This coffee comes from the community of Taferi Kela in Sidamo, Ethiopia, and is processed by Bette Buna, short for “House of Coffee.” The company’s roots in the village began when Dawit and Hester were entrusted by Dawit’s grandparents, Syoum and Emame, with not only the family farm but also the responsibility of supporting the local community.

Although Taferi Kela lies within the same mountain range as better-known Sidama coffee areas, it has long been overlooked, with no other industries present. Bette Buna has worked to change this by creating economic opportunities through coffee, teaching farmers sustainable agricultural practices, promoting agroforestry, and ensuring careful harvesting of ripe cherries to increase both quality and income. Every year, they distribute more than 350,000 climate-adapted seedlings from their in-house nursery, helping to generate significant long-term income for farmers in a region where household earnings are typically less than $50 per month.

Bette Buna is also recognized for its inclusive employment practices, offering jobs to people with disabilities, single mothers, and other underrepresented groups. Their transparent supply chain traces each lot back to the individuals who picked, processed, and milled the coffee, ensuring fair wages and full accountability.

Processing

This is the third year Taferi Kela has used the anaerobic processing method—an approach the team has now refined after an initial year of experimentation and learning. Led by Hester, Dawit, and Sissay, a war veteran and cranial gunshot survivor, the team processes each lot with precision and care to highlight the full potential of the cherry.

For this lot, whole cherries were fermented in sealed barrels equipped with one-way valves, creating an oxygen-free environment that allowed natural fermentation to occur without added yeasts or starters. The result is a super intense, forest-fruity cup profile that showcases the complexity of anaerobic fermentation.

Once fermentation reached the desired parameters, the cherries were spread in thin layers on raised beds to dry under the sun for 20–25 days, depending on weather conditions. The raised beds allow consistent airflow, ensuring even drying and the right moisture content.

After drying, the cherries were bagged, tagged, and rested for at least eight weeks to enhance the cup’s complexity and intensity. The lot was then dry milled locally to remove the hulls, followed by meticulous hand sorting to eliminate primary defects. Finally, the coffee was transported to the main dry mill in Gelan, near Addis Ababa, where it underwent final cleaning, size and density screening, and color sorting before being bagged and prepared for export.