Alongside the Mundo Novo from Israel, we also have this Bale Mountain. B.M. is a bigger affair and is also a more dependable, recognisable Ethiopian natural. I now backtrack and say that the processing is so good it doesn’t matter what the processing is.
Top Trumps:
Farm: Bale Mountain Farm
Area: Arsi, Bale Mountain Belt, which is in the South Eastern Highlands of Ethiopia.
Owner: Isreal Degfa
Varietal: Heirloom Varietals
Processing method: Natural
The altitude: 1800-2000 Meters above sea level.
Roast: Light Filter
Cup Potential:
|Aromatics: Delicate and sugary| Body: Light | Acidity: Almost none, soft fruit on cooling
On opening, this coffee is like a distant ship. There is flavour to come but you just have to be patient. Maybe it’s just a Monday thing?!! No, in all seriousness I had to really wait for the coffee to make sense.
This coffee behaves like it is so light, with the softest almost non-existent acidity ever, fused with a sugary sweetness. This is akin to drinking black tea with some subtle ripe, dried fruit. As the coffee cools to ambient the fruit sugars become jammy and summery with a grapefruit finish.
Filter recipe: 60g a litre as standard just works.
In Espresso: 16-18g in- 34-35g out Time: 28-35 seconds Ratio 1:2 for milk-based drinks. I like to extend my shots for espresso.
For me, this can work in espresso, but I think it is just better without milk at all.
About Bale Mountain farm.
Bale Mountain farm is in Arsi, in the Bale Mountains area, This region is part of the South Eastern Highlands of Ethiopia and in the Oromia area. The farm, itself employs up to 350 people at the dry mill and nearby Solena washing station. The farm is socially responsible, in terms of distributing free coffee seedlings, school buildings, and financial support during the off-season, in an attempt to make it a great place to live.
