Ethiopia - Ayla Shantawene Natural

An Ethiopian natural built for espresso and drip, with a velvety body and layered fruit and florals.

This year, we’re working with a new washing station in Sidamo, Ethiopia - Ayla Shantawene. This natural is beautifully balanced, silky in the mouth and full of berry fruits and elegant florals.

Like we did last year with the Werka Nensebo natural, we're roasting this incredible coffee to be espresso-ready but still make a beautiful filter brew!

Currently served on espresso in our flagship café in Revelstoke, it’s tasting incredible and performs exceptionally well with milk. Expect a luxuriously velvety body and the classic, sought-after flavours of a natural Ethiopian: berries (in particular blackberry!), florals and milk chocolate (we get Cadbury Mini Eggs!).

Ayla Shantawene receives fruit from 725 smallholder family farmers in the region. The coffee is carefully hand-sorted to remove any underripe or damaged fruit. The processing at the washing station is in line with the traditional, patient and thorough practices that give the Sidamo region its deserved reputation as one of the best coffee producing regions in the world. Testi Coffee who own and operate the station reinvest in local initiatives including building primary schools and local infrastructure.

The Ethiopian terroir, combined with the genetic diversity of naturally occurring landrace varietals, creates one of the world’s most celebrated flavour profiles - a harmonious balance of fruit, acidity, chocolate, and creamy body.

Brew Method

Filter: 17:1 water-to-coffee ratio (e.g., 20g coffee to 340ml water), medium-coarse grind

Espresso: 19g coffee - 41g espresso, 32-36 seconds shot time

Recommended Resting

To get the best out of our coffees we recommend resting them. We have found for espresso the optimal age is 10 - 21 days after the roast date and for filter brew methods we find our coffees start tasting best after 3-4 weeks after the roast!