Decaffeinated - Shakisso 23/24, Ethiopia

Tea-like body, citrus peel, delicate acidity

Roasters' Notes:

Shakisso Farm, located in Oromia, Guji, continues to uphold its reputation for producing coffees with classic Ethiopian characteristics—a delicate coffee with notes of stone fruits, citrus and floral hints.

To preserve these distinctive origin flavours, the partnership with CR3-Kaffeeveredelung and their patented Natural Liquid Carbon Dioxide Coffee Decaffeination Process is instrumental. This advanced method ensures that the beans’ structural integrity remains intact, maintaining the flavours shaped by terroir and processing.

The process begins with moistening the green coffee before introducing pressurised liquid carbon dioxide, which selectively extracts the caffeine. The CO₂ is then separated from the caffeine using an evaporator, allowing it to be recycled for future decaffeination cycles. Once the caffeine content reaches 0.08% or less, the process concludes, and the coffee is gently dried—ready for roasting without compromising the clarity and nuance to the profile.

Roast style: Progressive 

Coffee Origin Information:

Our newest decaffeinated lot from Shakisso is here and it’s even better than the last!

The story of Shakisso is deeply tied to producer Haile Gebre. Forced to flee his home in Yirgacheffe at just 10 years old due to land conflicts tied to coffee expansion, Haile’s early experiences with the industry were anything but encouraging. Yet, he became one of the most influential figures in Ethiopian coffee, earning the title ‘Godfather of Guji Coffee.’

His unconventional path took him through naval service, government roles, imprisonment, and even an education in Moscow before he returned to Ethiopia in 2001. Upon inheriting land, he established the Cooperative Bank of Oromia, placing coffee production at its core. His renewed passion for coffee, alongside the efforts of Tesfaye Bekele and Menno Simons, reshaped Guji’s identity.

• Altitude: 1800m ASL

• Processing: Washed, CO2 decaf

• Variety: Heirloom varieties

• Harvest: 2023/24

• Region: Guji Zone, Ethiopia

• Producer: Organic (Certified at source), Rainforest Alliance, FairTrade USA

This washed, CO2 decaffeinated offering from Shakisso Farm in Guji Zone, Oromia showcases how decaf processing need not diminish complexity. The heirloom varietal at 1800 masl develops bright citrus and stone fruit character alongside a refined, tea-like body—qualities typically associated with Ethiopian washed coffees from this region. The CO2 decaffeination method preserves delicate aromatics that might fade under harsher extraction techniques, allowing floral and citrus peel notes to remain present. This lot demonstrates that decaffeinated coffees can deliver the subtle complexity specialty coffee drinkers seek, particularly when sourced from respected producers and treated with care through the decaf process.