Origin: Chelbesa, Gedeo, Ethiopia

Producer: Chelbesa One Washing Station, Snap Specialty Coffee.

Farm: 1000 various smallholder farms

Process: Washed

Varieties: Landraces Korume and Wolisho

Elevation: 1950-2200 masl

Importer: The Coffee Quest & Snap Specialty Coffee

Roast: Light

Notes: Lemon Meringue, Cream of Earl Grey, Lavender, Plum

Transparency : FOB paid to Snap $4.00 usd/lb, our price $5.60 usd/lb to The Coffee Quest + shipping, currency exchange, and brokerage.

Chelbesa One, by Snap Specialty Coffee

This washed lot comes from the Chelbesa One Washing Station in the Gedeo zone, part of the South Ethiopia Region States, but encircled by West Guji in the Oromia region.

The washing station is in the Kebele(township) of Chelbesa, and the producers contributing to the lot live in or around Chelbesa. Around 1000 producers deliver cherry to this washing station, managed and owned by exporters Snap Specialty Coffee. 

This lot is comprised of the Ethiopian Landraces Korume and Wolisho (also known as Wolicho). Both ancient varietals sought after for their unique characteristics and consistency. They're smaller in size and pack a big punch of flavour and aromatics.

Once the cherries arrive at the washing station they are floated in water to get rid of floatering cherries(indication of unripe and bad beans), and then de-pulped before being fermented in custom ceramic tanks, allowing for excellent fermentation. They are fermented in the ceramic tanks for 2-3 days before being washed and dried on raised beds. The coffees are dried for 7-10 days depending on the weather, being turned constantly through out the day to ensure a consistent drying.

Founded in Addis Abba by Negusse in 2008, Snap operates 7 other washing stations in key coffee growing regions. Though this is a new relationship for our import partners Coffee Quest, it's an exciting one as Snap is producing some of the best tasting Ethiopians we've had in a long while.

This Chelbesa lot reminds me why Ethiopia is the king of washed coffee, with bright clean flavours and huge aromatics. You don't have to look hard for sweet flavours of Lemon Meringue Pie, milky-sweet Cream of Earl Grey Tea, lush Lavender, and sweet sweet ripe Plum.