Red Honey

High in the misty elevations of Sidama, where the air thins and the soil turns rich and red, the smallholder farmers of Faficho Bombe cultivate one of Ethiopia’s most expressive coffees. This Red Honey lot is a testament to both tradition and careful, modern craft – a meeting point of heirloom and landrace varieties grown between 2100 and 2200 meters, where cool nights and intense daylight shape every layer of flavour.

At Basha Bekele’s Bombe washing station, the journey begins with meticulous selection. Ripe cherries arrive from roughly 500 local farmers and are floated to ensure only the densest, sweetest fruit moves forward. Instead of sending the cherries through a fully washed process, Basha leaves a generous amount of mucilage clinging to the parchment. This sticky, sugar-rich layer becomes the heart of the Red Honey method. As the green coffee dries slowly on raised beds under shade, the remaining fruit sugars caramelize and sink deeper into the seed, building complexity without losing the clarity that Sidama is known for.

The result is a cup that walks a beautiful line between delicacy and intensity. Rose petal and cherry jelly lift from the aroma with a soft floral brightness. Pomegranate acidity carries the profile forward. Crisp, ruby-toned, and refreshing. A grounding note of cocoa lingers beneath, adding structure and depth. It’s a flavour story that feels both classic to Ethiopia and entirely its own.

This is a coffee for drinkers drawn to nuance: those who appreciate when sweetness is layered rather than loud, when florals are woven into the cup instead of sitting on top of it. The Red Honey process here isn’t a flourish… It's a thoughtful technique that amplifies terroir, bringing Sidama’s natural elegance into sharp, memorable focus.