Ethiopia Bedesa Rusa

Country/Region: Ethiopia/Werka, Nensebo

Varietal: JARC Varieties, Local Landraces

Processing: Natural

Elevation: 1945 - 2100 m.a.s.l.

We Taste: Melon, Guava, Lime Zest

Coffees from West Arsi have been one of the most sought-after in recent harvests, from the work of Faysel Yonis and other Ethiopian growers to promote the region, which became recognised by the government as its own in 2017. Out of the 31 winners in the 2020 Cup of Excellence competitions, nine were from West Arsi. 

Coming from a family of coffee growers, Faysel has been focused on bringing good coffee to buyers since young. Today, as the founder of Testi Coffee, he is known for discovering promising producing regions across Ethiopia, helping to develop infrastructure in the area, all for better coffee. With a quality-first approach, Testi is able to pay farmers higher cherry prices, and invest in social initiatives such as building schools, clinics, water and electricity supply. 

This lot is named after the two most important landmarks of the Werka town. Bedesa is the main water source for the washing station, Meridya, and Rusa is the name of the nearby mountain peak. These two are indicators for excellent coffee, with access to fresh, clean water for processing, and high altitude that slows cherry maturation for added complexity in the cup. 

During harvest, farmers bring fresh cherries to the Merdiya washing station, one of five washing stations owned by Testi in West Arsi. With their expertise gathered from other sites, they established strict protocols to control the cherry selection. The coffee is immersed in water to remove the floaters. The coffees are dried for about 21 days on raised bed, situated in an area with high airflow and less sunlight, with 300kg per bed and a thickness under 5cm.