Ethiopia - Elto - Bona Zuria - Slow Shade Dry (SSD)

"Upon grounding, the dry aroma brings blueberry jam, grape, peach, and sweet florals. On the palate, blueberry jam and Kyoho grape lead, rounded by ripe peach sweetness. As it cools, bergamot adds a gentle citrus lift, with frangipani and violet carrying into the aftertaste. The cup is sweet and full, with layered flavors that keep unfolding through the finish." Elto Coffee works with a network of smallholder farmers around Bona Zuria, collecting ripe cherry and coordinating careful post-harvest work at their local site. In Gango Village, many producers farm coffee alongside food crops, relying on a mixed, shade-forward system that supports both soil health and household resilience. Elto’s role is to bring structure to selection and drying, so each delivery is handled with consistent standards. The result is a community-driven lot that reflects both farming tradition and more disciplined processing. Gango Village sits in the Sidama Bensa highlands, where cooler temperatures and slower cherry maturation help build density and sweetness. Coffee grows in an agroforestry setting, commonly interplanted with bananas and enset, creating natural shade and steadier moisture conditions. At around 2,300 meters above sea level, day–night temperature swings are pronounced, which can preserve aromatic lift and clarity. This elevation and mixed-crop landscape are a big part of why the cup profile tends to feel layered rather than blunt. This lot is composed of Ethiopian variety 74158, a numbered selection that is widely planted for its balance of cup quality and field performance. In practice, 74158 can present clean florality and fruit character when ripeness and drying are well managed, especially at higher elevations. It also performs well in smallholder contexts where uniformity in tree stock can simplify harvest selection. Here, the variety’s character is expressed through careful cherry intake and a measured drying approach rather than heavy manipulation. Harvesting is done by selective handpicking to prioritize fully ripe cherry, keeping underripe and damaged fruit out of the lot. After intake, cherries are spread in thin layers on raised beds to encourage airflow and even moisture loss. Drying is managed over roughly 21 to 27 days, with regular turning to prevent hot spots and uneven fermentation within the fruit. The goal is to land the coffee at about 11% moisture before storage and milling, preserving sweetness while keeping the finish clean. As a natural, shaded-dried coffee from Bona Zuria, this release is built around ripe fruit intensity with a more floral, perfumed edge rather than a purely winey profile. The structure is shaped by the long, controlled bed-drying that concentrates sugars without letting the cup turn heavy. . Variety : 74158 Altitude : 2300 masl Process : Shaded Dry Origin : Gango Village, Bona Zuria