Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Washed Woka Heirloom Coffee Beans: Varieties, Brand Recommendations and Estates

Introduction

This coffee comes from a single farm in Ethiopia, processed by the Worka Cooperative. Alemayehu Alako Farm is a member of the Worka Cooperative.

The Worka Cooperative is located in the southern part of the Gedeb district, established in 2005 and joined the renowned Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU) the same year. It is known for producing high-quality natural process Yirgacheffe coffee. The Worka Cooperative has approximately 300 coffee farmers. YCFCU was established in 2002 and includes 26 other cooperatives, serving over 45,000 coffee farmers.

Flavor Profile

The coffee features distinctive floral aromatics, with intense citrus notes in both dry and wet aromatics. The front palate reveals lemon, kumquat, and white grape juice—varied and colorful flavors. The middle to backend presents rich citrus sweetness, reminiscent of soda-like rich sweetness, with a distinct and prominent character, truly rare to encounter.

Ethiopia Coffee Grading System

In Ethiopia's coffee grading system, washed Grade 2 and natural Grade 4 are the highest grades, so traditionally only Yirgacheffe WP G2 was available in the market.

Note: Yirgacheffe G1 was specially requested by Mitsubishi from the Ethiopia Coffee & Tea Authority, first appearing on the market in 2002-2003. The production method for G1 grade beans differs from regular screening and sorting; instead, they are strictly hand-selected from green beans in the Knoga region of Yirga village, which has the highest elevation and excellent soil conditions. The green beans are nearly identical in size, with a beautiful appearance and almost no defective beans. After consumption, they better express the characteristics of Yirgacheffe. Due to the strict production process, the annual production of Yirgacheffe G1 is quite scarce, averaging around 600 bags.

Most Yirgacheffe coffee is processed using the washed method, fermented in washing tanks for about 72 hours to remove the pulp, then dried directly outside the facility. After manual selection of green beans, they pass quality inspection by the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority and are exported through competitive bidding. The annual production is approximately 225,000 bags (60kg each), traditionally mainly exported to Northern Europe (primarily Germany) and Japan, and has recently gained attention from North America.

Brewing Instructions

Hand pour with washed Worka. 15g of coffee, ground to medium-fine (using Fujiyama mountain grinder at 3.5 setting), V60 dripper, water temperature 90-92°C. First pour 30g of water, bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and stop pouring, wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops halfway before continuing. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total, avoiding the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Dazhen Coffee FrontStreet Coffee
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Guangzhou
Contact: 020-38364473
Ingredients: In-house roasted coffee
Shelf life: 90 days
Net weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Roast level: Light roast
Sugar content: Sugar-free
Origin: Ethiopia
Roasting degree: Light roast

Coffee Details

Ethiopia Washed Yirgacheffe Worka G1

Country: Ethiopia
Grade: G1
Region: Worka
Roast Level: Light roast
Processing method: Washed
Variety: Local heirloom varieties
Processing station: Worka Cooperative
Flavor notes: Lemon, kumquat, white grape juice

Yirgacheffe Region

Yirgacheffe itself is a small town with about 20,000 people. Three neighboring small producing areas—Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena Abaya—produce coffee with flavors almost identical to Yirgacheffe, so they are also classified within the Yirgacheffe region. Both culturally and geographically, Yirgacheffe is similar to nearby Sidamo, but Yirgacheffe seems to be especially blessed with unique advantages. Top-quality Yirgacheffe coffee features floral aromatics, bright citrus acidity, lemon-toned notes, and a silky smooth mouthfeel.

Compared to the traditional natural process Harar region, natural process Yirgacheffe is not as common. As the first washed processing plant in Ethiopia located in the Yirgacheffe region, coffee enthusiasts are more familiar with the washed Yirgacheffe known for its elegant lemon and citrus characteristics.

Coffee processed with the washed method is less likely to have wild flavors, possessing pure and refreshing qualities, suitable for light roast levels. This washed Ethiopian coffee can achieve the highest G1 grade, already indicating a grade with very few defects.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473