Ethiopia Bench Sheko 2 Washed Ojemta

Sourcing Details

Changes in the Ethiopian export rules have opened new opportunities to develop relationships with vertically integrated suppliers.  Royal has seized on the opportunity to work directly with BNT Industry and Trading PLC, which owns and operates a 2500 acre estate Mizan Gisha Coffee Farm in Bench Sheko, formally known as the Bench Maji zone, in Ethiopia’s far southwest.  The zone has a reputation for stability and predictable cup profiles. In 2021, a successful referendum established a new, separate region comprising Bench Maji and a few surrounding zones, and is now called Bench Sheko.  But the “Bench Maji” image and reputation still persists in the coffee world.

Processing Details

Upon arrival at the BNT processing station, cherries are carefully hand sorted and floated to separate out less dense beans, then depulped, fermented, washed and placed on raised beds to gently reduce the moisture to 11 percent.  BNT also has its own dry mill, which allows for traceability all the way through to the final export stage.