Chelichele

Chelichele is a small village in Gedeb, in the far south of Ethiopia's Gedeo Zone, one of the best-regarded coffee regions in the world. This microlot comes from producer Alemayehu Abera, who runs a 1.8 hectare station with a permanent team of two. At harvest, around 100 seasonal workers join them to pick and sort the cherries. The coffee grows at over 2,150 metres in semi-forest, shaded by native false banana trees and with no chemical fertilisers. Only ripe red cherries are picked, then dried whole on raised beds for 15 to 17 days. That slow natural process gives the cup its sweetness: strawberry jam up front, delicate violet aromatics and a milk chocolate finish. Fruity, vibrant and sweet, with a medium body that keeps it balanced.