ETHIOPIE Sidama Bona Zuria Anaerobic

🌸 A luminous anaerobic gem from the highlands of Bona Zuria

Farm: 600 smallholder farmers from Bona Zuria
Producer: Heleph Coffee – Ayele Tulu Washing Station
Region: Bona Zuria, Sidamo, Ethiopia
Altitude: 2130–2350 m
Species: Arabica
Variety: JARC 71158, 74165, Heirloom
Harvest: November to January
Harvesting Method: Hand-picked
Process: Anaerobic (fermentation 9–48 h)
Drying: Raised African beds, shade-dried (4 to 9 weeks)

About this coffee

Bona Zuria is one of Sidama’s most captivating terroirs — a place where altitude, climate and tradition merge to create coffees of remarkable clarity and character. Perched above 2,300 metres, the area benefits from cool nights, mild days and nutrient-rich nitisol soils that promote extremely slow cherry maturation.

The farmers handpick their cherries and deliver them — sometimes by horse or mule — to the Tsegab Ayele Washing Station, founded in 2014 by Mr. Ayele Tulu, a respected figure with more than two decades of experience in the Ethiopian coffee sector. At 2,190 m, this is one of the country’s highest washing stations, offering natural conditions perfectly suited for controlled fermentation.

This lot underwent a meticulously monitored anaerobic fermentation. Only fully ripe cherries are selected before being sealed in airtight tanks where oxygen is regulated through a valve. Throughout the 9–48 h fermentation, pH and sugar levels are carefully checked to guide the development of fruity, clean and expressive flavours.

The cherries are then dried slowly for 4 to 9 weeks under shade on raised African beds — a long, patient process that enhances sweetness, complexity and floral depth.

The result is a sparkling cup: tropical fruit brightness, a gentle rose-like floral touch, and a silky, lingering finish. A refined, expressive and modern take on Sidama’s traditional elegance.