Sidamo Washi Honey - West Arsi Village Introduction & Natural Sidamo Coffee Flavors

West Arsi Region Overview

West Arsi lies between the famous Yirgacheffe growing region and Hararge, though historically its coffee went unrecognized. In recent years, however, the high-altitude areas of the region, bordering the famous Harenna Forest, have begun to attract attention. The Rafisa wet mill in West Arsi was built in 2012, but under new leadership over the past year the region's coffee potential has started to be realized. Coffee from here carries notes of honeysuckle, pink grapefruit, and sugarcane.

Rafisa Wet Mill History

The Rafisa wet mill was established in 2012. When the country implemented a new coffee marketing policy in 2017, allowing direct export of coffee from private wet mills like Rafisa, the mill came under new leadership.

Most coffee-producing villages near the Rafisa wet mill sit at very high elevations, producing coffee at 1,850 to 2,020 meters above sea level.

Coffee Production Systems

Coffee from these villages falls into two main production systems: semi-forest and garden coffee. The semi-forest system is characterized by land and common shade trees covering the ground, with coffee growing beneath the canopy. Villages near the Rafisa wet mill share boundaries with the famous Harenna Forest - where wild coffee grows - and use the semi-forest system. Outside the forest boundaries, growers produce garden coffee, harvested from small plots typically near their homes.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee recommends the following brewing parameters:

• Pour-over: V60 filter cup with small Fuji R440 grind setting 3.5, water temperature around 90°C
• French press: recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C
• Siphon: recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C-91°C
• AeroPress: recommended grind setting 3.5, water temperature 90°C

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

West Arsi's honeysuckle, pink grapefruit, and sugarcane notes sit right in the middle of the clean, citrus-and-floral Yirgacheffe family, and FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe is the most direct way to taste that profile. Known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a clean tea-like body, it is a classic entry into Ethiopian specialty coffee. Its Gotiti cooperative lot, graded G1 and washed in the traditional way, sharpens the same character with citrus and lemon acidity beneath an elegant white floral note - the Gotiti station sits at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe in the Worka area, and because the pulp is stripped before drying, its inherent aromatics come through with unusual clarity.

For a fruitier, more tropical contrast from the same country, FrontStreet's Flower Queen - a natural-process coffee from Guji Hambella - shows cream strawberry, mango, jackfruit, citrus, and blueberry, and its raised-bed drying for 21 days, with constant turning and hand-sorting every three to five days, keeps the cup clean despite the heavy fruit. FrontStreet's sun-dried Red Cherry lot is another option: only fully ripe red cherries are picked and dried for three to five weeks, giving Yirgacheffe's signature character a lift of tropical fruit, a full fermented sweetness, and a creamy body.

The Rafisa reference recipes work well across the range. For a pour-over, use a V60 and a Fuji R440 grind of 3.5 at about 90°C; for a French press, grind 4 at 90°C; for a siphon, grind 4 at 90-91°C; and for an AeroPress, grind 3.5 at 90°C. Each method leans the cup slightly differently, but the floral-citrus core stays intact.