Heirloom Chelbessa

Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia 

Smallholder Farmers | Natural Process 

Fruit-forward and fun, this Ethiopian natural is a fantastic representation of its region. Renowned for their community driven approach to production, smallholder farmers hand harvest their ripest coffee cherries from local farms and come together to produce this heirloom varietal. Expect a jammy sweetness, juicy acidity and well rounded mouthfeel. This coffee shines when cold brewed and as a pour-over. 

FIELD NOTES

Ripe coffee cherries are selectively hand harvested by smallholder farmers who then deliver their cherries to the Chelbessa Washing Station, a family-owned and operated washing station in the Yirgacheffe region. Chelbessa’s team processes only the ripest cherries. After sorting, coffee is pulped and fermented for 24 to 36 hours. The coffee is then washed and sent through grading channels, where it is separated based on density. Once graded, the coffee is soaked in clean spring water tanks for 12 to 24 hours. The coffee is then dried on raised beds for 10 to 14 days, where it is regularly turned, hand sorted, and covered during the hottest parts of the day to protect it from drying to quickly. It is also covered at night to prevent condensation from seeping into the drying coffee.