Yirgacheffe Washed Woka Proper Brewing Method & Yirgacheffe Coffee Bean Price

Yirgacheffe is itself a small town of about 20,000 people. The three neighboring small producing areas — Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena Abaya — are also classified under the Yirgacheffe region because their coffee flavors are almost identical to those of Yirgacheffe. In both culture and geographical environment, Yirgacheffe resembles neighboring Sidamo, but Yirgacheffe seems more favored with unique conditions. Top-quality Yirgacheffe coffee features floral notes, bright citrus fruit acidity, lemon-toned aromas, and a silky smooth texture.

Hand-brewed Washed Worka

15g of coffee grounds, medium-fine grind (Fuji ghost-tooth blade 3.5 grind), V60 dripper, water temperature 90-92°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second pre-infusion, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before continuing to pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g, discarding the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Compared to the traditionally sun-processed Harrar region, sun-processed Yirgacheffe is uncommon. As the region where Ethiopia's first washing station is located, coffee lovers are more familiar with washed Yirgacheffe, known for its elegant lemon and citrus character.

Washed processed coffee flavors are less likely to carry wild notes, possessing a pure and refreshing character that suits light roast levels. This washed Ethiopian coffee can reach the highest G1 grade, which already has very few defects.

Introduction

This coffee bean comes from a single farm in Ethiopia and is 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 famous Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU) in the same year. It is known for producing high-quality sun-processed Yirgacheffe coffee. The Worka Cooperative has about 300 coffee farmers. YCFCU was established in 2002 and includes 26 other cooperatives, serving over 45,000 coffee farmers.

Flavor Profile

Distinct floral notes and rich citrus aromas in both the dry and wet fragrance. The front notes feature lemon, kumquat, white grape juice, and other diverse flavors. The middle to back notes present a rich citrus sweetness, like the full sweetness of soda, with a distinct personality that stands out and is quite rare.

In Ethiopia's coffee grading system, washed Grade 2 and dry-processed Grade 4 are the highest levels, so in the past only Yirgacheffe WP G2 was seen on the market.

Note: Yirgacheffe G1 is a grade specially requested by Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation from the Ethiopia Coffee & Tea Authority. It first appeared on the market in 2002-2003. The production method for G1 grade beans is not ordinary screening; it comes from the highest altitude and excellent soil of the Knoga area in Yirga village, produced through strict manual selection. The green beans are nearly identical in size, quite beautiful in appearance, and almost free of defective beans. After drinking, one can better appreciate the characteristics of Yirgacheffe. Due to the strict production process, the annual production of Yirgacheffe G1 is quite rare, averaging about 600 bags.

Yirgacheffe's refining method is mostly washed processing: the beans are placed in washing tanks for about 72 hours of fermentation and de-pulping, then dried directly outside the plant. After manual selection of the green beans, they pass quality inspection by the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority and are exported through competitive bidding. Annual production is about 225,000 bags (60kg each), previously sold mainly to Northern Europe (chiefly Germany) and Japan, and more recently drawing attention from North America as well.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Dazhen Coffee FrontStreet Coffee
Ingredients: Self-roasted
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Content: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Raw/Roasted Level: Roasted coffee beans
Contains Sugar: Sugar-free
Origin: Ethiopia
Roast Level: Light roast

Ethiopia Washed Yirgacheffe Worka G1

Country: Ethiopia
Grade: G1
Region: Worka
Roast Level: Light roast
Processing Method: Washed
Variety: Local native varieties
Processing Station: Worka Cooperative
Flavor: Lemon, kumquat, white grape juice

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For a washed Worka G1 like this one, the FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe daily lot is the most direct way to taste the same classic profile at an easy price, built on white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a clean tea-like body. Brew it on a V60 at 90-91°C with 15g of coffee and a 1:15 ratio, using a fine-sugar grind (about 80% passing a No. 20 sieve), and pour in three stages — a 30g bloom for 30 seconds, then 95g to roughly 125g on the scale by about one minute, then the remaining 100g to about 225g by 1:35, finishing around 2:00 to 2:10. If you want a single-village expression, the FrontStreet Gotiti Cooperative lot is washed in the traditional way, with clean citrus and lemon acidity, jasmine florals, and a honeyed, tea-like finish. And for the natural-process counterpart to this washed lot, the FrontStreet Sun-Dried Red Cherry brings citrus-like acidity, juicy berry, honeyed sweetness, and a creamy, smooth texture.