For coffee number 8, we are going back to Ethiopia. Like in Kenya, many Ethiopian coffees were once processed in the classic washed style.

Today, across Ethiopia there are farms introducing newer techniques that offer intriguing profiles. Shantawene village is located in the well-known Sidama region: the heart of coffee production in the country. Harnessing local knowledge and growing traditions, Shantawene is managed by two brothers who are pushing the boundaries of Ethiopian cup profiles.

Our lot from Shantawene was processed anaerobically. The ripe coffee cherries are transferred to air-sealed containers for 72 hours. During the process, the natural sugars from the outer material of the cherry help impart depth and fruitiness to the bean inside. They are then transferred to raised African beds for drying.

Shantawene shows off all the fruit flavours that the Sidama Terroir has to offer, with the intensity turned right up. The rounded profile has notes of passionfruit, strawberry and banana. A sweet profile is balanced by well-defined acidity. A new side to Ethiopian coffee that we cannot get enough of!