Shantawene - Ethiopia

From the highlands of Bensa in southern Ethiopia, this fully washed coffee showcases the floral elegance and delicate fruit character for which Sidama is renowned. This high altitude lot brings together traditional Ethiopian varieties and meticulous processing to create a cup that is pure, fragrant and beautifully balanced.

Expect an elegant, delicate profile with floral notes, subtle fruit and a bright, balanced acidity. A refined expression of Ethiopian Arabica, where clarity and natural sweetness take centre stage.

Located in the Sidama region, Bensa is home to smallholder farmers who cultivate coffee on family plots, often alongside food crops such as enset, or false banana, and legumes. This traditional garden coffee system supports biodiversity and makes productive use of the land.

Native forests, fertile soils and high-altitude microclimates create ideal conditions for slow coffee development. The surrounding vegetation helps retain moisture, enrich the soil with organic matter and protect local water sources, while the region’s varied elevations support a rich diversity of coffee varieties.

The varieties in this lot include JARC74165, and traditional Ethiopian landraces cultivated and passed down through generations. Together, they reflect Ethiopia’s remarkable genetic diversity and its long history as the birthplace of Arabica coffee.

Cherries are selectively hand-picked and pulped by individual farmers before being delivered to the Shantawane washing station. There, the coffee undergoes fermentation in cement tanks to remove the remaining mucilage, followed by washing and careful drying on raised African beds for 10–15 days.

Throughout processing, rigorous sorting helps ensure that only the highest-quality cherries and beans make it through. Once dried, the coffee is transported to Tracon’s dry mill, where modern sorting technology is used to prepare the lot for export.

Ethiopia is home to an extraordinary diversity of Arabica, making the idea of an “authentic” coffee flavour difficult to define. This lot offers a beautiful glimpse into that diversity: floral, fragrant and gently fruity, with a delicate acidity and a harmonious finish.

A clean, elegant and expressive Ethiopian coffee refined without losing its sense of place.

• Region: Bensa, Sidamo
• Country: Ethiopia
• Elevation: 1,950 masl
• Variety: JARC 74165, Heirloom
• Process: Dried in Clean Parchment