This Ethiopian coffee from Beansmith.s has exactly the lightness and clarity that make us love coming back to washed coffees from Yirgacheffe. Banko Chelbesa is a fresh, fruity, and beautifully floral coffee with medium acidity and a pleasant sweetness. When brewed with a filter, it has a light, tea-like character, while as an espresso it offers a smoother body and more pronounced fruitiness. When combined with milk, it surprises with a fuller sweetness that may remind you of a peach cheesecake. In the cup, you’ll mainly taste strawberry, peach, and jasmine green tea.
The coffee comes from the Chelbesa area in Gedeb, which is part of the broader Yirgacheffe region in southern Ethiopia. Coffee trees here grow at an elevation of approximately 2,000 to 2,300 meters, and this lot consists of the 74110 and 74112 varieties. Most of the coffee in the area comes from small family farmers who grow it on plots often smaller than one hectare. Coffee trees here commonly grow alongside enset, avocado, or papaya, and the high altitude, combined with iron-rich soils, helps create the bright and floral character of the local coffees.
Banko Chelbesa is processed using the washed method. Ripe cherries are de-pulped on the day of harvest to preserve maximum freshness. The parchment beans are then fermented in clean tanks, where the remaining mucilage is released; they are subsequently washed thoroughly and sun-dried on raised beds. The result is a clean and fresh cup that beautifully highlights fruitiness, floral notes, and a long, tea-like finish. This coffee is suitable for both drip and espresso.
- Region: Chelbesa, Gedeb, Yirgacheffe
- Altitude: 2,000–2,300 m above sea level