Every time we talk about ALO, there are always more stories than we can finish telling.
The farm owner, Tamiru, is one of the most interesting and joyful producers we’ve ever worked with.
He is a smart, passionate pioneer — the kind of person who acts immediately when he believes in something.
When we shared with him that higher elevation leads to better coffee quality, he didn’t hesitate.
He began exploring even higher-altitude villages, training farmers to grow coffee,
and even building schools to support the education of farming families.
When the conversation shifted to dark-room, low-temperature fermentation and drying,
and how much they can improve cup quality, he began investing his own resources
to build controlled fermentation rooms in Ethiopia — all without securing pre-orders, premiums, or purchase guarantees.
He did it purely out of commitment to quality.
And that is what we admire most about Tamiru.
Infinity
The goal of Infinity is to pursue the most elevated expression of a washed process —
sourcing ultra-high-altitude cherries, picking only the small, dense, vivid red fruits,
and using as little water as possible throughout processing.
The cherries are then fermented and dried at low temperatures inside a dark room,
a method that preserves intense florals and a beautiful sweetness in the final cup.
Each year Oasis receives only 5 kilograms of this lot,
and we are very excited to share it with those who want to experience something truly rare.
About the 74158 Variety
In earlier years, Ethiopian coffee varieties were broadly categorized as Heirloom.
To better protect and utilize Ethiopia’s genetic diversity — and improve national coffee production —
the government established the Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC),
a research institution dedicated to collecting, identifying, and preserving coffee genetics,
as well as improving farming, processing, and hybrid development.
In 1971, Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) spread across Ethiopia.
Initial solutions used chemical fungicides, but researchers believed a better long-term answer
was to develop disease-resistant varieties from Ethiopia’s own genetic diversity.
In 1973, researchers collected varieties from 19 regions in the southwest.
Through years of field and lab testing, they identified 13 mother trees resistant to CBD,
originating from the regions of Gera, Metu-Bishari, Washi, and Wush Wush.
From this work, improved varieties were released in 1974–1975.
Varieties beginning with 74 or 75 indicate the year they were officially selected and catalogued.
74158 originates from the Metu Bishari area of Illubabora.
Released by JARC in 1979, it quickly became popular among farmers
not only for its CBD resistance, but also for its high yield —
which is why it remains widely cultivated today.
A slightly unconventional brewing method
Coffee grounds
Grind size: medium-coarse 900–1000 μm
RPM: 800–1000 rpm
Water
Water TDS: 40–60 ppm
Water temperature: dual-temperature 96°C & 88°C
Brew ratios
Coffee-to-water ratio 1:17 (grounds to total poured water)
Coffee-to-beverage ratio 1:12 (grounds to extracted liquid) + 10–15 g bypass water
Brewing example
Coffee grounds 11 g
Total water 190 g
Final brewed coffee weight 130 g + 10–15 g bypass water
Pour pattern 3:3:3:3:2:3
First pour 00:00 30 g (88°C)
Second pour 00:30 pour to 60 g (96°C)
Third pour 00:50 pour to 90 g (96°C)
Fourth pour 01:00 pour to 120 g (96°C)
Fifth pour 01:10 pour to 155 g (96°C)
Sixth pour 01:20 pour to 190 g (88°C)
Stop the brew when the extracted liquid reaches 130 g + add 10–15 g bypass water