Ethiopia Bensa Shantawene Washed

Bergamot, Honey, Floral & Complex

In 2006, brothers Asefa and Mulugeta Dukamo founded Daye Bensa, a coffee grower and exporter in Ethiopia. Daye Bensa exports coffee from its farm, in the Shantawene Village, as well as from “out-growers” (or smallholders) in three villages: Shantawene, Karamo and Bombe.

Ethiopia Shantawene is named after the village where the majority of the people who work on the farm, many of them women, are from.

Daye Bensa stretches between 1,900 and 2,217 meters. The delivered cherry from comes from out-growers’ farms higher up the mountain, between 2,000 and 2,400 meters.Daye Bensa owns 15 washing stations across three districts, and they handle all the coffee they export. Its two farms, in Kaffa and Sidamo, are Organic, UTZ, Rainforest Alliance and C.A.F.E. practices certified.

This coffee is processed as natural, of the 74158 variety, and was awarded with a high score of 89.21, placed 7th in 2020 Ethiopia COE

Assefa Dukamo, a father of nine is the owner of Daye Bensa Gatta Farm in Sidama zone, Bensa woreda, Shenetawene kebele.  Assefa owns 31 hectares of land on which he grows organic, Rainforest Alliance- and Utz-certified coffee. He has 11 permanents and 30 temporary employees.

The farm has its own washing and hulling station and processes 96,153 kilograms of coffee annually. Its processing method includes washed-pulped red cherry, fermented for 36 to 48 hours in fermentation tank then dried on African bed; natural red cherry dried on African bed/raised bed; honey-pulped red cherry and dried on African bed; and anaerobic-fully sealed and oxygen-deprived cherry dried on African bed/raised bed. The farm’s coffee is exported to the US, Europe, and Asia.

This year, Assefa’s coffee scored 89.21 – “I am very happy and proud that my coffee is one of the top-scoring coffees, and I hope that this competition will be a good opportunity to reach new market destinations,” he said.

Roasters Notes:

This washed version carries the classic bergamot aroma & flavor really prominently. Expect high and complex sweetness similar to honey, and with the florals, it reminds us of orange blossom honey. We’ve been enjoying washed Ethiopians this year as they have been surprising us with very long and sticky sweet finishes. We hope you will enjoy them too!

Area: Bensa Distict,Shantawene Village

Process: Natural

Variety: Heirloom

Altitude: 1900 – 2300 meters