Ethiopia — Siti Washing Station Chelbesa Ethiopian Landrace (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍉 Watermelon • 🍑 Peach Rings • 🌸 White Florals • 🍋 Citrus

DETAILS

• Washing Station: Siti 
• Region: Chelbesa, Gedeb, Gedeo
• Varietal: Ethiopian Landrace
• Process: Washed
• Elevation: 2,200 masl

INTRO SEY's first year working with the Siti washing station, a sub-kebele of Worka Chelbesa — and an exceptional showing for the region this season. Bright and juicy, this Ethiopian Landrace lot moves between watermelon and peach ring sweetness, white floral lift, and a clean citrus edge. In the cup: watermelon, peach rings, white florals, and citrus.

THE PRODUCER This lot comes from the Siti washing station in Gedeb, a woreda in Gedeo that's only been producing coffee for one or two generations — its trees still relatively young by Ethiopian standards. A decade ago, coffee from this area would simply have been sold under the broader Yirgacheffe name; today, distinct woredas like Dilla, Bule, Wenago, Kochere, and Gedeb can be explored and sourced individually, and this Siti lot reflects that ongoing work to isolate and highlight unique coffees within the region.

Ethiopian Landrace refers to the country's vast pool of indigenous varieties — DNA testing has confirmed over 60 distinct types, the most coffee biodiversity found anywhere. Given the structure of the Ethiopian coffee trade, single-variety lots remain rare; most coffees, including this one, are naturally occurring blends of these landrace varieties.

THE PROCESS The Washed process at Siti involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — cherries harvested at peak ripeness 💧 Floating — floated to remove low-density defects 🌱 De-pulping — cherries de-pulped after harvest ⚖️ Density separation — Grade 1 beans separated by density 💦 Underwater fermentation — fermented underwater for 36 hours ☀️ Raised-bed drying — dried on raised beds for 10-14 days

The 36-hour underwater fermentation is the defining step — the extended, oxygen-limited fermentation builds the juicy watermelon and peach ring sweetness that sits alongside the variety's naturally bright, floral, citrus-driven character.

THE CUP Juicy and bright — watermelon and peach ring sweetness up front, lifted by white floral notes and a clean citrus finish. An exceptional first showing for the Siti washing station.

Flavour Notes 🍉 Watermelon 🍑 Peach Rings 🌸 White Florals 🍋 Citrus