Ethiopia / Bensa Shentawene

Ethiopia’s Sidamo region is one of the best known coffee-producing regions in the world. Like the rest of Ethiopia, Sidamo region is divided into several districts and communities with washing stations throughout—each offering its own unique ecosystem/climate. The Bensa district is one of them, and within it lies the Shentawane community. Shentawane’s central washing station called Ayla is utilized by 700+ farmers! The producers’ main income source in this area is coffee, which they grow on very small farms ranging from 0.1 to 2 hectares on naturally very rich soil.

With many of these farms being quite remote, access to clean water, electricity, and schooling are a constant challenge. Many young people decide to stay on their parents’ farms or buy neighboring farms and continue dedicating themselves to coffee for the rest of their lives. There are producers in Shentawene who value coffee and want to preserve their ancient agricultural knowledge for generations to come, and we are excited to share these offerings and support to these farmers.

This fully washed lot ticks all the boxes that you hope for in a high quality Ethiopian coffee. A punch of juicy fruit, lovely sweetness, and a buttery body that will make you want to brew an extra cup. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to showcase Ethiopia on our roster, and we’re beyond excited to finally have our hands on a couple really lovely offerings (check out our Wush Wush too!).

TASTING NOTES:   PEACH /// ASSAM TEA /// TAMARIND