Is Yirgacheffe Natural Ariga Coffee Delicious? Yirgacheffe Coffee Brewing Methods

Yirgacheffe Classification

Yirgacheffe falls into two broad categories based on green-bean processing:

Category A: Washed, graded under standards set by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) as Gr-1 and Gr-2, where the smaller Arabic number indicates the higher grade. G1 washed Yirgacheffe has a distinctive style, with citrus and floral notes woven through the cup—a flavor no one can resist.

Category B: Natural, graded Gr-1, Gr-3, Gr-4, Gr-5. Likewise at the top, G1 natural Yirgacheffe brims with fruit aromas. Opening a bag of freshly roasted G1 natural Yirgacheffe can upend everything you thought you knew about coffee; only those who have tasted top-grade natural Yirgacheffe will believe that coffee is, at heart, a fruit.

Brewing Method

Pour-over natural Yirgacheffe Aricha: 15g of coffee at a medium-fine grind (setting 3.5 on a Fuji Royal grinder), V60 dripper, water at 90-92°C. First pour 30g of water and bloom for 27 seconds, then pour to 105g and pause. Once the water level drops to half, pour slowly until you reach 225g. Discard the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Origin and Background

Yirgacheffe's coffee trees were first cultivated by European monks (not unlike Belgian monks growing barley for beer), and later taken over by farmers and cooperatives. Yirgacheffe is really a constellation of surrounding coffee communities and cooperatives—Idido near Misty Valley, Harfusa, Hama, and Beloya—all traditionally washed, though some exceptional lots are deliberately processed as naturals to amplify their fruit aromatics and body. These mountain villages sit wrapped in mist, spring-like year-round: cool summers without heat, rainy but not humid, winters without frost, nurturing a unique regional flavor of citrus and florals. The coffee trees grow mostly in farmers' backyards or intercropped with other crops, with small yields per household—classic garden coffee. Award-winning Yirgacheffe lots almost all come from these villages and communities.

Coffee Details

Processing Method: Natural

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Aricha G1

Country: Ethiopia

Grade: G1

Region: Yirgacheffe, Gedeo

Altitude: 1900-2100 meters

Variety: Heirloom

Producer: Kebel Aricha

Flavor: Light fermented wine aroma, sweet citrus, spices, honey sweetness

About Project Origin

Sasa Sestic, the 2015 World Barista Champion, started a green-coffee sourcing project called Project Origin three years ago with his team at ONA Coffee. The project collaborates directly with coffee farmers in poorer countries and regions, improving their production conditions and paying 20% above fair-trade prices.

Its founding aims also include strengthening the connection between roasters and farmers and guiding growers toward high-quality production. So far, Sasa has built relationships with coffee growers in eight countries, including Brazil, Panama, India, Ethiopia, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.

Flavor Description

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

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee

Ingredients: House-roasted

Shelf Life: 30 days

Net Weight: 227g

Packaging: Bulk

Taste Profile: Acidity

Bean State: Roasted beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Ethiopia

Coffee Type: Yirgacheffe

Roast Level: Light roast

This lot was produced at the Kebel Aricha processing station, where about 650-700 smallholder farmers from the surrounding area deliver ripe cherries for processing in exchange for cash. After sorting out usable cherries, the station lays them directly on raised beds to sun-dry, turning them every 2-3 hours during the first days to prevent over-fermentation. After four to six weeks of natural processing, workers remove the dried outer fruit by machine depending on weather and temperature, then truck the beans to Addis Ababa for storage. Naturals are typically stored in parchment form until hulling just before export to protect green-bean quality. This natural Aricha was graded G1 (highest grade) by the ECX, with excellent appearance, consistency, freshness, dry fragrance, and flavor. If you love bright acidity and rich berry flavors, do not miss it!

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yirgacheffe—a small town in southern Ethiopia's Sidamo province at about 1700-2100 meters, with coffee grown above 1800 meters—is legendary for its white florals and lemon-citrus acidity. FrontStreet Coffee recommends two more lots that show both sides of the region:

FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe (everyday lot) — the classic introduction to Ethiopian coffee: white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like finish at an accessible price. FrontStreet's recipe: V60, 15g of coffee at 1:15, water at 90-91°C, fine-granulated-sugar grind (80% through a #20 sieve); 30g bloom for 30 seconds, pour to 125g over about a minute, then finish with the last 100g once the bed drains to two-thirds—complete by 2:00-2:10.

FrontStreet Natural Red Cherry Project — the natural counterpart from the same region: only fully ripe, unblemished cherries are picked, re-sorted at the station, and dried on raised beds, turned every 2-3 hours in the early days to ensure even drying and prevent over-fermentation. After three to five weeks in the sun, the dried fruit is hulled away. Because the beans dry in contact with the fruit, the cup pairs classic Yirgacheffe character with natural-process tropical fruit: citrus acidity, berry juiciness, honeyed sweetness, and a creamy-smooth texture.