Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry Single Origin Black Coffee Beans: Variety, Flavor, Characteristics & Story

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe is known as the entry bean for specialty coffee enthusiasts. Why is this so? First, of course, it's related to its price. FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe coffee beans offer excellent value, with an average bag (half pound) costing between 80-90 yuan. Second, its excellent flavor profile. In the general understanding of beginners, black coffee tastes bitter, but FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe completely overturns this perception. FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Red Cherry has distinct berry notes, bright lemon acidity, and fermented aromas.

Today, FrontStreet Coffee will take you on a comprehensive journey to understand FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee's Unique Yirgacheffe Coffee Geographic Environment

Located in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, Yirgacheffe is a small town in the southern Gedeo region, situated at an altitude of 1700-2100 meters. It originally belonged to the Sidamo region, but due to different coffee processing methods and distinctly recognizable coffee flavors, it became its own independent region. It is bordered by three small producing areas: Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena Abaya. Their coffee flavors are similar to Yirgacheffe, so Kochere is also classified within the Yirgacheffe regional category. The Yirgacheffe region has a total of 28 member cooperatives of various sizes. Each cooperative's production is relatively small, typically grown in their own backyards or mixed with other crops—truly small-scale farming.

Initially, coffee in the Yirgacheffe region was processed using Africa's most traditional natural drying method for raw coffee beans. Later, the local government introduced washing technology from Central and South America to improve coffee bean quality, and they began adopting the washed processing method, which made the coffee's acidity brighter and more lively, with fresher and more prominent fruit and floral aromas. FrontStreet Coffee's Guodingding Cooperative represents a typical FrontStreet Coffee washed Yirgacheffe flavor profile, with light white floral notes, bright lemon and citrus acidity, and a refreshing green tea finish.

Yirgacheffe Coffee Bean Grading System

Based on different raw bean processing methods, Yirgacheffe can be divided into two main categories:

Category A: Washed processing method, with grading standards set by the "Specialty Coffee Association of America" (SCAA), divided into Gr-1 and Gr-2. The smaller the Arabic numeral, the higher the grade. FrontStreet Coffee's Grade 1 Yirgacheffe has a distinctive style, with citrus flavors and floral notes blended into the coffee liquid—deliciousness that everyone finds irresistible;

Category B: Natural processing method for raw coffee beans, graded as Gr-1, Gr-3, Gr-4, and Gr-5. Similarly, the highest-grade FrontStreet Coffee's Grade 1 Natural Yirgacheffe has rich fruit aromas. Opening a bag of freshly roasted FrontStreet Coffee's Grade 1 Natural Yirgacheffe can overturn people's original understanding of coffee. Only those who have tasted the highest-grade FrontStreet Coffee's natural Yirgacheffe coffee beans will believe that coffee is a fruit.

Due to raw bean grading, Yirgacheffe raw beans have inconsistent sizes. However, the variety itself consists of local native varieties (small beans), so most are between 14-15 screen size, relatively round in shape with smaller bean bodies.

Red Cherry Project

Speaking of the "Red Cherry Project," many friends are familiar with this name. However, only a few people can explain what the Red Cherry Project specifically entails.

The [Red Cherry Project] (ORC) is a project aimed at improving the quality of small-scale farms. In 2007, a Dutch trader named Trabocca initiated the "OPERATION CHERRY RED PROJECT" with local farmers. The project was purely designed to incentivize farmers to improve coffee bean quality. During the harvest season in producing regions, Trabocca specifies harvest plans for microclimate zones, manually harvesting 100% mature red coffee cherries, with production ranging from approximately 1500-3000 kilograms.

The Red Cherry Project is also an enhancement approach that encourages farms to invest more effort in the screening and bean selection process. These coffees command relatively higher prices. The Red Cherry Project includes washed, natural, semi-washed, semi-natural, and experimental coffees. Main producing regions include Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Bench Maji, Lekempti, Kembata, Illubabor, Harar, Limu, and in 2011, the Golocha producing area (near Harar) was added. These all feature unique flavors that fully showcase Ethiopian coffee characteristics. After receiving the coffee, Trabocca conducts further selection, and farms passing cupping quality tests in both Ethiopian and Dutch offices receive substantial bonuses.

Trabocca provides financial loan support, new hardware equipment, and production processing knowledge and technology to help farmers improve production levels. They promise to purchase at generous prices as long as the actual quality meets cupping standards in both Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Amsterdam, Netherlands cupping labs. The passing standard set by Trabocca is 88 points.

After processing in the producing region, Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Project beans are immediately packaged in plastic inner bags (GrainPro bags or vacuum-packed individual bags), then transported to Djibouti to await shipping. Through real-time monitoring, safe transportation, and timely appropriate processing methods, they strive to pursue perfect quality. Roasters can purchase high-quality coffee beans through this Red Cherry Project, which also helps improve Ethiopian coffee quality and achieve better prices. Trabocca can return profits to farmers, continuously improving and enhancing quality.

It is precisely the fully ripe red cherries that give FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe its rich berry aroma, which FrontStreet Coffee has incorporated into FrontStreet Coffee's Sunflower Espresso Blend. The fermented aroma of FrontStreet Coffee's Red Cherry is not overpowered by FrontStreet Coffee's Sherry coffee beans; the flavors are balanced and complementary, with distinctive characteristics. The aftertaste is persistent with sufficient sweetness, rich chocolate aroma, vanilla, cream, and distinct wine notes. The mouthfeel is clean and smooth with medium body.

Roast Level

Because we want to highlight the original floral and fruit flavors of FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters decided to use a light slow-roasting method to make the entire bean round and sweet with rich flavors. For this, FrontStreet Coffee designed three roasting curves. After cupping, the most suitable curve was determined as follows:

Roaster: Yangjia 600g Semi-direct heat

Plan: Adopt fast-roasting mode, enter drum at 200°C, damper set to 3.5. After 1 minute, adjust heat to 160°C, damper unchanged. At 148°C, adjust heat again, reducing to 130°C. Roast to 5'03'', temperature reaches 151°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, dehydration complete. Adjust heat to 105°C, damper opens to 4; At the 8th minute, ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly transforms to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 9'07'', first crack begins, adjust heat to 70°C, damper fully open (adjusting heat must be very careful, not so low that cracking stops), finish at 194°C.

Cupping Results of FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans

The dry aroma of FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe emanates strong fruit fragrances with rich dried fruit notes, strawberry, mango, and apricot jam aromas.

The wet aroma is like sweet syrup, similar to thick apricot pulp juice, wrapped in rustic honey or chocolate. The entry is not intense, with medium body. The acidity is not obvious but lively and bright, like fruit tea.

Brewing Recommendations

Recommended brewing method: Pour-over

Filter: V60 dripper

Water temperature: 90-92°C

Dose: 15 grams

Ratio: 1:15

Grind size: Medium-fine grind (Chinese standard 80% passing through #20 sieve)

Brewing technique: Poured in stages

Use 30 grams of water for bloom, bloom time about 30 seconds. Using small water flow, pour in a circular motion in the center to 125 grams, then pause. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225 grams to finish. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the filter (timing starts from the bloom). Extraction time: 2'00".

The wet aroma of the finished brew is full of rich berry fermented fruit wine flavors. The entry is extremely smooth and delicate, with the emergence of ripe fruit's sweet and sour notes, which is truly impressive. The aftertaste is also quite remarkable, living up to its "fruit bomb" reputation. After drinking, you can basically guarantee that the sweetness will remain in your mouth for half an hour.

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473