Chelbesa

We are super excited to finally release the first Ethiopia of the season. This Chelbesa is an exceptionally scoring washed lot, with a great expression and classic washed Yirgacheffe profile. Expect a very delicate cup with nectarine and lots of bergamot in the finish.

This lot comes from the Chelbesa station in Gedeb to which around 672 farmers contribute. Gedeb is one of the districts in Yirgacheffe. Literally translated as “Land of Many Springs,” Yirgacheffe has the ideal topography, elevation, and water sources to produce and process exceptional coffees. 

This region is located inside of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia, which is home to 45 distinct people groups. Coffee farmers in Yirgacheffe are typically multi-generational small-scale landholders, sometimes farming only a few hectares. Most coffees in Yirgacheffe are sold as cherry to centralized washing stations that help further separate flavor profiles.

Yirgacheffe is considered by many to be the birthplace of coffee and the coffee trees grown in the region are a naturally occurring mix of heirloom varieties cultivated among other species in coffee gardens and coffee forests.

The coffee is floated and sorted before getting pulped, Chelebsa uses the water saving eco-pulpers to remove the skin to get to the parchment coffee. Next, they remove mucilage by keeping the parchment coffee in a fermentation tank for two or three days. Afterwards, the coffee is placed in a soaking tank for 12h then put on a raised bed to dry for 7-10 days. They sort through the dried coffee to find any beans that have been damaged, and send the good ones to a warehouse for dry processing. 

Origin: Ethiopia
Region: Gedeb
Washing Station: Chelbesa
Producer: Various smallholders
Variety: Kurume, Dega & Wolisho
Process: Washed