Star Coffees - Vol.7 - Etiopia Tamiru Tadesse

Tamiru Tadesse, Sidama Zone, Ethiopia

Tamiru Tadesse farms in the Bensa woreda of Ethiopia's Sidama zone, in the country's south-central highlands. He and his wife Messi founded Alo Coffee in 2020, named for their home village of Alo, to export lots from their own farm and neighboring smallholders directly rather than through a generic cooperative channel.

The farm's reputation was made almost immediately: in 2021, Alo Coffee's first-ever submission to Ethiopia's Cup of Excellence won the competition outright, earning the Presidential Award reserved for lots scoring 90 points or higher from both a national and an international jury. That winning lot, grown in Bensa, sold at auction for $330 per kilogram to Saza Coffee of Tokyo — a striking result for a first-time entrant. A separate, anaerobic-processed lot from Tadesse's farm was later scored 96 out of 100 by the trade publication Coffee Review and named the outlet's 11th-best coffee of that year, a mark of consistency across more than one processing style from the same grower.

Sidama sits among Ethiopia's highest and most celebrated coffee zones, and the region's altitude and cool nights are a large part of why lots from producers like Tadesse show the bright, fruit-driven character this cup carries. As with every Star Coffees release, this lot is presented as a numbered volume — Vol. 7 — rather than a standing catalog SKU.

Honey, Mango, Black Cherry

This cup opens with honey sweetness, moves into ripe mango through the middle, and finishes on black cherry — a classic Ethiopian fruit-forward profile without tipping into the more floral, jasmine-heavy register some Sidama lots show. Acidity is bright and juicy, body is light-to-medium, and the sweetness carries well into a clean finish.

That combination of stone-fruit sweetness and darker cherry depth is typical of well-grown, high-altitude Sidama coffee, where cooler nights slow cherry ripening and concentrate sugars before harvest. It's a cup built to reward attention rather than dominate a milk drink — the mango and black cherry notes are subtle enough that they show best without added sweetness or dairy competing for the palate.

A lighter roast level suits this profile best, preserving the fruit-forward brightness rather than pushing the cup toward the heavier, roastier register a darker roast would introduce.

Pour-Over First

A bright, fruit-driven cup like this one is built for filter brewing, which lets the mango and black cherry notes come through cleanly without the heavier body full immersion adds.

Pour-Over

Ratio: 1:16 (coffee to water by weight).

Grind: Medium-fine, similar to table salt.

Water temperature: 200°F (93°C).

Time: Total brew time around 2:45–3:00, with a slow, even pour.

AeroPress

For a quicker single serving, use the AeroPress upright with a 1:15 ratio: steep 1:30 at 195°F (90°C), stir once, then press slowly over about 30 seconds. It's a good option for travel or a fast morning cup without losing much of the fruit character a slower pour-over draws out.

Store the box sealed, whole-bean, and away from light and heat, grinding only what you need per session to keep the mango and black cherry notes intact.

Did You Know

• This producer's very first Cup of Excellence entry won the whole competition. In 2021, Alo Coffee — founded that same year by Tamiru Tadesse and his wife Messi — submitted a lot to Ethiopia's Cup of Excellence for the first time and took the top spot, earning the Presidential Award given to coffees scoring 90 points or higher.

• That winning lot sold for $330 per kilogram at auction. A Tokyo-based roaster, Saza Coffee, bought the winning Bensa lot at Ethiopia's 2021 Cup of Excellence auction — a striking price for a producer's first competition submission.

• A separate lot from this same farm scored 96 out of 100. An anaerobic-processed coffee from Tamiru Tadesse's farm was later reviewed by the trade publication Coffee Review, which scored it 96/100 and named it the 11th-best coffee on its Top 30 Coffees list for that year.

• This is the seventh release in DABOV's Star Coffees Collection. The numbered series launched with a Honduras Gesha as Volume 1, continued with a Nicaraguan lot as Volume 6, and later returned to Panama Gesha for Volume 9.

Who is Tamiru Tadesse?

He's an Ethiopian coffee producer farming in the Bensa woreda of the Sidama zone, and co-founder of Alo Coffee alongside his wife Messi. His farm won Ethiopia's Cup of Excellence in 2021 with its first-ever competition submission.

What does this Ethiopia coffee taste like?

This lot cups with honey sweetness, ripe mango, and a black cherry finish — a bright, fruit-forward profile typical of high-altitude Sidama coffee, with juicy acidity and a light-to-medium body.

Has this producer won any awards?

Yes — Alo Coffee's first Cup of Excellence submission won the 2021 competition outright, earning the Presidential Award for scoring 90 or above. A separate anaerobic lot from the same farm was later scored 96/100 by Coffee Review and named its 11th-best coffee of that year.

Is this the same coffee as DABOV's Ethiopia Alo Mosto?

No — Ethiopia Alo Mosto is a separate, anaerobic-processed lot from the same producer's farm. This Star Coffees release is a different lot from Tamiru Tadesse, repackaged from DABOV's standard Tamiro Tadesse single origin.

How should I brew this coffee?

Pour-over is the best fit: a 1:16 ratio, medium-fine grind, and water at 200°F (93°C). An AeroPress works well too for a faster single cup without losing much fruit character.

What makes Star Coffees Collection releases different from DABOV's regular single origins?

The coffee itself is unchanged — same farm, same processing, same flavor profile. Star Coffees releases simply repackage a lot DABOV considers especially notable into a numbered, collectible format rather than the standard retail bag.