Chelbesa - Ethiopia

BLACK TEA, LEMON

In Gedeb, in the heart of southern Ethiopia, the Chelbesa Washing Station works with hundreds of small local producers who grow heirloom varieties at 2,200 meters above sea level. It's not just the extreme altitude that makes the difference, but the meticulous approach to processing. Each cherry is hand-selected, then washed with the purest spring water from the surrounding mountains. The washing process here isn't routine, it's art: minute-controlled fermentation, multiple washes, and drying on raised African beds for 10-15 days. The result? A coffee that tastes of fine black tea and fresh lemon, with a clarity and cleanliness that only Ethiopia can provide. Elegant, complex, memorable.

WHERE AND WHO

Chelbesa: Ethiopian excellence from the heart of Gedeb
At 2,200 meters above sea level in the Gedeo region, the Chelbesa Washing Station is a hub for local producers. Hundreds of small growers bring their heirloom cherries here, native varieties passed down through generations.
The secret to success? An obsession with detail: rigorous hand-selection, controlled fermentation, slow drying on raised African beds. Nothing is left to chance.
At this washing station, they don't just process coffee: they preserve a thousand-year-old tradition, reinterpreting it with modern techniques. Each cup tells the story of Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee.

FROM THE CHERRY TO THE BEAN

Between October and December, the ripe cherries are hand-picked and brought to the station within hours. First, the imperfect fruits are eliminated. Then comes the magic of the washing process.
Immediate pulp removal, fermentation in concrete vats for 36-48 hours, and washing with spring water. But the final stage is played out in the drying process: 10-15 days on raised African beds, with the beans turned every 2-3 hours for perfect drying.
It is this combination of extreme altitude, heirloom varietals, and meticulous process that creates the unique profile: notes of black tea and lemon, with a clean, crisp finish typical of the finest Ethiopian washed teas.

ABOUT THE VARIETY

Heirloom: the DNA of coffee
Heirloom varieties are Ethiopia's genetic treasure, indigenous cultivars that grow only here. At 2,200 meters above sea level, in rich soil and an ideal climate, they express their full potential.
In the cup? A rare elegance: distinctive notes of Earl Grey black tea and Meyer lemon, with a bright acidity and a silky body. A profile only Ethiopia can offer.
Thanks to Gedeb's extreme altitude, the unique biodiversity of the heirlooms, and the perfectly executed washed process at the Chelbesa Washing Station, it's more than just specialty coffee: it's the very essence of coffee's origin.