Ethiopia Bensa Shantawene – Onyx Coffee Lab

This coffee was part of the Roaster Sampler Box sent to me by Onyx Coffee Lab. The set included a variety of coffees from Ethiopia, Kenya, Guatemala & El Salvador. Last week I reviewed the Kenya Gachatcha OT-18 and this week I am focusing on the Ethiopia offering, Ethiopia Bensa Shantawene.

When I saw peach as a flavor note I was intrigued because while fruit notes are common in Ethiopian coffees, they tend to be berry or citrus fruit in my experience. As soon as the brew began though, the peach came through. The peach notes were present in the aroma along with a nice creamy sweetness and really strong in the flavor. The cup had a nice brightness to it, a clean finish and had great flexibility as I tried it initially in a cupping, but then also in a traditional pour over (V60) and espresso.

The Bottom Line

This was a great coffee that I have enjoyed drinking a great deal. The peach notes made in unique from many other Ethiopian coffees I’ve tried. That said, I’ve had some really amazing Ethiopian offerings recently, so while this was a really great coffee—and one I’d highly recommend—it wasn’t significantly better than some of the other options and is a bit more expensive.