Somehow, Ethiopia remains unstoppable. The OG Coffeeland, the birthplace of the fruit, the most prolific propagator of distinct varieties, the reigning champion for acid freaks all the world over — none of these things are new. And yet, sometimes a reinvention of the wheel is not what it takes to roll out something fresh. And while this particular lot will not exactly leave you playing twenty questions between your first and last sip, it’s a reminder of the simple beautiful truth that this place simply never stops outdoing itself.

QUITE THE BUILD UP for a coffee that may, at face value, feel pretty in the pocket: a silky, floral, deeply fruited washed coffee from one pocket of the country’s vast southern coffee landscape. But being in the game as long as many of us have, it’s the small stuff that has the capacity to invigorate us: Chelbesa is in the Gedeb zone, like Yirgacheffe. Because Yirgacheffe has had name recognition and producing prominence for much longer, Gedeo (not the “o” as opposed to the  “b” — one must pay close attention) coffees would historically have been billed under the same label. And really — what harm is there in that? Welp, perhaps avoiding harm is too low an aspiration — because the intriguing upside we have here is plenty enticing on its own. Gedeo coffees tend to be more expansive (the spun sugar fluffiness manifesting for us as MERINGUE in this particular rendition), and the fruit/floral interplay that is a hallmark of Ethiopian coffees everywhere presents itself with a sharper/swervier see-saw between the dark depths of BLACK GRAPE or PLUM and the high-wire trebles of LAVENDER and LILAC. Altogether what you have here is something that is certainly part of the fabric of the overarching Ethiopian coffee tapestry, but that defines itself as beautifully distinct.

Approximately 1,000 farmers deliver cherries to the Chelbesa One station. The varieties here are mostly two Ethiopian heirlooms: Kurume and Wolisho. We’ve featured Kurume before — it’s well known throughout Yirgacheffe and Guji (though in Guji it’s referred to as Kudhum) — and it’s known for imparting those high toned florals that sometimes can bend more sinister, which we always enjoy. Wolisho is also well-cataloged, and known to contribute both citrus and stone fruit. Both fare well when sitting at elevations exceeding 1,900 masl, and especially when intercropped with over shade plants, as is the case with most of these small (2-3 ha) parcels in and around the Chelbesa kebele.

We work with multiple importing partners for our selections from Ethiopia, and this one comes from The Coffee Quest, who furthermore partnered with SNAP speciality on the export side in 2024. SNAP manages 7 washing stations across Sidama, Yirgacheffe, Guji, and Gedeo, maintaining three core principles throughout all of its operations: consistency, education, and sustainability. As stated by TCQ themselves, “It is within their purpose to improve the livelihood of supporting farmers, and last year their team of agronomists trained more than 6,000 farmers in land and nursery management, and climate-smart agriculture through crop diversification and intercropping.” 

As said by no one ever - GIVE ME GEDEO OR GIVE ME DEATH! Thankfully we are here to offer you the former. Cheers.