Haileslassie Ambaye\Arsosala

Tasting Notes: Florals, lemon balm, white peach, white tea

Fragrance/Aroma: Chamomile, lemon balm, peach
Acidity: Rounded, gentle
Body: Tea-like, silky, creamy
Aftertaste: Lingering, faint honeyed sweetness, creamy but without weight

The dry fragrance and wet aroma are remarkably consistent, led by fresh lemon balm with softer notes of chamomile and peach. The lemon balm provides a bright, herbaceous citrus character, while chamomile brings a gentle floral sweetness and peach adds a rounded fruitiness beneath it. As the coffee brews, these elements become increasingly integrated, with the lemon balm retaining its presence without becoming overly sharp or herbal.

The cup opens with a gentle stone fruit sweetness reminiscent of white peach, supported by rounded, gentle acidity. Rather than presenting as overtly tart, the acidity gives the peach a soft brightness, allowing its delicate sweetness to remain at the forefront. Interestingly, the lemon balm character from the aromatics does not carry directly into the palate as a distinct herbal note; instead, it seems to resolve into the peach, lending the fruit a subtle freshness and lift.

A tea-like, silky body forms the foundation of the cup, with a gentle creaminess that gives the profile softness without adding weight. Jasmine provides an airy floral lift throughout, floating above the peach and tea-like base and helping to maintain a sense of clarity as the cup develops. The progression is smooth and understated, with the various elements blending naturally rather than appearing as sharply defined flavour changes.

The finish is lingering and delicate, leaving behind a faint honeyed sweetness alongside the creamy, silky texture. The creaminess persists without becoming heavy, allowing the cup to conclude with the same lightness and composure with which it began. Overall, the profile is gentle and harmonious, with white peach at its centre, quietly shaped by lemon balm, chamomile, jasmine, and the refined character of white tea.

Haileslassie Ambaye Industrial PLC has its roots in Ethiopia’s coffee trade, beginning in 1992 as a coffee trading business. Over the years, the company has expanded its role within the industry, moving into direct coffee exports in 2005 and gradually developing greater control over sourcing, processing and preparation. Today, Haileslassie Ambaye is an established Ethiopian coffee exporter, with operations spanning multiple growing regions and a network of washing stations through which it sources coffee directly from producing communities. The company currently employs around 120 permanent workers and a further 300 seasonal workers during peak harvest periods.

This development has allowed Haileslassie Ambaye to serve not only as an exporter, but also as an intermediary between Ethiopia’s smallholder farmers and the international specialty coffee market. Its network of washing stations provides nearby producers with places to deliver their cherries for processing, while the company manages wet and dry processing, quality control and export preparation. Its sourcing network includes established coffee-producing areas such as Yirgacheffe, Guji, Sidamo and Limu, with the company describing its model as sourcing directly through its washing stations to maintain traceability and quality.

Arsosala is one such station. Established in 2019 and owned and operated by Haileslassie Ambaye PLC, it serves approximately 800 smallholder farmers living within about 5 km of the station. For these producers, the station provides a nearby point for bringing their coffee cherries into a structured processing and quality system.

This particular lot comes from a focused 3.5-hectare site producing Bourbon, a variety that is rare in Ethiopia. The coffee is fully washed, a processing method that removes the fruit before fermentation and drying, resulting in a cleaner and more transparent expression of the coffee. In combination with the focused production area, the washed process also allows the Bourbon variety and the character of its growing environment to come through with greater clarity, giving the lot a distinct identity within Arsosala’s broader production.

The result is a coffee that reflects both sides of Haileslassie Ambaye’s operation: the wider network that supports smallholder producers and the more focused sourcing and processing of individual lots. At Arsosala, a defined production area, a relatively uncommon variety and washed processing come together to present a clear expression of Bourbon from this part of Ethiopia.

Sourced from: GSC
We paid: S$28.76/kg
Roasted cost: S$45.25/kg

Moisture content: 10.5%
Weight loss: 11.5%
Agtron: W81.4 / G122.4 / △41.0