Ethiopia
Girma Sintayehu
Honey

Honey process 75227, Welisho

Flavour: lemongrass, black tea and apricot

Body: Acidity:

Very Special

Girma Sintayehu, a long-standing member of the Jabanto farmers group, began his coffee farming journey in 1991 after trading commodities between Dilla and Biloya. His deep involvement in community activities and collaboration with agricultural experts helped him adopt improved coffee technologies and farming practices.

He cultivates coffee on a 4.92 hectare farm in Biloya and manages additional plots in Shashamene village, where he produces varietal-separated coffees. His income diversification strategy has been key to his success—investing in coffee farming, a restaurant, and transportation services. Girma has also expanded his coffee business by establishing a medium-sized coffee washing station on 4 hectares of land with a three-disc pulper, producing around 900 bags of parchment coffee annually.

Since 2020, he has introduced honey-processed coffee into his product line, demonstrating his constant drive for innovation. As a first-generation farmer, Girma has steadily acquired smaller plots and mastered rejuvenation techniques like coffee stumping with great success.

Beyond his own farm, Girma is a leader in the Biloya community, helping organize farmers and improve their access to knowledge and international markets. His forward-thinking approach and diversified income model have made him a standout figure in Yirgacheffe and Kochere coffee producing communities.

Girma Sintayehu and his son Getu Bekele in the background.

Today, Girma grows coffee on his own 7-hectare farm in the village of Biloya, and sometimes contracts it from other producers near the Sashamene village where he can source different subvarietals.

Honey Processing

Honey processing is a widely practiced coffee method that begins with the selective picking of fully ripened red cherries. After harvesting, the cherries are pulped to remove the outer skin, leaving the sticky mucilage layer intact on the parchment coffee.

The mucilage-covered parchment is then transferred directly to raised drying beds, where it is initially piled for about 8 hours before being spread evenly for uniform drying. Frequent stirring is essential to prevent over-fermentation and clumping of the beans. Throughout the drying process, defective parchment beans are removed by hand.

Drying typically takes 9 to 11 days, during which the beans are carefully monitored to reach an optimal moisture content of 9.5% to 10.5%.

Learn everything about this coffee:

Ethical, traceable sourcing

This page has all the sourcing information (variety, process, region, story, importer, and more) that our importers share with us, and give us permission to use.

The transparency helps us talk confidently about the quality and background of our product, and it helps you know exactly what you’re buying.

Learn more:
Coffee page transparency legend
Our coffee philosophy
Our business approach

Fresh harvest coffee

We only source and roast coffee from each country’s latest harvest season (so the green coffee is never older than 1 year from the time of picking, processing and packing). This ensures the sensory qualities are always at their peak and unaffected by excessive ageing.

Roasted for espresso and filter (best enjoyed black)

Roast style: omni. Omni roasts are designed to brew and taste great both as espresso and filter. Our omni single origins generally sit on Agtron values in the ~70-60 value range. So, technically, they are somewhere in the lighter side of the medium spectrum.

Designed for espresso and filter brewing. Best enjoyed black.

Learn more:
Our Loring Kestrel S35 roaster
Our roasting style and approach

Best brewed within days 15-49 post-roast

The ‘fresh is best’ saying doesn’t apply to coffee (contrary to popular belief). Waiting before opening and brewing your bag of whole coffee beans helps develop peak flavour and acidity.

But heads up: if you buy pre-ground coffee, brew it as soon as possible.

Learn more:
Our recommended brewing window

Try our custom brewing recipes

Our recipes and ratios are tailored to our coffee sourcing and roasting styles, bringing the best flavour and feel out of each coffee.

For pour over, immersion, and other filter brewing styles, check our brew guides.
For our espresso single origins, we recommend a coffee:yield ratio of 1:3:

Dose: 20g ground coffee
Yield: 60g espresso
Total brew time: ~24-28 seconds

This is just a starting point! We encourage you to experiment, taste, and adjust to find the recipe that you enjoy the most.

Learn more:
Our espresso brew guide (single origin)
Brewing ratio calculator

Packaging and sustainability

Bags: ABA-certified home compostable (AS 5810-2010)
Labels: recyclable
Valves (only on +250g bags): general waste
Box and tape (online orders): recyclable

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Our packaging

Producer: Girma Sintayehu
Farm/Coop: Jabanto Producers
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Biloya, Kochere
Altitude: 1850m above sea level
Varieties: 75227, Welisho
Process: honey
Harvested: February 2025
Importer: Condesa Co.Lab
Body
Acidity
Tasting notes: Lemongrass, black tea and apricot
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

The location

Coffee from Ethiopia

Seen as the birthplace of domesticated coffee, there are not many more exciting times at the Sample warehouse as when our fresh Ethiopian lots arrive. Legend says it’s our favourite origin…

The Kochere region of Ethiopia

Farm processes

Honey process

This technique leaves some flesh on the coffee cherry as it is washed and dried. This tends to give a slightly sweeter flavour, but can also reduce the quality and longevity of the coffee due to the fermentation of the sugars in the flesh.