Ayla Bombe
Ayla Bombe
Ayla Bombe
Ayla Bombe
Ayla Bombe
Ayla Bombe
Ethiopia

Ayla Bombe

Filter • Floral & light

Super aromatic and elegant with notes of stone fruits, bergamot, jasmine and apricot.

€19,00
€76,00/kg
Tax included.
Size

Producer: Testi Coffee • Ayla Washing Station

Region: Bombe, Sidama

Altitude: 2000 MASL

Variety: Ethiopian Heirloom

Process: Natural

Natural process

In Ethiopia's natural coffee process, ripe cherries are delivered to the washing station on harvest day. There, they undergo rigorous sorting to ensure only the highest-quality cherries are selected. After cleaning, the cherries are spread on raised drying beds or tables for 2–3 weeks, or 8–25 days on average, depending on weather conditions.

During this period, workers constantly monitor and rotate the cherries to ensure even drying. They move the cherries to different surfaces to control the drying rate and achieve uniform quality. The process continues until the cherries reach about 11% moisture content. Once dry, the cherries go through a hulling machine to remove the parchment layer. Finally, the beans are sorted at the mill and stored in sacks, ready for export.

Testi Coffee

Ayla Washing Station

Established in 2010, the Testi Ayla Washing Station became part of Testi Coffee, a family-owned company founded by Faysel Abdosh in 2016. It now supports about 375 smallholder farmers from Bombe village in Sidama, near Bombe Mountain. These farmers, each owning an average of 2.5 hectares, cultivate local coffee varieties such as Mikicho and Setami.

In Ethiopia, coffee is traditionally grown on small plots alongside other crops. Most smallholders deliver their harvested coffee cherries to nearby washing stations or central processing units, where the cherries are sorted, weighed, and either paid for or given a receipt. The washing stations handle the coffee processing, typically using washed or natural methods, and dry the beans on raised beds.

Washing stations often serve several hundred, if not thousands, of producers who bring their cherries throughout the harvest season. Due to the blending of cherries from various producers into day lots, it is challenging to trace the exact origin of the coffee from any individual farmer. Despite this, we make every effort to maintain relationships with the same washing stations each year, working closely with our export partners and their connections to mills and washing stations to ensure consistency.

Farmers in this region typically do not have access to chemical fertilisers or pesticides, resulting in organic coffee production by default.

Ayla Washing Station has been part of Testi Coffee since 2010. Now, it supports up to 375 smallholder farmers in the Bombe village, Sidama.

Coffee variety

Ethiopian heirloom

The heirloom refers to coffee varieties that are naturally found in the country or region. As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia has around 10,000 to 15,000 heirloom varieties that grow in the wild. However, many of these varieties have yet to be genetically identified.

The Ethiopian heirloom variety is typically classified into two groups: JARC varieties and regional landraces. JARC varieties, like 74110 and 74158, are developed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre. These strains are bred to be more resistant to diseases while still retaining their native qualities. The regional landraces are strains that grow naturally in the wild and are indigenous to a specific region. For instance, the Badessa, Khudumi, Miqe, Sawa, and Wolichu varieties are native to the Guji area.

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