Danche wet mill in Worka Chelbesa, Gedeb, where this lot was washed and dried

Ethiopia | Yirgacheffe Chelbesa | Heirloom Washed Grade 1

Upcoming Roast / 320g
$28.50
Sale price  $28.50 Regular price 
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Danche wet mill in Worka Chelbesa, Gedeb, where this lot was washed and dried

Ethiopia | Yirgacheffe Chelbesa | Heirloom Washed Grade 1

$28.50
Sale price  $28.50 Regular price 
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This coffee’s roasted in our filter style — meaning it’s designed to shine as black coffee rather than with milk. That doesn’t mean you have to brew it as a pour-over though. You can make it however you like — espresso, moka pot, AeroPress or anything in between. We simply roast it a little lighter to highlight the bean’s origin flavours giving you a cup that’s clean, vibrant and full of clarity.

Lighter roasting keeps more of the natural acidity and sweetness intact which makes for a beautifully expressive black coffee. This coffee is best enjoyed without milk as it’s too acidic and the flavours don’t pair well once milk is added.

If you prefer your milk coffee with richer caramel, toffee or nutty flavours you might enjoy our espresso range more. Those roasts are taken a little darker to bring out deeper sweetness and balance beautifully with milk.

Origin and Sourcing

Varietal: Heirloom
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“Heirloom” is a catch-all term for the countless wild or cultivated varieties found in Ethiopia, many of which are genetically unique. These coffees are renowned for their complexity, often showcasing vibrant florals, citrus, and stone fruits. Since they’re genetically diverse and often uncatalogued, each heirloom coffee is a unique experience.
Processing Method: Washed
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In the washed process, coffee cherries are depulped to remove the skin and pulp, then fermented to eliminate the mucilage before thorough washing. This method produces a clean, bright cup with pronounced acidity and clarity, highlighting the coffee’s intrinsic flavors. It’s widely used in regions with ample water resources, such as Colombia and East Africa.
Farm: Worka Chelbesa
Region / Area: Yirgacheffe, Gedeb
Altitude: 1925–2300 MASL
Sourcing Partner: Utopia

Roast Details

Roast Style: Filter
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Filter roasts are lighter with a shorter development time, designed to highlight clarity, acidity, and fruit-driven complexity — perfect for black coffee and filter methods. These roasts can also be used for espresso, especially if you enjoy brighter, more vibrant shots. Try longer brew ratios or turbo shots to tame acidity and bring out sweetness. Espresso roasts, on the other hand, are developed further to encourage deeper caramelization and Maillard reactions, producing richer, chocolatey, and nutty flavours that shine in milk and offer a fuller-bodied espresso. We don't usually roast omni (one roast for all brew methods) — in our experience, it tends to be a compromise that's average at both. But occasionally, for larger lots or versatile blends, we may do an omni roast to suit both black and milk drinkers.
Roasted On Machine: Roest P3000
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The ROEST P3000 is a compact powerhouse that redefines what’s possible in small-batch production roasting. With the ability to roast 1–3 kg batches in under 7 minutes and crank out over 25 kg per hour, it delivers serious output without demanding a full-time operator. Automation handles everything from preheating to cooldown, with between-batch protocols ensuring consistent conditions roast after roast. Its slim footprint and lightweight build make it perfect for roasteries where space is tight but precision and efficiency are non-negotiable. What truly sets the P3000 apart is its unmatched control and data richness. It features more than 18 sensors—bean, exhaust, drum, humidity, pressure, and even a first-crack microphone—paired with PID-controlled airflow, drum speed, and temperature. A built-in bean camera offers live visual feedback, eliminating the need for a trier and paving the way for future AI enhancements. Whether you’re dialing in new coffees or replicating profiles at scale, the P3000 brings the lab-level accuracy of the ROEST sample roaster into full production—effortlessly and repeatably.

Taste Profile

Tasting Notes: Stone fruit, citrus and black tea. Vibrant and clean.
Cupping Score: 87.0
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Our coffees are scored using the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) protocol by Q Grader–certified cuppers. A score of 80+ qualifies as specialty grade — clean, well-processed, and high quality. 80–84 coffees are more common and often used in blends. 85–87 are brighter, more complex, and better suited for high-quality filter brews. 88–90 are exceptional, and 90+ coffees are ultra-rare, often Cup of Excellence (COE) winners — the best in the world.
Suitable with Milk? No
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Some of our light roasted filter coffees are bursting with bright, fruity acidity — think citrus, berries, or tropical notes. While these flavours shine on their own, they don't always play well with milk. The acidity can clash with milk's natural sweetness and creaminess, sometimes creating sour or chalky flavours.
Decaffeinated? No

Ethiopia | Yirgacheffe Chelbesa | Heirloom Washed Grade 1 - When is peak flavour?

Medium Roast - Roasted on Roest P3000

Worka Chelbesa

Around 600 smallholder farmers grow this coffee near Worka Chelbesa, a kebele in Gedeb at the southern end of the Gedeo Zone. Most plots run 0.5 to 2 hectares and sit between 1,925 and 2,300 metres above sea level. Farmers pick ripe cherry by hand and deliver it to the local washing station the same day. The station ferments, washes and dries the coffee on raised beds, with hand sorting at every stage. SNAP Specialty Coffee, founded by Negusse Debela in 2008, exports the lot. It cupped at 87 points.

Region

Gedeb sits inside the Yirgacheffe growing area, the source of Ethiopia's most famous washed coffees. Dense semi-forest covers the hills around Chelbesa. Ensete and native shade trees slow cherry ripening, which builds sugar and density in the bean. Chelbesa lots now rank among the most sought-after in Yirgacheffe.

About the Heirloom Variety

The heirloom label here covers Wolisho and Dega, two landrace varieties native to the Gedeo highlands. Landraces developed from wild coffee populations over centuries and adapted to local soil, altitude and rainfall. Farmers grow them with few inputs because the plants suit the place they came from.

Roasters seek out Yirgacheffe landraces for clarity in the cup. Small dense beans, slow maturation at high altitude and careful washed processing produce the citrus and floral character that built Yirgacheffe's name.

In this lot you get stone fruit, citrus and black tea. The cup is vibrant and clean, and it suits your filter brews at home.

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