Ayla Bombe

COUNTRY: Ethiopia

FARM/COOP/STATION: Ayla Washing Station

VARIETAL: Heirloom

PROCESSING: Anaerobic natural

ALTITUDE: 1950-2150 m.a.s.l.

OWNER: Mr Faysel A. Yonis

REGION: Sidamo

FLAVOUR NOTES: Mixed berry jam, purple flowers, black tea, bright tropical/raspberry acidity

ABOUT THIS COFFEE

Ayla is one of 20 washing stations owned and run by Testi Coffee, a family business founded by Faysel Yonis that aims to support and grow with the farming communities that produce their coffee. With this in mind, Testi established their Project Direct program, which focuses on directly supporting coffee-farming families in tangible and positive ways. Through Project Direct, Testi has now built two primary schools and helped communities located near their more remote washing stations access clean water and electricity.

Around 700 producers deliver their freshly picked coffee cherries to the Ayla washing station at harvest time. The majority of these producers farm organically on small plots of land (around 2–5 hectares in size). These farms sit at an average elevation of 1950–2150 metres above sea level. The high altitude, combined with the area’s cool temperatures, causes the coffee cherries to ripen slowly, ultimately leading to denser beans and a sweet and complex cup profile.

HARVEST AND PROCESS

 After picking the cherries go through a floating process. Defective, overripe and underripe cherries float to the surface and are skimmed off.

The ripe cherries are placed in a barrel and sealed, creating an anoxic environment. A stopper filled with water is placed in a small hole, forming a one-way water barrier that prevents oxygen from entering the tank, while allowing fermentation-produced CO2 to escape.

To keep the temperature constant between 15 and 18°C, the barrels are placed in water baths. It is here where the intensely fruity and complex flavors develop during the 120-hour fermentation. Microbes convert the cherries' glucose and fructose into acids, ethanol and CO2 until the final pH of 3.8 is reached.

The biggest advantage of this technique: Faysel can control the two most critical aspects of fermentation: temperature and duration.

After 48 hours the barrels are opened and the cherries are quickly dried in direct sunlight to reduce the moisture level below 35%. Then they dry for another 30 days under shade nets on raised beds until they reach a final moisture content of 12%.

ABOUT THE SIDAMO COFFEE REGION

Historically, Sidamo refers to a wide geographical region encompassing much of central-south Ethiopia, that is well known for producing exceptional natural and washed coffees. The region is located in Ethiopia’s South East Coffee Zone, and includes renowned coffee-producing localities such as Yirgacheffe, Kochere, West Arsi, Bensa and Guji. Sidamo extends across the states of Oromia and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region (SNNPR), two of eleven ethnically-based regional states of Ethiopia. After a 2019 Referendum, some of the territories that fall under the the Sidamo coffee region have separated from the SNNPR and become the autonomous Sidamo regional state.

Coffees that are grown and processed in Sidamo showcase an extremely diverse range of flavour profiles, and are noted for their intensely fruit-forward, tea-like, floral and complex character that is sought after worldwide. It is widely accepted that the coffee species, Arabica, originated in the lush forests of southern forests of Ethiopia and hence growing conditions in this area are perfectly suited for producing exquisite coffees.

ABOUT TESTI COFFEE

Testi Trading PLC is a family-owned company embedded at the origin to supply the specialty coffee industry with high-quality coffee beans. Mr. Faysel together with his family established Testi Trading PLC in 2009. The name ‘Testi’ means joy or Happiness in the Harrari language (it is also the name of Faysel’s middle son).

Testi coffee is focusing on quality and long-term relationships, as well as maximizing the potential of Ethiopian Coffee. Their focus is to work with their supply chain of smallholder farms to improve their livelihoods and living conditions. Testi coffee independently own 3 farms and twenty washing stations in all specialty coffee growing regions.