Ethiopia Shakiso Guji

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A great washed Ethiopian can be a thing of true beauty and this right here is a perfect example.

On filter, we have soft berry notes offering blueberry and raspberry sweetness with a gentle peach note that starts from the first sip and carries through to the end. There is also a counterpoint of chamomile and black tea, with that chamomile lingering long on the finish. The body is at once light yet soft and viscous, the acidity and sweetness perfectly balanced. On espresso sweet peach and chamomile is expressed again, with a layer of vanilla and citrus providing a roundness to the shot, very clean and light.

This coffee is produced by farms at altitudes of up to 2200 metres up in Ethiopia’s celebrated Guji Zone, making it one of the highest coffee-growing areas in the world.  The small farms from the area produce what’s known as Highland Coffee, bursting with distinctive flavour and vibrancy. 

The altitude here plays a significant part in the development of this beautiful coffee. Cool nights and mild, sunny days slow the ripening of the coffee cherries, allowing sugars and complex aromatics to build gradually. The result is a cup that sings with bright, juicy and complex acidity, floral sweetness, and layers of fruit and spice that linger beautifully, creating something truly special. 

Shakiso itself is a town surrounded by rich soils and thriving farmland, where coffee is the heartbeat of the community. Alongside coffee, locals cultivate sugar cane, false banana, spices, and vegetables, a diversity that enriches both the land and the people who work it.

Every lot from this region carries the unique fingerprint of its environment: the high elevation, fertile soils, and meticulous processing all come together to express the terroir of Guji’s highlands, elegant, complex, and deeply rewarding.

The Suqe washing station is operated by the excellent Daye Bensa cooperative, which stands out for three main reasons: its exceptional and award-winning coffee quality, its commitment to farmer and community development, and its environmentally conscious processing methods

1. Exceptional and award-winning coffee quality

Daye Bensa has established a reputation for producing high-end specialty coffee that consistently earns top honors in prestigious international competitions. 

• Top competition results: In the three years from 2020 to 2022, Daye Bensa earned a spot in the top 10 at the Cup of Excellence (COE) six times, and in 2022, one of its lots secured second place.
• Strategic processing: The cooperative employs meticulous, state-of-the-art processing techniques, including washed, natural, and anaerobic methods. It maintains and rebuilds extensive raised drying beds every harvest season and utilizes a specialized fermentation shed at its Gatta Farm to precisely execute processing for different coffee lots. 

2. Strong commitment to farmers and community

Beyond producing excellent coffee, Daye Bensa is deeply invested in creating a positive impact on the livelihoods of its partner farmers and the wider community. 

• Direct farmer support: The company pays farmers a second, bonus payment after their coffee is sold, in addition to the initial cash payment at the washing station. This incentive helps align the farmers’ success with the cooperative’s.
• Social investment: In 2023, Daye Bensa completed a $1 million initiative to build five fully equipped schools in underserved areas. This project provides education to over 1,400 students, shortening the distance children in the region must travel to attend school.
• Ongoing engagement: The cooperative holds annual Farmers’ Day events to honor their partners’ hard work. It has also created a Coffee Processing School to cultivate the next generation of skilled coffee professionals in the region. 

3. Sustainable and transparent operations

Daye Bensa focuses on environmental sustainability and supply chain transparency, which is a growing priority for specialty coffee consumers. 

• Eco-friendly processing: The cooperative is installing eco-pulpers at its washing stations, which use significantly less water than traditional equipment. Daye Bensa has already saved millions of liters of water using this technology and aims to convert all its stations by 2030.
• Collaborative partnerships: Through its partnerships, Daye Bensa fosters transparent and ethical sourcing. Recycled coffee sacks have been repurposed into handcrafted bags as a symbol of this collaboration and commitment to sustainability.
• Farm-to-cup connection: To better connect farmers to their products’ value, Daye Bensa organized cupping sessions where growers could taste their own high-quality specialty coffee brewed using consumer-grade methods. This creates a powerful feedback loop and reinforces the farmers’ sense of dignity and ownership over their work. 

Brewing Recipe