Ethiopia Chelbesa is a coffee celebrity in theIllegal Beans roastery's range – elegant, fresh, and unforgettable. The taste immediately draws you in with notes of candied lemon, delicately scented green tea, and roasted almonds coated in honey. The very first sniff tells you that this is no ordinary cup. The taste is beautifully harmonious and balanced. Here, fresh citrus juiciness meets delicate sweetness and nutty smoothness that lingers on the palate long after each sip.
The coffee comes from the legendary Yirgacheffe region, specifically from the village of Chelbesa in the Gedeb region, which is one of the most renowned places for growing specialty coffee in the world. At an extreme altitude of 2,173 meters above sea level, approximately 672 small farmers grow coffee here, taking the utmost care of the traditional Ethiopian varieties 74158 and 74112 on their fields. Each harvest is the result of honest manual labor and deep respect for the bean, which is reflected in its exceptionally harmonious and balanced flavor. The overall profile is full of captivating freshness and distinctive sweetness that will captivate you from the very first sip and offer you an authentic experience of the Ethiopian high-altitude terroir.
Processing takes place at the Chelbesa station using the washed method, which gives the coffee its unmistakable purity and clarity. The cherries are first carefully sorted and floated, then fermented for 2-3 days, and then undergo a twelve-hour soaking process. The drying process itself takes 7-10 days on raised beds, with each bean undergoing a detailed final inspection to ensure the highest quality in every package. The result of this precise process is an exceptionally clean and richly layered flavor profile.