Sundae Best

Sundae Best
Ethiopia, anaerobic natural

Tasting notes: Milk chocolate, vanilla fudge, Eton mess

• Roast style: Filter / espresso
• Origin: Ethiopia
• Region: Sidama (Arbegonna, Rumudamo)
• Producer: Daye Bensa / Arbegonna smallholders
• Varietal: 74112
• Process: Anaerobic natural
• Altitude: 2,200-2,400 MASL

All the fun of the name. Juicy red berries and creamy Eton mess, rounded out by milk chocolate and a long vanilla fudge finish. Sweet, bright and very easy to keep drinking.

The place
Sundae Best comes from Rumudamo, one of Daye Bensa's best-known washing stations in the highlands of Sidama. At 2,200-2,400 metres, the cool climate lets the cherries ripen slowly, which builds sweetness and fruit character.

The relationship
This is the second year running we've bought this natural lot from Rumudamo. Our partnership with Coffee Legends and Daye Bensa has given us a closer look at the care behind these coffees, from freshly picked cherry arriving at the washing station through to final cupping and approval in Addis Ababa.

The process
Only ripe cherries are selected, then hand sorted in several stages. After density sorting, they're sealed in barrels for a 72-hour anaerobic fermentation, which intensifies the sweetness and fruit. They're dried carefully at the washing station, then hulled and put through further mechanical sorting to remove anything that doesn't make the grade. The final microlot is sample roasted and cupped at Daye Bensa's facilities in Addis before it's approved for export.