Shitaye Mamo is a farmer, wife, and mother of three daughters and two sons. Her husband Mulugeta is a coffee farmer, too. She comes from a coffee farming family. Her grandfather, Shalo, and her father, Momo, have nearly a century of coffee farming experience between them. Shitaye’s skill is undeniable. The first sample we cupped of Chelchele was stunning. By its fragrance alone, her coffee could immediately be categorized as “big”, which is to say, it’s very expressive. It is exactly the type of coffee that we love to roast and share—where the quality is evident and leaps out of the cup. It makes our job pretty easy.
This natural or “dried in cherry” coffee is quite elegant. The aromatics are intensely floral. On the palate, vibrant berry acidity is balanced by a creamy body, not unlike milk tea. An abundance of ripe fruit notes, from juicy cotton candy grapes to wild berries right off the vine make Chelchele a delightfully complex tasting experience. Chelchele was harvested by hand and then slow-dried over a period of 28 days. We are so excited to bring Shitaye’s coffee to the Small Planes menu for the first (!!) time this year and can’t wait to see what she continues to produce. Sourced in partnership with Collaborative Coffee Source.
