Ethiopia Washed Yirgacheffe Aricha G1 Premium Coffee Bean Varieties, Brand Recommendations and Estates

Yirgacheffe Processing Methods

Yirgacheffe is divided into two main categories based on how the green beans are processed:

Washed Processing (Category A)

The grading standards for washed processing are set by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and classified as Gr-1 and Gr-2, where smaller Arabic numerals indicate higher grades. G1 Yirgacheffe has a distinctive character, with citrus and floral notes woven into the cup that make it irresistible to just about everyone.

Natural Processing (Category B)

The natural processing method uses the grades Gr-1, Gr-3, Gr-4, and Gr-5. Here too, the highest grade — G1 natural Yirgacheffe — carries a rich fruit aroma. Opening a bag of freshly roasted G1 natural Yirgacheffe can overturn everything you thought you knew about coffee. Only those who have tasted the highest-grade natural Yirgacheffe will believe that coffee is a fruit.

Pour-over Brewing

For pour-over Yirgacheffe: use 15g of coffee, ground medium-fine (Fujimachi demon tooth grinder, setting 3.5), a V60 dripper, and water at 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water and let it bloom for 27 seconds, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops halfway before continuing the pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g, avoiding the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

Ingredients: In-house roasted
Shelf life: 90 days
Net weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Degree: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar content: Sugar-free
Origin: Ethiopia
Roast level: Light roast

Processing Method

Washed

Washed Processing Details

To begin, the farmers harvest coffee cherries from the trees and pour them into pools filled with water. Because cherries of different maturities have different densities, overripe and unripe cherries — along with stray leaves and twigs — will float on the surface, while properly ripe cherries sink to the bottom. This step naturally screens out the cherries that fail the first threshold.

The selected ripe cherries then go into the depulper to remove the skin and pulp.

Next, the beans with remaining mucilage enter the fermentation stage (fermenting with microorganisms in water or in the air). Once fermentation is complete, the beans still in parchment enter washing channels to be thoroughly cleaned. After washing comes drying, during which the moisture content of the beans is held at around 12%. The beans are then placed in jute bags to rest for about 2-3 months, allowing the green coffee to stabilize in quality. Finally, the parchment is removed and they're ready for sale.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Aricha G1 Washed

Country: Ethiopia
Grade: G1
Region: Yirgacheffe Gediyo
Altitude: 1900-2100 meters
Variety: Heirloom
Producer: Kebel Aricha
Flavor: Sweet orange, cherry, honey sweetness

This batch of Yirgacheffe was produced at the Kebel Aricha washing station, which draws on roughly 650-700 smallholder coffee farmers nearby. Farmers bring their ripe coffee cherries here for processing in exchange for cash.

About Project Origin

Sasa Sestic, the 2015 World Barista Champion, launched the green bean sourcing project known as Project Origin three years ago with his business team at ONA Coffee. The project works directly with coffee farmers in impoverished countries and regions to improve their production conditions and offers them purchase prices 20% higher than fair trade prices.

The project's original intention also includes strengthening the connection between roasters and coffee farmers and guiding farmers to cultivate high-quality coffee. To date, Sasa has built relationships with coffee growers from eight countries, including Brazil, Panama, India, Ethiopia, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.

Flavor Description

Sweet citrus tones, green berries, peach, longan and red date aroma, honey sweetness, cocoa with hints of spice, full body with a long-lasting aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you're exploring Ethiopia's most famous region, the FrontStreet washed Yirgacheffe daily-drinker is the classic place to start. Known for its white jasmine florals, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and tea-like body, it pairs a friendly price with the clean, aromatic profile that made Yirgacheffe a byword for specialty coffee. For a more terroir-driven expression of the same region, the FrontStreet Gedeb Cooperative coffee comes from the Gedeb cooperative at Yirgacheffe's southeastern edge and follows traditional washed processing; it keeps that fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity alongside jasmine fragrance without the old bitterness. If you'd rather sample the natural side described above, the FrontStreet sun-dried Red Cherry coffee uses only fully ripe cherries, dried on raised beds for three to five weeks, delivering citrus-like acidity, a berry-juice character, honeyed sweetness, and a creamy smoothness. All three are FrontStreet selections that honestly reflect the Yirgacheffe flavors discussed here.