Ethiopia - Chelchele / Heirloom / Washed SP (Green Coffee) 1KG

This washed Ethiopian lot comes from Chelchele, a well-regarded washing station in the Kochere district of Yirgacheffe. It is sourced from hundreds of smallholder farmers cultivating small plots throughout the surrounding highlands. Farmers deliver their freshly harvested cherries to Chelchele, where they are carefully sorted and processed, bringing together the work of the local farming community into a lot that reflects the distinctive character of the region.

The coffee is composed of native Ethiopian heirloom varieties—an umbrella term encompassing the remarkable genetic diversity found throughout Ethiopia’s coffee-growing regions. Rather than representing a single cultivar, these locally adapted varieties contribute to the layered florals, delicate fruit and complex aromatics for which coffees from Yirgacheffe are renowned.

Grown at elevations reaching approximately 2,400 metres above sea level, the cooler conditions allow the cherries to mature slowly, providing the foundation for refined acidity, nuanced sweetness and aromatic complexity.

Chelchele’s “Special Prep” washed process places an emphasis on careful selection and clean expression. Primarily fully ripe cherries are selected before being depulped on the same day as harvest and fermented for approximately 8–12 hours. The remaining mucilage is then thoroughly washed from the parchment before the coffee is dried on raised beds for up to two weeks.

Rather than relying on extended or intensive fermentation, this restrained approach allows the quality of the raw material and its origin to take centre stage, highlighting clarity, balance and regional character.

This coffee offers a beautifully clean and composed expression of high-elevation Yirgacheffe. Expect jammy apricot supported by mellow, caramel-like sweetness and refined acidity, with gentle florals and a subtle citrus lift bringing clarity to the cup—an elegant coffee with plenty for the roaster to preserve and explore.

Expected flavour profile: Apricot jam, caramel, citrus and florals.