Ethiopia Worka Chelbessa

We're very excited to bring you the first of our fresh crop Ethiopian coffees for the year.

The Worka Chelbessa site has only been operating since 2017 but is already producing wonderful coffees. The owner, Neguesse Debela, is a former computer part importer who got involved in coffee production after seeing how well received his country's coffees were in America.  Since then he and his coffee manager Abenezer Asafaw have been producing consistently excellent coffees.  His site has not only been producing excellent washed and natural process coffees but also has been doing more experimental lots in an effort to keep improving.

This coffee tastes like pineapple, peach, and jasmine.  Bright, but sweet, with a nice full body and incredible aromas.

Worka Chelbessa is from the Gedeb area of the Gedeo region of southern Ethiopia. The Gedeo region is home to some very famous washed coffee origins, such as Yirgacheffe and Kochere, but Gedeb itself is the newest area to start producing coffee. Many of the farms have only been operating for 1 or 2 generations, as interest in specialty coffees from the regions bring higher prices.

The Worka Chelbessa washing station utilizes the traditional underwater fermentation popular in Ethiopia. The coffee is fermented underwater for approximately 24-48 hours. After fermentation, the coffee is washed and then soaked in clear water for about 2 hours. After the short soaking period, the coffee is dried on raised beds for approximately 10-14 days.  Pictured is the depulper, which removes the first and largest portion fo the coffee cherry before washing.