Shantawene Washed

When the Berlin roastery 19grams opened its first café in 2002 under the name Tres Cabezas, coffee like Shantawene was still science fiction in Germany. Today, it is one of their most popular single origins. This washed version from the village of Shantawene in the Sidama region represents Ethiopian coffee in its purest form—no wildness, just precisely washed flavors that bring out the best of what this terroir at over 2,000 meters above sea level has to offer. The coffee comes from Daye Bensa, a family business founded in 2006 by brothers Asefa and Mulugeta Dukamo. Farm Gatta, where the coffee comes from, lies right in the heart of the village of Shantawene, surrounded by centuries-old trees and crisscrossed by streams flowing down from the mountains above the village of Keramo.

The washed process takes place at the Gafisse station – thirty-six to seventy-two hours of fermentation, then another washing cycle in cold water and drying on African beds. The result? Belly, bergamot, blueberry. Clean, sparkling acidity and honey sweetness that rounds off the finish. Coffee that simply works – whether you put it in a V60, Chemex, or Aeropress.