Ethiopia Mulugeta Muntasha

The V60 is the highest-scoring paper filter method for this Muntasha lot, with the grind set at 435μm — 65μm below default. Multiple factors contribute: the light roast demands significantly more surface area for extraction, the 2,400m altitude produces exceptionally dense beans with tightly packed cellular structure that resists water penetration, and the natural processing backs the grind off slightly to prevent over-extraction of the fermentation-derived fruit character. The Ethiopian heirloom 74158 variety produces elevated fines during grinding, so the recipe accounts for that as well. The V60's open spiral ribs allow higher flow rates, which at this fine grind setting means the bed doesn't clog despite those extra fines. Temperature stays at 92°C: the high altitude caps how high you should push, and the 25-day cool-altitude fermentation at Dawencho built delicate aromatic compounds that need protection from the upper end of the brewing range.

The Kalita Wave's flat-bottom uniform extraction has a specific advantage with this Muntasha lot: 25 days of raised-bed fermentation at 2,400 meters produced a multi-layered volatile fruit profile — fruit punch, mulberry, and the roast-developed cacao nib. Uniform extraction ensures all three note registers emerge proportionally rather than having the fastest-extracting acids dominate the early fraction while the slower-dissolving cacao compounds lag. The 465μm grind sits 70μm below Wave default to account for altitude density, while 92°C protects the aromatics from processing. The Wave's forgiving pulse-pour technique is particularly useful here because the 74158 variety's elevated fines can cause inconsistent flow in less forgiving brewers when ground this fine.

The AeroPress targets this Muntasha at 335μm — the finest filter-method grind across all four methods — specifically because of the 2,400-meter density. The fine grind and the AeroPress's 14g/175g ratio (1:12.5) create a concentrated, high-surface-area extraction in 1-2 minutes. The temperature holds at 92°C despite the altitude ceiling applied at 94°C: the short brew window means there's no opportunity for a lower temperature to overcome extraction resistance, and the AeroPress paper filter handles the oil stripping regardless. The roast-developed cacao nib character is particularly well-served by the AeroPress's pressure-assisted plunge — the added mechanical agitation dissolves roast-developed compounds more efficiently than passive gravity flow.

The Clever Dripper's hybrid immersion-then-drain mechanism gives this 25-day fermented high-altitude natural a meaningful advantage over standard pour-overs: the sealed steep phase allows the dense 2,400-meter bean full immersion contact time before the paper filter drains the cup clean. For a bean where extraction requires more energy than lower-altitude lots, the immersion phase compensates for what the 92°C temperature alone can't fully accomplish in a fast-drain scenario. The 465μm grind matches the Kalita — fine enough for altitude density, coarse enough to prevent the elevated fines from 74158 variety from clogging the dripper's valve. The result is a clean, fruit-forward cup with more body than the V60 or Chemex produces, because contact time extracts melanoidins that a faster drain loses.

Espresso at 2,400 meters with 25 days of raised-bed fermentation creates an intense, high-complexity shot when dialed in — but the 73/100 match score signals how narrow that window is. The 185μm grind is set 65μm finer than the espresso default, reflecting the extreme density of this high-altitude bean; the machine operates at 92°C. The 74158 variety's elevated fines help puck resistance — crema is stabilized by the higher fines fraction, which is a structural advantage at this fine grind setting. The extended fruit punch and mulberry character from 25-day fermentation appears in espresso as an intensely layered shot, but getting there requires pushing past the initial sharp acid phase without losing the volatile esters that make this bean worth the effort. A longer preinfusion (10+ seconds) helps saturate the dense, high-altitude puck evenly before full pressure.

The Moka Pot's 44/100 score here stems from the same oil-vs-fruit tension as the Morke, but with a meaningful difference: this 2,400-meter bean's longer fermentation and higher altitude produced more concentrated fruit character than the lower-altitude Morke. The metal filter's interference is relatively worse here because what it obscures is more valuable. The 285μm grind — 45μm finer than the Morke's Moka grind — accounts for altitude density, producing a denser puck that slightly slows the steam's rush through the basket and extends contact time. The pre-boiled water starting temperature is critical with this recipe: the 92°C base temperature already accounts for Moka Pot's pressure-added thermal contribution, and starting with boiling water in the base prevents the grounds from cooking before brew pressure builds.

The 40/100 French Press match score for this lot reflects a straightforward problem: the metal mesh passes all the oils that 25 days of raised-bed natural fermentation built, and those oils at 2,400 meters are carrying some of the same delicate aromatics that would otherwise appear cleanly on the nose in a paper-filtered brew. The 935μm grind — 45μm finer than Morke's French Press recipe, accounting for altitude density — helps extraction, but the oil transfer is unconditional regardless of grind. Applying Hoffmann's settle method (5-8 minutes post-press before pouring) does reduce sediment and slightly improves clarity, but the immersion-then-metal-filter combination remains the wrong tool for showcasing what 25 days at Dawencho produced.