Man Vs Machine | Chelelektu | Ethiopia
Man vs Machine is one of the most well known and influential roasteries in Germany. Opening their doors in 2014 they have held their independent ethics close and where other coffee roasteries would have sold their individuality and character for growth, they have flourished by doing it their way being truly one of a kind. They focus only on quality and improving their coffee every day. The coffee scene in Germany is incredibly competitive, similar to that in Melbourne, where eve the average coffee drinker expects a high-quality coffee and MVSM have quickly become one of the leaders of the pack. Their personability and their honesty are proof that a combination of a great product and great service is the key to success.
Their eye-catching artwork drew me straight to their coffee. The individual design and the slick-looking bag are two sure signs that the coffee inside maybe something special.
Yirgacheffe is probably the most well-known coffee growing region in Ethiopia, it produces some of the most sought after coffee in the world and demands a high price for those who are willing to pay for it. The name Yirgacheffe has mixed feelings in the speciality coffee industry. On one side, there is no taking away from the fact there is some of the most delicious and complex coffee in the World produced here, some of my favourite ever coffees have come from Yyirgacheffe. However, some people argue that, like the Geisha variety grown in Panama, coffee from Yirgacheffe has been well marketed and has a premium even before it has been cupped.
The Chelelektu from MVSM had definitely been cupped before purchase. Opening the coffee for the first time summer fruits explode out the bag. Like many naturals that I have tasted over the last few years, the fruit-forward fragrance is always an enticing element that I love about this sort of coffee.
Once brewed more rich fruity notes spill out of the cup, a suggestion of plums and cherries. The fruity notes continue and flood your palette with the initial sips. The acidity was enjoyably mild which enabled the sweet juicy notes to express themselves throughout the first few sips. It became layered with richer notes of sweeter flavours and had a nice cherry cola finish. The coffee then cools to a sweet finish which lingers on the palette for an enjoyable aftertaste.
A well-executed and well-rounded natural that certainly lived up to its name. A pleasure to drink and it maintained the sweet fruitiness throughout the whole drinking experience. A coffee to savour and enjoy at the weekend when you have a bit of time to fully appreciate the complexities that it holds.
Worked really well as a pour-over, as you would expect from an Ethiopian natural. Try cupping the coffee when you first get it and then again a couple of weeks afterwards as the flavours do evolve a few weeks after the roast date.