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Bench Maji, Ethiopia, Washed
Stonefruit, floral and brown sugar
A Washed lot from Ethiopia's Bench Maji Zone in the South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region, this filter roasts expresses the clean stone fruit, brown sugarl sweetness, and delicate florals characteristic of the zone's highland washed coffees.
| TASTES LIKE | Stonefruit, floral and brown sugar |
| ROAST | Filter |
| COMPONENTS | n/a |
Bench Maji Zone, now part of the South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region (SWEPR), is one of Ethiopia's lesser-known but increasingly celebrated coffee-growing areas, located in the country's far southwest. The zone is home to remarkable biodiversity, with coffee growing in some of the most intact Afromontane forest systems remaining in Ethiopia. Smallholder farmers in Bench Maji cultivate coffee on small garden and semi-forest plots at altitudes ranging from approximately 1,400 to 2,000 metres above sea level, often alongside food crops in traditional agroforestry systems
The zone is particularly significant to the global coffee community for its wild Gesha populations – the original source of the Gesha variety that has achieved extraordinary recognition in specialty markets worldwide. Most coffee produced in Bench Maji is processed through small, community-based washing stations that aggregate cherry from surrounding smallholder communities. The washed process has been the dominant processing method in the zone, developing a cup profile characterised by structured acidity, floral character, and clean stone fruit and caramel sweetness that reflects the zone's unique forest-garden terroir.
| PRODUCER | Various Smallholders |
| REGION | Bench Maji Zone |
| VARIETAL | Heirloom |
| PROCESS | Washed |
| ALTITUDE | 1400-2000 masl |
Bench Maji Zone, now part of the South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region (SWEPR), is one of Ethiopia's lesser-known but increasingly celebrated coffee-growing areas, located in the country's far southwest. The zone is home to remarkable biodiversity, with coffee growing in some of the most intact Afromontane forest systems remaining in Ethiopia. Smallholder farmers in Bench Maji cultivate coffee on small garden and semi-forest plots at altitudes ranging from approximately 1,400 to 2,000 metres above sea level, often alongside food crops in traditional agroforestry systems. The zone is particularly significant to the global coffee community for its wild Gesha populations – the original source of the Gesha variety that has achieved extraordinary recognition in specialty markets worldwide.
Ethiopia is the birthplace of Coffea arabica and home to the greatest diversity of indigenous coffee varieties found anywhere on earth. Bench Maji's relative geographic isolation has historically limited its access to specialty export channels, but increasing traceability and infrastructure investment has allowed the zone's distinct terroir to be communicated to international buyers. The region's washed coffees are gaining recognition for structured, complex cup profiles that distinguish them clearly from better-known southern origins.
NOTE THESE ARE A STARTING POINT AND INDICATE A RANGE TO WORK WITHIN
| Age Best Used | 7-20 days after roast |
| Brew Parameters | Dose 20g in a V60 and add 300g of water in 5 pours of 60g at 89 degrees C. Start with a 60g bloom for 35 seconds then allow water to drain through each subsequent time before adding more water, aim to finish at 2:45. |
| Best Freeze Date | 7-12 days after roast |