ETHIOPIA CHELBESA WOREDA - ESPRESSO
Region: Yirgacheffe, Gedeb, Chelbesa
Variety: 74158 & 74112
Process: Washed
Altitude: 2173m
Notes: Peach, green tea, roasted almonds.
Ethiopian coffee production is profoundly influenced by the country's three main seasons. The Bega season (October-January) is the long dry period, crucial for coffee harvesting and processing. The Belg season (February-May) brings the first rains, essential for coffee flowering and early fruit development. The Krempt season (June-September) sees heavy rainstorms from the east, crucial for the later stages of coffee fruit development and ripening. By the end of September, the rains cease abruptly, allowing the coffee fruits to ripen, leading to a bustling harvest period by November.
The Yirgacheffe Chelbesa Washed lot comes from the Chelbesa station to which around 672 farmers contribute, situated in the Gedeb zone, Ethiopia. The contributing producers grow and cultivate mainly the local 74158 & 74112 varieties at an elevation of around 2173m. Once the cherries arrive at the stations, they are floated and sorted. Then, they use eco-pulpers to remove the skin and get to the parchment coffee. Next, they remove the 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 12 hours and 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. Finally, it is packaged and ready to sell.
The washing station in Chelbesa (Kebele), Gedeb (Woreda), plays a crucial role in processing high-quality coffee. The region is predominantly Christian, with both Protestant and Orthodox followers.