Alo Bona Washed

Tamiru Tadesse is the producer behind Alo Coffee, one of the most exciting names to emerge from Ethiopia's modern specialty coffee movement.

A native of Bensa, Sidama, Tamiru founded Alo Coffee in 2020 with the goal of producing and exporting exceptional coffees from his home region. That same year, he invested in a washing station in Alo Kebele at an elevation above 2,400 meters — an area historically considered extremely challenging for coffee cultivation.

Tamiru doesn't work exclusively with coffee from his own land. Alo also works with surrounding smallholder farmers, connecting coffees from these high-elevation communities directly with the international specialty market.

In 2021, Tamiru won first place in the Ethiopia Cup of Excellence, bringing international attention to both his work and the potential of these extraordinarily high-elevation coffees.

While Alo produces beautiful traditional washed and natural coffees, Tamiru has also become known for experimenting with specialized fermentation and processing techniques. That combination — respect for classic Ethiopian coffee alongside a willingness to push processing forward — is a huge part of what makes Alo exciting to us.

Bona Zuria lies within Sidama, one of Ethiopia's most celebrated coffee-growing regions.

Coffee here is grown at exceptionally high elevations, with lots from Alo's Bona Zuria network commonly reaching roughly 2,100–2,300+ MASL. These elevations are a defining part of the area's story.

Historically, some of these higher areas were considered too cool for consistent coffee cultivation. As growing conditions have changed, they have become increasingly viable for specialty coffee, opening up a new high-altitude frontier within Sidama.

At these elevations, cooler temperatures can slow the maturation of the coffee cherry. That extended development is one of the reasons producers are interested in Bona Zuria: it creates the conditions for dense coffees capable of tremendous clarity and complexity.

Alo Coffee works with smallholder farmers throughout these communities, processing their cherries through its growing network of stations in the region.

For a producer known for experimental fermentation, there's something particularly compelling about tasting Tamiru's coffee through a classic washed process.

The objective here isn't to build flavor through extended anaerobic fermentation. Instead, removing the fruit and mucilage allows the character of the coffee itself — its genetics, growing conditions, elevation, and terroir — to come through with greater transparency.

🍒 Cherry Selection – Ripe cherries are selected before processing, creating the foundation for a clean and consistent lot.

⚙️ Depulping – The skin and fruit are removed from the coffee cherries.

💧 Washed Processing – Remaining mucilage is removed from the parchment, limiting the influence of the fruit during drying and emphasizing clarity.

☀️ Drying – The washed parchment is carefully dried before being prepared for export.

📍 Origin: Bona Zuria

🌎 Region: Sidama, Ethiopia

🌱 Producer: Tamiru Tadesse / Alo Coffee

🍒 Variety: 74158

🧪 Process: Washed

🏔 Elevation: High-elevation Bona Zuria

Best brewed as a pour-over or as a Soup on the OXO Rapid Brewer to highlight the coffee’s clarity, delicate structure, and high-elevation character.