Candlelight Coffee Introduction: What is Candlelight Coffee? Is Candlelight Coffee Bitter?

Levelup: Drima Zede Coffee

Levelup is the accessible line of the renowned American coffee merchant Ninety Plus (90+), and Drima Zede is one of those rare beans that is both affordable and delicious. In the local language, Drima Zede means "charming light tones, with the mature fermented fruit aroma of mango and pineapple." Ninety Plus follows the same naming philosophy as its fellow American roasters — it boasts without modesty, because it truly can back it up!

To be precise, the coffee's origin is Gedio — most likely Gedeb town, just rendered differently in the local tongue. And here is the surprise: a natural processed bean that is truly stunning, emerging from a stronghold of washed processing! Its cupping notes even read remarkably like the usual praise reserved for washed lots. Amazing Ethiopia, upending everything we thought we knew about her character. As one student put it: "Better to be stunning than mediocre and modest!"

Cupping Notes:

Blackberry acidity, plum flavor, orange aroma — clean, with a gradual, unfolding development and a fermented sweetness of mango and pineapple in the aftertaste.

About Drima Zede

Drima Zede — the name that means "Candlelight" for this Sidamo series — translates roughly as "Best Approach" in the local dialect. According to the original producer, this is a specialized product series distilled from Ninety Plus's years of experience. The ancient natural method rarely achieves a pure flavor, but with Ninety Plus's technical support, Drima Zede uses only hand-selected, fully ripe cherries, and the natural drying involves careful, constant stirring to keep the lot consistent. The result is an exceptionally transparent, clean taste with striking variation between hot and cold: the fruit, floral, and oak-barrel aromas are captivating.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Drima Zede's fruit-forward natural profile appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Red Cherry lot from Yirgacheffe deserves a spot on your shelf. Only fully ripe, defect-free cherries are picked, screened at the station, and sun-dried on raised beds — turned every 2-3 hours during the first days to prevent uneven fermentation — for three to five weeks before the dried pulp is machine-hulled away. The cup shows citrus acidity, berry-juice fruitiness, honeyed sweetness, and creamy smoothness, with tasting notes of peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon.

For an even more exuberant natural, FrontStreet Coffee's Huakui — from the Hambella area of Guji, Sidamo, dried 21 days on raised beds with defects hand-removed every three to five days — won first place in the TOH green bean competition with its lush berry fragrance. Medium-light roasted, it pours out cream strawberry, mango, jackfruit, citrus, and blueberry over a thick, long-lasting body of honey sweetness and cocoa.