Moonwake x Cafe ESSX Collab - Banko Chelchele - Smallholder Farmers - Natural Landrace - Ethiopia

Whole Bean
Roast: Medium
Recommended Rest: 2-3 weeks from roast date
Tasting Notes: blueberry chocolate chip pancake, raspberry jam

Origin Details

Region: Gedeo Zone, Ethiopia
Elevation: 1900-2300masl
Producer: Smallholder Farmers, Banko Chelchele Station
Process: Natural
Variety: Landrace

ABOUT THIS COFFEE AND PRODUCER

This coffee comes from smallholders in the Chelchele area, part of the Gedeb district in southern Gedeo Zone, where some of Ethiopia’s most complex and aromatic naturals come from year after year.  Gedeb is a unique area dense with coffee growers and processors.  This coffee was processed at a central site in Chelchele, one of the district’s most prolific coffee areas.

The supernaturally processed coffees at the Banko Chelchele station are sorted by hand on arrival, then floated to remove less dense and damaged cherries. They then undergo a long pre-fermentation process that lasts 7 to 10 days before being dried on raised beds for an exceptionally long 2 to 4 weeks.

WHY WE SELECTED THIS COFFEE

We're thrilled to finally launch our collaboration with ESSX, a project that's been in the works for some time. Together with CAFÉ ESSX, we set out to find a coffee that reflects the intersection of fashion, art, food, and beverage while staying true to the character of both brands.

This Supernatural Landrace from Banko Chelchele in Ethiopia felt like a natural fit. Developed to a medium roast, it brings together the expressive fruit character we love in Ethiopian coffees with the body and caramelization needed to work across different preparations. The goal was a coffee that could be enjoyed on its own just as easily as it could be paired with milk.

The cup opens with a playful combination of berries and chocolate caramel, coming together in a way that reminds us of blueberry chocolate chip pancakes. There's a familiar sweetness to the profile, supported by a fuller body that gives the coffee a rounded, satisfying texture.

As it cools, the berry character shifts toward a brighter red raspberry jam, adding a layer of fruit and a little more definition to the finish. It's a coffee designed to be versatile without losing its character, bringing together sweetness, body, and fruit in a way that feels at home across both of our worlds.