mouthfeel and a long finish. If you are captivated by perfume-like coffee aromas, the Bensa region is worth trying. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's most renowned coffee regions, celebrated for its rich floral aromas and bright fruit acidity. This article begins with the region's geography, the origin of its name, and its COE-winning micro-regions, then focuses on Bensa, a high-altitude star town, outlining its washed, natural, and red honey processing methods. It also presents the cupping flavors and three-stage brewing parameters of Front Street's Ethiopian natural Alo coffee, offering coffee enthusiasts a complete guide to understanding this region. [more…]

Sidamo coffee has always captured the hearts of many coffee lovers with its bright acidity, sweet floral aroma, and rounded juicy body. This article systematically explores the charm of Sidamo coffee, from its producing region background, the origin of its name, its performance on the COE list, to the cultivation and processing details of the Bensa micro-region. As a loyal fan of Sidamo, Front Street brings you several single-origin recommendations, among which the Front Street Hamasho natural bean comes from the high-altitude Bensa producing area, presenting light floral notes with fruity sweet-tartness. Whether you are new to specialty coffee or looking for your next daily staple bean, this content will help you gain a more comprehensive understanding of Sidamo's unique value. [more…]

Ethiopia, recognized as the birthplace of coffee, boasts the world's richest coffee gene pool, with an estimated nearly 15,000 varieties. The Sidamo region, with its fertile volcanic soil and diverse terrain, has given rise to countless specialty coffees. In recent years, the high-altitude microclimate of the Bensa area has spawned well-known brands such as Arlo Village, Hamasho, and Elto. Among them, Elto Coffee, founded by a husband-and-wife team, is dedicated to pushing the flavors of Bensa to the extreme through rigorous selection and meticulous processing. This article will guide you through the evolution of the Sidamo region, the rise of Bensa, and the story and pursuit of quality behind Elto. Front Street Coffee will also recommend related products for you. [more…]

Sidamo is a highly representative coffee-producing region in southern Ethiopia. The evolution of the names Sidama and Sidamo, the geography, the rise of the sub-region Bensa, and the story and processing system of Alo Coffee together form a clear thread of knowledge. The article also explains how high altitude affects coffee flavor, and includes Front Street Coffee's brewing performance of the 74158 natural beans from Alo Coffee's Hatessa processing station, which feature pronounced tropical fruit and floral notes—ideal for coffee enthusiasts seeking a systematic understanding of the current state of Sidamo and Bensa. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's most renowned specialty coffee regions, famous for its rich floral aromas and abundant fruity notes. This article begins with the origin of the region's name, tracing the historical roots of the two appellations "Sidamo" and "Sidama," and focuses on the high-altitude micro-region of Bensa town and its Alo village. It analyzes the variety composition, processing methods, and flavor characteristics of Bensa coffee, and introduces in detail Front Street Coffee's newly launched Ethiopian natural Alo coffee beans—from green bean processing to cupping performance, and on to V60 three-pour brewing parameters—providing coffee lovers with a complete reference for tasting and brewing. [more…]

Sidamo/Sidama is one of Ethiopia's three official coffee regions, located in the highlands of the East African Rift Valley and known for its bright acidity, syrupy smooth body, and interwoven floral, spice, and fruity notes. This article begins with the historical origins of the region's name, sorts through the naming dispute between Sidamo and Sidama, analyzes the standout performances of micro-regions such as Bensa in the 2020-2021 COE competitions, and takes a deep look at the processing methods and flavor characteristics of high-altitude coffee from Bensa. At the same time, Front Street Coffee brings a cupping experience of a high-altitude natural Alo along with a three-stage brewing recipe, taking you through the unique charm of Sidama coffee in full. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's most representative specialty coffee regions, renowned worldwide for its rich floral aromas and abundant fruity notes. This article provides a systematic overview of Sidamo coffee, covering the region's geography, the origin of its name, variety classifications, and the microclimate and processing methods of Bensa Woreda. It also introduces in detail Front Street Coffee's newly launched Ethiopian natural Alo coffee, complete with cupping flavors and V60 three-pour brewing parameters, taking you deep into the unique charm of this high-altitude region. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, is home to numerous distinctive growing regions, and Sidamo is one of the most notable among them. This article focuses on the Sidamo Bensa Bongbeguo Guoen Enzyme Honey Process coffee beans launched by Front Street Coffee, providing a systematic overview from origin terroir and processing methods to flavor performance. Bensa Town belongs to the Sidamo growing region and is also included in the Red Cherry Project, and its A.D. processing station enjoys a strong reputation for quality control. These beans use a honey process combined with enzyme fermentation, presenting layers of white flowers, wild ginger flowers, peach, and candied fruit. The article will also introduce the principles of carbonic maceration processing to help readers understand the evolution of modern coffee processing techniques, and will include product information and the sharing philosophy of the Front Street Coffee brand. [more…]

Since the beginning of this year, a coffee origin called Alo Village has quickly risen to fame in coffee circles both at home and abroad, with extremely high exposure and discussion. In conversations with multiple roasters and buyers, Front Street Coffee has also clearly felt the continued rise in popularity of this origin. So, what is it about this suddenly "ubiquitous" Al [more…]

This coffee, brought to you this time by Front Street, comes from the Hamasho processing station in the Bensa region of Ethiopia. It is sun-dried and of the 74158 variety. The combination of superior terroir, meticulous post-harvest processing, and a single disease-resistant variety allows this bean to display a distinctive flavor profile. From the dry aroma during grinding to the layered changes after sipping, it left a deep impression on Front Street. This article will introduce the background of the Hamasho processing station, the characteristics of the 74158 variety, and the sun-dried processing flow, and share the parameters and flavor experience Front Street used when actually brewing this bean, for coffee lovers' reference. [more…]

Alo Coffee is an Ethiopian green bean brand that has attracted much attention in the specialty coffee circle in recent years, coming from Arlo Village in Bensa Town, Sidama Region. Founder Tamiru Tadesse Tesema won the 2021 COE competition with anaerobic natural 74165, quickly making this small high-altitude production area famous. Coffee trees in Arlo Village grow between 2,200 and 2,400 meters above sea level, and slow ripening brings higher density and complex aromas. This article will sort out Alo Coffee's brand background, production area location, processing station layout, and natural processing details, and, combined with Front Street's cupping experience, present the flavor layers of this bean from magnolia and passion fruit to yellow peach and dried hanging apricot, helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand the unique charm of Arlo Village. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of coffee, has always been a pilgrimage destination for specialty coffee enthusiasts. In recent years, Alo Village in the Bensa area of Sidama has quickly risen to fame thanks to its outstanding performance as the 2021 COE champion, becoming a hot topic of discussion in the coffee world. Alo Coffee founder Tamiru Tadesse started from scratch, bringing the floral and fruity aromas of this high-altitude land to the world. This article will guide you through the origin background of Alo Village, the distribution of processing stations, the natural processing of the 74158 variety, and the cupping flavors and brewing suggestions brought to you by Front Street Coffee, so you can experience the unique charm of this coffee. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's three official coffee regions, located in the highlands of the East African Rift Valley, and is renowned for its bright acidity, intense floral aromas, and juicy character. This article will introduce the region one by one, covering its geography, the origin of its name, its COE-winning micro-regions, coffee variety classification, and the terroir conditions and processing methods of Bensa town. At the same time, by combining the cupping experience and brewing parameters of Front Street Coffee's Ethiopian natural Alo coffee, it will guide readers to a comprehensive understanding of the flavor code and production details of Sidamo coffee. [more…]

If there are any names that cannot be avoided in the Ethiopian specialty coffee scene in recent years, Front Street Coffee believes that Tamiru of Alo Coffee and Eliyas Dukamo of Elto Coffee must be among them. Whether in international competitions [more…]

African coffee enjoys a stellar reputation in the global market, and Ethiopia, as the recognized birthplace of coffee, is not only Africa's largest Arabica producer but also boasts a long history of cultivation. The country is predominantly mountainous plateaus, and its high altitudes, abundant rainfall, and fertile soil provide an ideal environment for coffee. Sidamo is one of its most closely watched producing regions, and in recent years its sub-regions such as Arbegona's Rumudamo and Bensa's Hamasho have gradually come into the public eye. Rumudamo Company made its name in Ethiopia's first COE competition in 2020, and Hamasho Processing Station also performed impressively in the COE. Front Street Coffee has already purchased these two lots of beans and completed cupping: Rumudamo presents lime aroma with citrus and apple flavors, while Hamasho carries floral, berry, and grape juice notes. This article will introduce in detail the background, company information, and coffee flavors of these two sub-regions. [more…]

In the eastern part of Ethiopia's Sidamo Province, there is a small town called Bensa. Local coffee is exported under the town's name, jokingly dubbed "Bensa coffee," which has sparked an amusing meme: coffee is traditional Chinese medicine, and drinking more can promote health. Behind this joke, herbal coffee has indeed become a new consumer trend in recent years, with brands like Tongrentang launching products such as goji berry lattes and hawthorn-chenpi Americanos, attracting a large number of young consumers. However, blending traditional Chinese medicine with coffee is not something to be done casually; how to harmonize the flavors of medicinal herbs and coffee beans, and how to grasp the concept of medicine-food homology, are all worth serious discussion. This article will take you through the origins and development of this "herbal coffee" trend, as well as the issues that need attention. [more…]

Sidama is a well-known specialty coffee region in southern Ethiopia bordering Kenya, with elevations ranging from 1,400 to 2,200 meters. The terrain here is complex and varied, the volcanic soil is fertile and deep, and the microclimates together with countless native varieties combine to create coffees of extremely diverse styles. Beyond the widely known Huakui, Sidama has also produced many specialty beans worth attention, such as Front Street Hamasho with its delicate floral aromas. This article will review the geographical characteristics of Sidama and focus on the 74158 natural coffee from the Hamasho processing station, unfolding layer by layer from variety and processing method to flavor performance. [more…]

The results of the 2024 Cup of Excellence (COE) Ethiopia competition have been announced, and this year's event has many highlights: all 27 winning coffees were naturally processed, and every one of them came from the JARC numerical variety series, with the Sidama region emerging as the biggest winner. Looking back, since Ethiopia first hosted the COE in 2020, it once set a record high price of $400.5 per pound; after being suspended in 2023 due to civil war, this year's relaunch has delivered a remarkable result. This article will walk you through the detailed results of this year's competition and take a deeper look at the geographical advantages of the Sidama sub-regions Bensa and Bona, as well as the origins of the JARC numerical varieties. [more…]

In recent years, a group of numerically named varieties have frequently appeared among Ethiopian coffees. Coded beans such as 74158, 74110, and 74112 not only appear on the lists of major green bean competitions, but have also become targets that many coffee farmers and brands are eager to plant. What exactly do these numbers represent? Why can they excel in both flavor and yield? This article will start with the history of JARC's variety selection and breeding, sort out the origins and advantages of these coded beans, and focus on two standout 74158 coffees in Front Street Coffee's bean list — Front Street Ethiopia·ALO and Front Street Ethiopia·Hamashu — to help you understand their respective flavor characteristics and origin backgrounds. [more…]