Haile Gebrselassie was born in 1973 into a farming family in the Arsi region of Ethiopia. He came to fame from a 25-year career as one of the most successful distance runners of all time, winning two Olympic titles and breaking 27 world records. After retirement, Haile turned his his energies towards investing in business ventures in his home country, and one of those passions turned to coffee farming under his brand Haile Coffee.
Coffee was first grown on the farm in Masha in 2014 after 1,500 hectares were secured in 2012. Manual practices were used for land preparation, harvesting and processing. The farm is managed by an Estate Manager with separate divisions for coffee, spices and honey.
The town of Masha is located in southwestern Ethiopia, ideal for growing coffee with its high quality soil, rich vegetation, and gentle topography. Situated within the UNESCO biosphere reserve of the Sheka zone at a high altitude, Haile's estate has an exquisite air quality and one of highest rainfalls (1,800-2,200mm) in Ethiopia. The estate is bordered by rivers on three sides and its dense forest areas ensure that the area is rich in biodiversity.
We enjoyed this coffee on the Clever inspired by James Hoffmann's method. We recommend 18 grams of coffee ground to a medium-fine setting, with 300mL of water right off boil. Pour the water first, then add your coffee and give it a gentle stir just to make sure all the coffee is submerged. At 2:00, stir the crust. At 2:30, decant onto your cup or server, and at around 3:45 you should have a vibrant and floral cup of goodness!