Ethiopia - Chelchele

Banko Chelchele, Gedeb, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia | Super Natural | Seasonal The Story The Process The Cup Recipes Chelchele comes from the village of Banko Chelchele, in the Gedeb Woreda of Ethiopia's Gedeo Zone, part of the wider Yirgacheffe growing region, one of the most celebrated coffee origins in the world. Grown at altitudes between 1,900 and 2,300 meters in fertile red clay soils, this is coffee from a landscape that seems almost purpose-built for it. The coffee here is produced by a community of smallholder farmers for whom coffee is both livelihood and tradition. During harvest, which runs from October to December, cherries are hand-picked selectively, with particular attention to ripeness. That care at picking is the foundation everything else is built on. The Banko Chelchele processing site employs more than 210 workers and maintains a close relationship with the farming community: offering financial support, subcontracting opportunities, and premium payments tied to the quality of each delivery. After primary processing on-site, the coffee is transported to a dry mill in Addis Ababa, where it is sorted by density and screen size, cleaned, and packed in jute bags with Ecotact liners before export. From there, it travels by rail to Djibouti, a journey as considered as the processing itself. This lot uses the Super Natural process, an extended, slow approach that pushes natural processing further than the standard method. After selective hand-picking, ripe cherries undergo an initial extended fermentation of approximately 36 to 48 hours before drying begins. The cherries are then spread on raised beds and dried slowly over 27 to 30 days, significantly longer than a conventional natural, allowing gradual chemical changes to develop inside the bean as the fruit breaks down over time. Throughout the drying period, cherries are turned regularly to ensure even moisture reduction. The result of this extended process is a coffee with exceptional intensity: the fruit compounds have more time to work their way into the bean, producing a profile that is denser, sweeter, and more tropical than a standard natural while still maintaining the clarity and structure the Yirgacheffe region is known for. The heirloom varieties 74110 and 74112, bring their own aromatic depth to the equation. Intense, tropical, and irresistibly sweet, a natural that goes all the way. The cup opens with pineapple: bright, juicy, and immediately tropical. Passion fruit follows with a deeper, more complex sweetness, tart and lush at the same time. Blueberry jam adds a rich, dark-fruit intensity that grounds the whole thing, while cacao nibs bring a roasted bitterness to the finish that keeps the sweetness from feeling heavy. Complex, generous, and deeply satisfying. A coffee that commits fully to its profile, and delivers on every promise. Please note that our recipes are just guidelines of how we like to brew these coffees. Grinders, water, and equipment are some of the variables that could change the end result. Take these recipes as starting points, not absolute goals. Filter coffee: We brew this coffee on a plastic V60, with CAFEC ABACA filters and water of around 60ppm. Use 15g of coffee, water at 92°C, and a medium grind size. 0:00 – Bloom with 50g of water for 45 seconds. 0:45 – Pour 100g of water in a circular motion. 1:25 – Pour final 100g of water. Total brew time should be around 2:15 to 2:30. Enjoy the coffee! Origin: Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe (Banko Chelchele, Gedeb) Processing Site: Banko Chelchele Process: Super Natural Altitude: 1,900–2,300 masl Varietal: Heirloom (74110, 74112) Harvest: October – December Tasting notes: Pineapple – Passion Fruit – Blueberry Jam – Cacao Nibs