How Much Does Yirgacheffe Natural Aricha G1 Coffee Cost - Natural Aricha Coffee Price

Yirgacheffe's coffee trees were originally cultivated by European monks (not unlike Belgian monks growing grain to brew beer), and were later taken over by farmers or cooperatives. Yirgacheffe is in fact made up of surrounding coffee communities and cooperatives, including Idido near Misty Valley, Harfusa, Hama, and Biroya, all of which use washed processing, though a small amount of premium beans is deliberately processed by the natural method to enhance their charming fruity aromas and richness. These mountain villages are shrouded in mist, spring-like all year, with gentle summer breezes that are cool but not hot, rainy but not damp, and winters without frost, nurturing a unique regional flavor of citrus and florals. Coffee trees are mostly planted in farmers' own backyards or mixed with other crops on farmland, and each household produces only a small quantity: typical pastoral coffee. Award-winning Yirgacheffe beans almost all come from these villages and communities.

Processing Method: Natural

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Aricha G1

• Country: Ethiopia
• Grade: G1
• Region: Yirgacheffe Gediyo
• Altitude: 1900-2100 meters
• Variety: Heirloom
• Producer: Kebel Aricha
• Flavor: Light fermented wine aroma, sweet orange, spices, honey sweetness

About Project Origin

Sasa Sestic, the 2015 World Barista Champion, started a green-bean sourcing project called Project Origin with his business team at ONA Coffee three years ago. The project works directly with coffee-farming households in poor countries and regions, improving their production conditions and offering purchase prices 20% higher than fair-trade prices.

Another aim of the project is to strengthen the connection between roasters and coffee farmers and to guide farmers toward growing higher-quality beans. To date, Sasa has built relationships with coffee growers in eight countries, including Brazil, Panama, India, Ethiopia, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.

Brewing Method

Hand-poured natural Yirgacheffe Aricha. 15g of coffee, ground medium-fine (3.5 on a Fuji Royal grinder), V60 dripper, water temperature 90-92°C. First pour 30g of water, let it bloom for 27 seconds, pour to 105g then pause, wait until the water level drops by half before continuing to pour, and slowly pour to 225g, avoiding the tail. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Flavor Description

Light fermented wine aroma, dates, sweet orange notes, dark berries, lychee, starfruit, peach, juicy peach, longan and red date fragrance, honey sweetness, cocoa with subtle spice notes, full body and a persistent aftertaste.

Product Information

• Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
• Ingredients: Home-roasted
• Shelf Life: 30 days
• Net Weight: 227g
• Packaging: Bulk
• Taste: Acidic
• Bean State: Roasted
• Sugar Content: Sugar-free
• Origin: Ethiopia
• Coffee Type: Yirgacheffe
• Roast Level: Light Roast

This batch of Yirgacheffe was produced at the Kebel Aricha processing station, where roughly 650-700 small-scale coffee farmers from the surrounding area deliver ripe cherries for processing in exchange for cash. After selecting usable cherries, the station places them directly on drying racks. During the first few days of drying they are turned every 2-3 hours to prevent over-fermentation. After four to six weeks of natural drying, workers remove the outer fruit pulp by machine, depending on weather and temperature, then transport the beans to Addis Ababa for storage. Natural-processed beans are typically stored in parchment form until dehulling just before export, to protect green-bean quality. This batch of natural Aricha was rated G1, the highest grade by ECX, showing excellent quality from green-bean appearance, consistency, and freshness to dry aroma and flavor. If you love bright acidity and rich berry flavors, you absolutely cannot miss it.

Yirgacheffe Classification

Yirgacheffe is divided into two main categories based on green-bean processing methods:

Category A: Washed Processing
Grades follow the standards set by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and are classified as Grade 1 and Grade 2, with smaller Arabic numerals indicating higher grades. G1 washed Yirgacheffe has a distinctive style: the flavor of citrus and florals integrated into the coffee liquid is an irresistible delight.

Category B: Natural Processing
Grades include Grade 1, Grade 3, Grade 4, and Grade 5. Likewise, the highest grade, G1 natural Yirgacheffe, has rich fruity aromas. Opening a bag of freshly roasted G1 natural Yirgacheffe can overturn anyone's original perception of coffee; only those who have tasted the highest-grade natural Yirgacheffe will believe that coffee is a fruit.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet's sun-dried Red Cherry is the benchmark for the natural Yirgacheffe style. It was the first to adopt whole-ripe-cherry sun-drying, which keeps quality very high, and it is roasted to a medium-light level. In the cup it opens with ripe fruit aromas and a clear fermented note, followed by berry flavors; as it cools, citrus acidity and a creamy smoothness emerge, with the juice-like finish of ripe grapes.

FrontStreet's washed Yirgacheffe is the everyday alternative and the classic first step into Ethiopian coffee, known for white jasmine florals, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like aftertaste. Its acidity is soft and bright rather than sharp, more like the natural sweet-sour of fruit, which makes it very approachable for anyone new to pour-over.

Both beans are best brewed as a pour-over with a V60 dripper at 90-91°C, using 15g of coffee and a 1:15 ratio, with a grind around EK43s setting 10, or a fine-sugar size that passes 80% through a #20 sieve. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, pour to about 125g over roughly one minute, then add the remaining 100g when the water level drops to two-thirds of the coffee bed, reaching about 225g. The drawdown finishes in 2:00-2:10.