Yirgacheffe Natural - Wanago Town Omar-Abdu Washing Station G1 Ethiopian Specialty Coffee

Coffee Origin Details

Region: Yirgacheffe, Wanago Town

Variety: Typica & Heirloom (local native varieties)

Producer: Oumer-Abedu Processing Station, Wanago Town

Altitude: 1,900 to 2,100 meters

Grade: Natural process, rated G1—the highest grade by ECX

Annual Rainfall: 1,900mm

Flavor Profile: purple berry notes, black grapes, sweet cherries, citrus peel, caramelized sugar, florals, a rich and thick sweet-sour structure, soft syrup, blueberries—generous berry aroma and sweetness with a clean, balanced mouthfeel and a lingering fruity aftertaste.

Taste Description: the dry aroma carries berry acidity, the wet aroma shows a hint of citrus, the body is light, and a gentle sweetness follows the acidity.

Introduction

Wanago Town is a small area in the Gedeo zone of southern Ethiopia. Gedeo lies about 5 kilometers south of Yirgacheffe town, and within its jurisdiction, Yirgacheffe and Kochere are the best-known districts.

The Oumer-Abedu Processing Station belongs to the Wanago cooperative, a group of more than 700 local smallholder farmers. With so many cooperatives clustered nearby, coffee lots from this small region have consistently delivered remarkable, standout performances. Only fully ripe cherries are carefully selected, and defective beans are removed by hand during patio drying to improve flavor clarity and batch consistency, ensuring that every lot released is of the highest quality.

These smallholders farm plots averaging about 1 hectare, at planting altitudes of roughly 1,900-2,100 meters, and the varieties are mainly local native heirlooms. The area receives 1,900mm of annual rainfall, with 3-4 months of dry season and 8-9 months of rainy season. After the farmers pick and grade the red cherries, the fruit goes to the nearby Oumer-Abedu Processing Station, where it is laid straight onto raised drying racks for natural sun-drying. During the first few days, the cherries are raked every 2-3 hours to prevent uneven heating and over-fermentation.

After four to six weeks of sun-drying, once the moisture content has fallen to 12% or below, the coffee is cupped and graded by the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) and auctioned by lot. Natural process beans are typically stored in parchment form until dehulling, just before export.

This natural processed Yirgacheffe from Wanago Town's Oumer-Abedu Processing Station is rated G1, the highest ECX grade. From the look and uniformity of the green beans to the dry aroma and the cup, everything is excellent. If you love bright fruit sweetness and rich berry flavors, this is one to seek out. Flavor profile: purple berry notes, black grapes, sweet cherries, citrus peel, caramelized sugar, florals, a rich and thick sweet-sour structure, soft syrup, blueberries—clean, balanced, and sweet to the last sip.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee recommends pour-over brewing with a V60 dripper.

Grind Size: 3.5 (Fuji R440, Japan)

Water Temperature: 90°C

French Press: recommended grind size 4, water temperature 90°C

AeroPress: recommended grind size 3.5, water temperature 87°C

Siphon: grind size 4

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this Wanago lot sparks your taste for Yirgacheffe, FrontStreet's shelf has plenty to explore. FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe is the classic everyday lot—white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a clean tea-like finish—at a friendly price that makes it a perfect first specialty bean. FrontStreet Guodingding Cooperative coffee, washed in the traditional style at the Worka area cooperative in southeastern Yirgacheffe, layers fresh citrus-lemon acidity over jasmine fragrance with none of the traditional bitterness. For the naturally processed side of the region, FrontStreet Red Cherry uses only fully ripe cherries dried whole in the fruit, yielding citrus acidity, juicy berry character, honeyed sweetness, and a creamy smoothness. For any of these, FrontStreet suggests a V60 at 90-91°C, 15 grams of coffee, a 1:15 ratio, and a fine-sugar grind (screen #20 retention around 80%).