Ethiopia Mirado Station: A Washed Sidama from Bensa

The region: Bensa, Sidama
Sidama is one of Ethiopia's most established coffee-producing regions, located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples region. Bensa is a district within Sidama known for high-elevation growing conditions — the Mirado station works with farms ranging from 1,800 to 2,200 meters above sea level. At that altitude, coffee cherries mature slowly, producing denser beans with more concentrated sugars and acids.

A note on naming: you may have seen "Sidamo" on older coffee bags. That's a historical mislabeling that persisted for decades because the name was commercially marketable. The correct name is Sidama, and the specialty coffee industry has largely corrected course.

The producer: Asefa Dukamo and Daye Bensa
The Mirado Coffee Processing Station operates under Daye Bensa, a coffee exporting company founded by Asefa Dukamo. Asefa grew up in a coffee-farming family in Bensa and in 1997 built his first washing station less than a mile from his parents' farm, specifically to reduce the distance local producers had to travel to process their cherry. That station was the foundation of what is now a multi-station operation working with smallholder farmers across six woredas in Sidama.

Daye Bensa has won Cup of Excellence awards in 2020, 2021, and 2022 — consecutive wins that reflect consistent quality control across their operation. The Mirado lot comes from approximately 300 contributing smallholder farmers, which is typical of the outgrower model Daye Bensa runs across its stations.

The variety: 74158
The coffee is grown from heirloom variety 74158, one of the most widely planted varieties in Ethiopia. It was selected from wild plants in the Metu-Bishari forest in the Illuababora zone by JARC — the Jimma Agricultural Research Center — primarily for its resistance to Coffee Berry Disease and reliable yield. In washed form at high elevation, 74158 tends to produce clean citric acidity with floral aromatics. It's not a showy variety, but it's consistent and expressive when grown and processed well.

The process: washed
At Mirado, cherries are floated for density and hand-sorted before depulping. After fermentation, they're rinsed and transferred to raised African beds to dry for sixteen days, turned by hand until they reach ideal moisture. Washed processing removes the fruit before drying, which means the cup profile reflects the bean itself rather than any residual fruit character. For 74158 from Bensa, that typically means pronounced floral notes and citric acidity with a clean finish.

In the cup
Chamomile, kiwi, and lemon. Best brewed as a pour over or drip.

The importer: Keffa Coffee

We source the Mirado lot through Keffa Coffee, a Baltimore-based green importer founded by Samuel Demisse. Samuel is a three-time U.S. Coffee Tasters Champion — one of the first 325 certified tasters worldwide — with family connections to Ethiopian coffee dating to 1949. Keffa works with exclusive long-term partnerships with Ethiopian exporters, which gives them consistent access to specific lots year over year.

The Mirado Station is available now in our online shop and at all Mudhouse locations.