Ethiopia Natural - Fair Trade Organic

Ripe cherries are delivered to the wet mill for careful sorting and pulping, before fermentation for 36-48 hours, depending on the climatic conditions. After this point, the parchment coffee is thoroughly washed and graded by bean density before being dried in the sun on raised African beds for 12 - 15 days (until the ideal moisture level has been reached). In the daytime, the parchment needs to be raked and turned periodically to ensure a consistent drying process. The coffee is also covered between 12 pm and 3 pm to protect it from the hot sun, and at night time to protect it from rainfall and moisture. Once the coffee has dried to the right level it is transported to Addis Ababa for dry-milling, grading, sorting and handpicking, before being bagged in GrainPro for export.

THE REGION

The town of Chelelektu is in Kochere district (not far from Yirgacheffe town) in the Gedeo and Sidama zones, ‘Southern Nations, Nationalities & Peoples’ (SNNP) region of Ethiopia. It is amongst the highest altitude towns in the region. Over a number of years, the region has developed a distinguished reputation for fine coffees, producing some of the most sought-after micro-lots in the world. The combination of high altitude (up to 2,200m in some areas), fertile soil, consistent & plentiful rains, and an abundance of local knowledge are all contributing factors to the high status of Yirgacheffe coffees. The indigenous ‘heirloom’ varietals - which grow wild in Ethiopia - are responsible for the unique flavor notes which make for an unusual but refined cup, characterized by strong citric acidity, sweet chocolate, and floral/herbal notes of lavender, jasmine, bergamot, and hops.