It’s that time once again for Roast of the Month! This month we’re celebrating another Bluebeard offering, Ethiopia Chelbasa Danche. This one is tasty and full of melon flavor, and offers a good example of the effects elevation can have on coffee. Let’s take a look!
The Bean
The Chelbasa village is located in the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia. Celebrated for producing some of the best coffee in the world, this bean is a great example of that tradition. Sourced from 476 small hold farms surrounding the village, this group of farmers is nestled high in the mountains at 1950-2200 meters above sea level. This higher elevation allows for cool but not too cold temps that slow down the maturation of the bean. The more mature bean develops more complex flavors than coffees grown at a lower elevation.
After harvesting, these beans went through a fully washed process, balancing out some of the more intense flavors. The result is a delicious and relatively easy to brew coffee from a worldwide favorite locale.
The Brew
One common element of coffee from the Yirgacheffe region is stronger flavors. This is often enhanced by a natural process, which draws out some of those stronger flavors. This washed process coffee offers a bit more balance without sacrificing complexity. This means the coffee can be brewed in a variety of methods with great results.
You’ll get melon notes as the biggest hit of the flavor profile. Balancing out and adding some sweetness are those brown sugar notes, and further complimenting the flavor is the rhubarb jam note. We found these notes to be pretty spot on.
As with most coffees, to get the highest degree of complexity you’ll want to try this one as a pour over. With that said this should produce a balanced, tasty drip cup, but might be light on the richer coffee notes you’d expect if you’re used to more chocolatey roasts. We don’t recommend this as an espresso for those new to the brew method, but if you’re up for the challenge this roast also makes for a great shot if you can get it dialed in.
Make sure you check this one out ASAP as it won’t be around for very long! Order a bag here.
