April 2025: Podium Gold. Crimson Roasters
Country: Ethiopia
Varietals: Zipa, 74110, 74112
Region: Sidama
Process: Washed
Producer: Ayele Tulu
Elevation: 2300 MASL
Tasting notes: Honeysuckle, oolong tea, and guava.
The Coffee:
Ayele Tulu got into the coffee business later in life after a 45-year career in Awassa where he worked for various government agencies and organizations, establishing government offices after the region transitioned into the SNNPP.
After he retired, he began a washing station in his ancestral home in Bona Zuria as a way to establish something to pass on to his children (he has six children from two wives—three with each). Tsegab, his second child from his first wife, is involved in his washing station at Bona Zuria, as is his brother, Yohanis, where they buy cherry from 300 smallholders in the area, processing them as naturals, anaerobic naturals and washed coffees.
The coffee produced under his name includes varieties Zipa, 74110, and 74112, grown at an elevation of 2,300 meters above sea level.
The coffee is noted for its light roast profile and tasting notes of honeysuckle, oolong tea, and guava.
The Roaster:
Crimson is a specialty coffee company based in Columbus, Ohio, that focuses on high-quality sourcing and sustainability. They emphasize direct relationships with farmers, traveling worldwide to find exceptional coffee and investing in community projects through their *Friend2Farmer* initiative, which supports education, health, and economic development in coffee-growing regions.
They offer a range of award-winning single-origin coffees, blends, and teas. Crimson's mission is to foster intentional and honest relationships throughout the coffee supply chain.
Crimson's commitment and exemplary coffee quality has been recognized with award wins at Good Food Awards in 2017, 2020 and 2024, and the huge acknowledgment of being Golden Bean World Series Overall Champion in 2024.
From the small-plot coffee farmers they source from, to the coffee lovers they serve, bridging communities is at the heart of what Crimson does. They've proudly traveled the globe—by plane, boat, bus, jeep, foot, and even mule—to discover exceptional coffee and cultivate long-lasting relationships with the hard-working farmers who grow it.