Over the last 6 years independent processors in Sidama have created a new generation of profile diversity, from small lot naturals to single farmer separations, anaerobics, and custom sorting that goes beyond Grade 1 export requirements. Much of this is new to the world, and for many roasters it’s a developmental stage long overdue for such a naturally gifted coffee growing region.
This single day lot from Testi Trading is one such coffee: a single picking day’s worth of cherry picked in the Arbegona district, one of Sidama’s highest possible elevations, processed separately with extra attention to eliminating imperfections. A “premium” version of the best that Sidama offers, indeed.
Arbegona District, Sidama
The Sidama Zone has long been considered a kind of gateway to Ethiopia’s southern coffees. This is geographically true, as Sidama is the first producing zone on the way south from Addis Ababa. It has also been true in the cup: for decades Sidama has been known for having a robust and stable export union of more than 50 coops that turn out predictably honey-like, herbaceous fully washed coffee year after year, and almost always with earlier availability and lower prices than neighboring Gedeo (a.k.a. “Yirgacheffe”).
Perhaps because of its stability, the sprawling zone has also seen little disruption to its union presence and hallmark washed profiles.
But that is certainly not all that Sidama has to offer. More and more we are seeing younger producer groups set themselves up outside the union infrastructure and offer new, more ambitiously-produced coffees to the market. Private processors like Testi Trading see themselves as the vanguard for Sidama’s new generation of coffee makers.
Coffees this good wouldn’t be possible without a divine terroir to begin with. Eastern Sidama runs up against the mighty Harenna Forest National Park, Ethiopia’s largest indigenous forest. Elevations here surpass 3,000 meters and old growth tree species here boost natural shade and soil health. Were this not enough, eastern Sidama coffee farm altitude alone is enough to make a coffee buyer’s eyes water, reaching as high as 2300 meters above sea level. Harvest here pushes past the end of the calendar year.
“Faysel Abdosh” Namesake Day Lot
Faysel Abdosh is the founder of Testi Trading. Faysel was raised in the coffee industry in Ethiopia. He manages a personal farm of his own in the Bensa district, east of Arbegona, which he purchased in 2020 (and regularly produces some of the best coffee we taste from Ethiopia each year).
In addition to his personal farm, Faysel and Testi Trading manage a number of central processing sites in eastern Sidama servicing smallholder producers. The Duwancho station is one such site. Here, thanks to the available elevation and overall cherry quality potential, Faysel decided to implement a day lot project, bearing his name. While the processing itself is only slightly more perfectionistic than is common in Sidama, the timing of such a specific window of cherry collection, and the attention to detail required to isolate the lot through processing and export, is indeed a “premium” level of effort.
This particular lot uses only cherry from Duwancho farmers 2100-2200 meters in altitude, harvested on a single day. Cherry was brought to the station by the farmers and hand-sorted upon arrival. Within 6-8 hours of harvest the cherry was depulped and then fermented in an open tank for 48 hours. Once fermentation was complete the parchment was washed completely clean of its mucilage by raking it in a long open channel with fresh running water. Drying took place on rasied beds under a parabolic shade net, to allow for slow, even moisture removal and utmost protection of the coffee’s parchment.
