Damo specialty coffee

Cup score 88,5

Process: Natural

Varietal: Heirloom

Altitude 1860-2160

This lot comes to us in partnership with the Daye Bensa exporter. Daye Bensa is very much a community-focussed business that aims to deliver additional bonus payment to the farmers based on the volume they contribute to their station micro-lots, and they reward consistency in both volume and quality to their farmers year after year. 

Traceability is extremely important during the production of micro lots. The record-keeping book is carefully handled and separation of lots is key to guaranteeing the highest level of quality. When the cherries are received they are separated by village, the coffee is then kept separate throughout drying, processing, and storage, with labels stating the delivery dates, farm name, lot number, and more details related to the particular lot. They also run an out-growers program that benefits farmers with an off-season payment on top of the harvest fee and have been active in working to improve the farmers’ living situations and standards, with healthcare access, utilities, education and transport infrastructure. Additionally, Daye Bensa are working with the school principals in the villages surrounding the farms, providing basic school materials for the students. 

Founded on the slopes of the Shanta Golba mountain, with an elevation of 1860 – 2160 MASL. Damo Station acquires red cherries from nearby farmers and processes in a variety of ways. Equipped with eco-friendly depulping and pressure sorting machinery dedicated for washed coffee & fermentation tanks for anaerobic processing. The station provides working opportunities for 100 people and provides the main income for the nearby farmers during coffee harvesting seasons and pays 20-30% more than the average amount for coffee producers.

Coffee in this area grows under the natural shade canopy of native trees such as False Banana, Cordia Africana, Passiflora Edulis and Eucalyptus. 

381 smallholders contributed cherry to this lot, all of whom have farm between 2-5 hectares in size. This season (2021/22) farmers were paid 70 Ethiopian Birr/kg, with an additional off season payment of 3-5 Birr/kg. 

This is a naturally processed lot. Cherries are sorted based on density and cherry quality by floating in large water tanks. After floatation, the cherries are transferred to African raised beds with mesh nets. The coffee is rotated every 30 minutes for even dryness and to control fermentation. The average drying time takes about 12-15 days based on the temperature and humidity. Then the dried cherries are stored in warehouses for flavour development.