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Ethiopia - Alo Coffee / 74158 (Safo Station) / Natural
  • Ethiopia - Alo Coffee / 74158 (Safo Station) / Natural
  • Ethiopia - Alo Coffee / 74158 (Safo Station) / Natural
  • Ethiopia - Alo Coffee / 74158 (Safo Station) / Natural
Ethiopia - Alo Coffee / 74158 (Safo Station) / Natural

Ethiopia - Alo Coffee / 74158 (Safo Station) / Natural

$26.00
Taxes included.
  • ORIGIN Ethiopia
  • REGION Bensa, Sidama
  • FARM Alo Coffee
  • PRODUCER Tamiru Tadesse
  • ALTITUDE 2410m
  • HARVEST 2026
  • VARIETY 74158
  • LOT Safo Station
  • PROCESS Natural
  • NOTES fruit candy, plum, peach

THE STORY

Alo Coffee was founded in 2020 by Tamiru Tadesse, a native of Bensa, Sidama, who spent six years working in the coffee industry before deciding to build something of his own. He chose to establish his first processing station in Alo Village — a bold move, given that the area's extreme elevation above 2,400 masl had historically been considered unsuitable for coffee cultivation. The gamble proved decisive: in 2021, Alo Coffee's very first submission to the Ethiopia Cup of Excellence won first place, placing Bensa's smallholder farmers on the world stage. Since then, Tamiru has expanded to an impressive network of stations across Sidama's Bensa, Bona, and Burra zones, working with over 800 farmers across all sites. Safo Station — formerly known as Alo Main Station — is Alo Coffee's founding hub and operational core. "Safo" in the local language means foundation or beginning, a fitting name for the station where Tamiru first proved what Bensa's high-altitude terroir was capable of. Sitting at 2,410+ masl in the Bensa district of Sidama, Safo Station processes cherries from surrounding smallholder farmers who have cultivated the 74158 varietal — a JARC-developed selection prized for its disease resistance and exceptional cup quality at altitude. Beyond coffee, Alo Coffee reinvests profits into the local community: funding schools, seedling nurseries, and collaborating with over 60 farmers at the Alo station alone. At 2,410 masl in Bensa, Safo Station's natural lots begin with the same uncompromising cherry selection that defines all of Alo Coffee's processing — only fully ripe 74158 cherries are accepted, hand-sorted before they reach the drying beds. From there, the cherries are laid whole on raised African beds, turned carefully throughout the day and shaded during peak sun hours to prevent temperature spikes and ensure even, gradual drying. The extreme altitude slows the entire process, allowing fruit sugars to migrate slowly and cleanly into the bean without the overripe or fermented character that can appear in lower-elevation naturals. The result is a natural that is sweet, clean, and distinctly Bensa. In the cup: fruit candy, plum, and peach, with a soft, full body and a long, sweet finish.

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