Ethiopia Furla

Furla originated from a family-owned export company in Sidama, Ethiopia, whose history began with two brothers growing coffee in the Bensa region. Today, they own their own plantations, collaborate with a network of affiliated farmers, and—after more than twenty years in the industry—work with coffees from all Ethiopian regions, ranging from commercial lots to specialty coffee. The beans are hand-picked using the stripping method between November and January, followed by a classic wet processing method with aerobic fermentation: depulping, controlled fermentation, washing, density sorting of the parchment, and sun-drying. It is precisely this sorting that makes all the difference—it ensures consistent quality from batch to batch and is reflected in the clarity of the cup. It’s interesting to see how the roastery itself approached this coffee.

Ethiopian coffees of this type have high acidity and plenty of fruity notes, which don’t always work well in an espresso. Paloma therefore leaves the beans in the drum longer than for a light roast—more caramelized sugar means a thicker crema and noticeably greater sweetness. The recommended espresso recipe is 18 g of ground coffee, 27–33 seconds, and about 36 g of coffee; if you want to tone down the acidity even more, you can aim for 50–60 g of output and a coarser grind.