Origin: Ethiopia
Region: Oromia
Zone: Jimma
Producer: Mustafa Muhammad Ali
Process: Natural
Altitude: 2050 masl
Varietal: Mixed Heirloom
Notes: Strawberry, Chocolate, Creamy

This Mohamed Ali Ethiopia by The Barn came in with the Standart issue 24. The residents of Dubai are very fortunate to find The Barn coffee across many local cafes here.

And a few months ago, The Barn has made it’s debut opening in Dubai outside of Germany. The opening was a big hit amongst the locals, followed by a V60 Brewdown. I happened to be there at both the events, check out the blog post.

Ralf has been frequenting Dubai quite regularly even before opening the cafe, and he loves this city very much. Andy got a chance to feature him on portafilter. He shares nine lessons and this is one of my favorite posts.

Coming back to the coffee, I have had it on a Cortado. With milk, the notes are more aligned towards dark chocolate and caramel. On the filter, it is a completely different story. On opening the bag, the coffee was still very aromatic, you can definitely smell some berries in there.

Please note that this issue was printed and shipped almost eight months ago. If by any chance, this was roasted then, I’m left in awe. Start the brewing process and you can smell the sweetness, now you have unlocked a more recognizable aroma of dark chocolate.

The coffee had a beautiful juicy finish, this was the highlight. It starts off being very mellow, and then the tartiness of the berry hits you. Very smooth and enjoyable, this is an evening drink for me.

Although this coffee was just plain wow, my only real complain was the bloom. This issue was shipped September last year but got lost in transit. Kudos to Sergey at Standart for sending me a replacement along with the 25th issue.

I love the stories of the origin. But, what I love the most are the exclusive relationships between roasters and farmers. This is The Barn’s fourth year with Mohamed Ali Estate. This partnership has been proven worthwhile for both parties.

When different partners in the value chain support the farmer, this is beneficial to everyone down the chain. The farm has seen an improvement in cherry quality over time.

This was possible because of the support he has been getting in terms of fair pricing and regular investments in labor, selective picking and other utilities to enhance coffee production.

This is how I brewed this Ethiopia:

Coffee: 18g
Water: 270g
Temperature: 90 Degrees C
Ratio: 1:15
Total Brew Time: 2 minutes 30 seconds

Three pours in total. Pour 70g of water, bloom for 45 seconds. The next two pours will be 100g of water each. Finish the second pour at the 1 minute mark and proceed with the third pour at 1:15.