Yirgacheffe Washed Aricha Flavor Description & Best Yirgacheffe Aricha Coffee Brands

Yirgacheffe Coffee Processing Methods

Yirgacheffe coffee beans fall into two main categories based on processing method.

Type A: Washed Processing

The grade standards are set by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), classified as Gr-1 and Gr-2, with smaller Arabic numerals indicating higher grades. G1 Yirgacheffe has a distinctive style, where citrus flavors and floral aromas fuse in the cup into a taste almost anyone can appreciate.

Type B: Natural Processing

Natural grades are classified as Gr-1, Gr-3, Gr-4, and Gr-5. The highest grade, G1 natural Yirgacheffe, has rich fruit aromas. Opening a bag of freshly roasted G1 natural Yirgacheffe can completely change how you think about coffee. Only after tasting the highest grade of natural Yirgacheffe will you truly believe that coffee is a fruit.

Washed Processing Method

First, farmers pick the coffee cherries from the trees and pour them into pools filled with water. Because cherries ripen at different rates, their densities differ. Overripe and underripe cherries, along with leaves and twigs, float on the surface, while fully ripe cherries sink to the bottom. This step naturally screens out the cherries that pass the first test.

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

Next, the beans with remaining pulp and mucilage go into fermentation (fermented by microorganisms in water or in the air). Once fermentation is complete, the beans with their parchment skin pass through washing channels to be cleaned thoroughly. Washing is followed by drying, where the moisture content is held at around 12%. The beans are then packed in jute bags and left to rest for 2-3 months to stabilize their quality. Finally, the parchment skin is removed and the beans are ready for sale.

Pour-over Brewing Instructions

For pour-over Yirgacheffe: use 15 g of coffee ground to a medium-fine consistency (Komachi grinder setting 3.5), a V60 dripper, and 91-93°C water. First pour 30 g of water and let it bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105 g and pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until you reach 225 g. Avoid the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, total extraction time 2:00.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Aricha G1 Washed

Country: Ethiopia

Grade: G1

Region: Yirgacheffe Gediyo

Altitude: 1900-2100 meters

Variety: Heirloom

Producer: Kebel Aricha

Flavor Notes: Sweet orange, cherry, honey sweetness

This batch of Yirgacheffe was produced at the Kebel Aricha processing station, where approximately 650-700 small coffee farmers from nearby areas bring their ripe coffee cherries for processing in exchange for cash.

About Project Origin

Sasa Sestic, the 2015 World Barista Champion, launched a green bean sourcing project called 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 was also created to strengthen the connection between roasters and coffee farmers while guiding farmers to cultivate high-quality beans. 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 notes, green berries, peach, longan and red date aroma, honey sweetness, cocoa undertones with subtle spices, a full body, and a long-lasting aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If washed Yirgacheffe is your benchmark, FrontStreet's washed Yirgacheffe is the everyday cup that made the region famous. It is known for white jasmine florals, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like body, and its friendly price has made it the first specialty coffee for a lot of new drinkers.

For a more specific village-level washed expression, FrontStreet's Gedingding Cooperative coffee comes from a single village at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe. It follows the most traditional washed process and is often called the last pure land of Yirgacheffe: no traditional bitterness, just fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity with jasmine fragrance.

And for the natural-processing side of the region, FrontStreet's Red Cherry uses a whole-ripe-cherry natural process, drying only fully ripe fruit so it keeps both classic Yirgacheffe character and the tropical fruit of sun-drying - citrus-like acidity, berry juice, honey sweetness, and a creamy smoothness. Its flavor notes include peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon.