Ethiopia Masha Natural

Masha is a village near the Sidamo region of Ethiopia, and this farm is owned by Haile Gebrselassie who is a retired runner, holding 2 olympic gold medals and several world records. The government of Ethiopia gave him this farm as a thank you for his achievements while representing his country. Natural (dry-processed) Sidamos tend to have red berry flavors and sometimes lemon, milk chocolate, or tea-like characteristics. This one checks all of those boxes.

It is above average, but not phenomenal. As with any natural Ethiopia, you want to keep this coffee very lightly roasted. Ten seconds after the 1st cracks have stopped is my sweet spot. Erring too light will make it tart. Erring too dark will make it bitter. It is an ideal choice for the "Mokka" half of your Mokka-Java blend, or for any blend in which you need a sweet, fruity Ethiopia. There's no earthiness. There's not much acidity, and the flavors are somewhat muddled, but it's certainly enjoyable.

If you take it too close to the 2nd cracks, it builds up a bitterness that is unpleasant, so this bean is for light roasts unless you are going to use it in your espresso machine, in which case you can roast it darker (beginning of 2nd cracks) to get a fruity espresso.

US Arrival June 2020