The Story and Origin of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Kochere Washed G1 Specialty Coffee Beans

Yirgacheffe itself is a small town of about 20,000 people. The three neighboring micro-regions of Wenago, Kochere and Gelena Abaya produce coffee whose flavor is almost identical to Yirgacheffe's, so they are also classified under the Yirgacheffe regional category. In both culture and geography Yirgacheffe resembles the neighboring Sidamo, but Yirgacheffe appears to have been favored with exceptionally advantageous conditions. Top-quality Yirgacheffe coffee carries floral aromas, bright citrus acidity, lemon-toned notes and a silky mouthfeel.

Kochere lies in southwestern Ethiopia, about 25 kilometers (roughly 15 miles) southeast of the famous Yirgacheffe town. Production is built mainly on local smallholders delivering their lots to cooperatives for unified processing. The local Chalalacktu village has about 100,000 people who depend on coffee for their livelihood, and production-related work has become their main source of income. Thanks to the income coffee brings, the local standard of living is far better than in many Ethiopian villages, with complete health facilities, higher-education institutions and the like. Advanced processing equipment has allowed Kochere's coffee to hold consistently high standards in washed processing, with a clean sweetness carrying complex notes of molasses and citrus.

Hand Pour Yirgacheffe Brewing Method

15g of grounds, medium-fine grind (setting 3.5 on a Fuji ghost-tooth grinder), V60 filter, water temperature 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water and let it bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops halfway, then pour again, slowly, until you reach 225g. Discard the tail end. Water-to-powder ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Coffee Information

Country: Ethiopia

Grade: G1

Region: Yirgacheffe

Roast Level: Light roast

Processing Method: Washed

Variety: Local Indigenous

Kochere lies 25 kilometers southeast of Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. It is a small producing area that has prospered through coffee and is one of the three famous micro-regions of Yirgacheffe. The local population is about 100,000, with coffee beans as their main source of income. The processing equipment in this region is very advanced. The renowned coffee review website Coffee Review gave Kochere washed beans a high rating of 94 points.

Ethiopian Coffee Regions

Ethiopia has eight main coffee-producing regions: Nekempte (Lekempti), Gimbi, Limu, Illubabor, Djimma, Harrar, Teppi/Bebeka, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe. Among them, the better-known specialty coffee regions are Nekempte (Lekempti), Limu, Harrar, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe. Yirgacheffe sits in the Sidama administrative region of Ethiopia, which shows that it is a smaller area within the wider Sidama producing region.

Flavor Profile

Jasmine floral aroma, lemon, bergamot, honey, black tea

Product Details

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee

Ingredients: Roasted to order, self-roasted

Shelf Life: 30 days

Net Weight: 227g

Packaging: Bulk

Mouthfeel: Acidic

Coffee Bean State: Roasted beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Ethiopia

Coffee Type: Yirgacheffe Coffee

Roast Level: Light roast

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Washed Kochere is the purest expression of the Yirgacheffe profile: jasmine, lemon, bergamot and black tea, all lifted and clean. The most accessible FrontStreet interpretation is the FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe, the everyday drinker's Yirgacheffe known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity and a tea-like body — at a price that makes it the classic first specialty bean for anyone new to Ethiopian coffee.

To taste the small-lot, traceable side of the same region, the FrontStreet Gudingding Cooperative comes from the Gudingding cooperative in the Woka district at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe, once part of the Woka cooperative under the YCFCU. It follows traditional washed processing and shows the same clean citrus and lemon acidity with jasmine florals, but with the extra clarity that single-cooperative traceability brings. If you would rather see what the region does with fruit left on the bean, the FrontStreet Natural Red Cherry is a full-red-cherry natural with berry juice, honeyed sweetness and a creamy texture.