Ethiopia — Azeb Tadesse Banko Chelchele Heirloom (Super Natural)

Tastes Like — 💜 Purple Floral • 🫐 Blackberry • 🍑 Nectarine • 🥭 Mango • 🍵 Black Tea

DETAILS

• Producer: Azeb Tadesse
• Station: Banko Chelchele
• Region: Gedeb, Gedeo, Ethiopia
• Varietal: Heirloom
• Process: Super Natural
• Altitude: 1,900–2,000 masl
• Crop: Picked Nov 2025/Jan 2026, arrived Jun 2026

INTRO From the Banko Chelchele processing station in eastern Gedeb, privately operated by Azeb Tadesse — purple florals and blackberry lead, with nectarine and mango sweetness, finishing on a black tea structure. In the cup: purple floral, blackberry, nectarine, mango, and black tea.

THE PRODUCER Gedeb sits in the southeastern corner of Gedeo Zone, bordering Guji, and is celebrated for its distinctive coffee profiles. Banko Chelchele is a community in eastern Gedeb, home to both cooperative members and independent processing stations, many named after the local town "Chelchele." High elevations here develop intensely aromatic, perfume-like volatile fragrances in the coffee. The Banko Chelchele station itself covers 2 hectares and employs up to 200 workers during harvest, accepting fresh cherries year-round and rigorously sorting for ripeness and uniformity. Once dried, the coffee is hulled locally before moving to Addis Ababa, where Tadesse Desta Import & Export Company carries out electronic colour sorting and manual handpicking to guarantee export quality.

THE PROCESS Selected cherries are laid out in a single layer on drying terraces and sun-dried for 3–6 weeks until moisture reaches 11.5%.

The extended single-layer terrace drying is the defining step — it's what develops the intensely aromatic, perfume-like character behind the purple floral and blackberry notes that define this cup, while building nectarine and mango sweetness underneath.

THE CUP Aromatic and layered — purple florals and blackberry lead, nectarine and mango sweetness through the middle, finishing on a black tea structure. Intensely fragrant, reflecting Gedeb's high-elevation terroir.

Flavour Notes 💜 Purple Floral 🫐 Blackberry 🍑 Nectarine 🥭 Mango 🍵 Black Tea