Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chelchele – beard dried green coffee (1 kg)

Origin: Chelchele, Yirgacheffe, Southern Ethiopia
Producer: Worku Buche and the smallholder farmers of Chelchele
Growing altitude: 2,174 m
Varieties: Ethiopian Heirloom
Process: Berry dried (Grade 2)
Harvested: 2025

Chelchele is nestled on the southern slopes of Yirgacheffe, in one of the region’s most respected villages for aromatic complexity and process integrity. Here, at a breathtaking 2,174 meters above sea level, Worku Buche works with local smallholder farmers to cultivate a genetically rich assortment of Ethiopian Heirloom – a collective term for the myriad local selections that have emerged organically from the Ethiopian coffee gene pool, the world’s most diverse. The extreme altitude means cool nights, slow ripening and high sugar accumulation in the berries – conditions that lay the foundation for the floral, nuanced profile that has made Yirgacheffe one of specialty coffee’s most iconic names.

Processing is done by the dry method: the berries are hand-picked at optimum ripeness and then dried whole on raised African beds for around 15-21 days, with regular turning and protection from direct sun during the hottest hours. The slow drying process allows for controlled fermentation inside the pulp, and it is precisely this interaction that builds the sweetness, body and berry-like aromatics. Worth highlighting is that the lot is classified as Grade 2 according to the Ethiopian grading system – something that is sometimes misunderstood. Ethiopia’s grading is defect-based rather than cup quality-based, and for berry-dried coffees it is quite normal for even exceptional micro-lots to end up in Grade 2, simply due to the nature of the process with more drying particles and natural variations in fruit mass. In the cup, the difference from a Grade 1 is often negligible – and for this lot, it’s more a testament to the honesty of the process and the care of the producer. The raw coffee has a high density and responds well to light to medium roast – ideal for filters and Chemex, but also works great as a complex and fruit-driven espresso for those who are at home in light roasted brew profiles.

In the cup, the classic Ethiopian expressions are met by an unusually rich and full body. Jasmine and vanilla are open in the aroma, while the brew itself offers baked lemon, dark berries, cocoa, hazelnut and nougat – a tension between floral, fruity and nutty that is rarely as well balanced as when altitude, microclimate and craftsmanship interact in this way. The aftertaste is long, sweet and slightly creamy. A raw coffee for the home roaster who wants to explore Yirgacheffe in its berry-dried form – and get clear proof that numbers on a grading protocol rarely tell the whole truth about what is actually in the bag.

This green coffee arrived at the roastery on August 12, 2025 and is from the 2025 harvest.