Is Yirgacheffe Coffee Expensive? How Does It Taste and How Should You Brew It? Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee Flavor and Taste Characteristics

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As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia produces many high-quality coffee beans. With affordable prices, excellent value, and unique, fresh flavors, they are favored by many coffee shops and brands. Especially coffee beans from the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia have won over fans time and time again.

FrontStreet Coffee currently sells 4 types of coffee beans from the Yirgacheffe region. Among them, the red cherry natural processed coffee beans from the Arletland processing station in Yirgacheffe are particularly loved by customers. Currently, this coffee bean is priced at 88 RMB/227g, offering excellent value. Calculating at 15g of coffee beans per cup, one bag can make 15 cups, with each cup costing only about 6 RMB.

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry Coffee Beans

Region: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe

Processing Station: Arletland Processing Station

Altitude: 1700-2200m

Processing Method: Natural Process

Variety: Ethiopian Heirloom Varieties

Flavor: Citrus-like bright acidity, berries, strawberry sweet-tart, honey sweetness, subtle fruit fermentation aroma

01 | Regional Introduction

Unique Geographic Environment

Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia with an altitude of 1700-2100 meters, making it one of the highest altitude coffee growing regions in the world and synonymous with Ethiopian specialty coffee. Lake Turkana, Lake Abaya, and Lake Chamo bring abundant water vapor to this area. In the rift valleys, represented by the Misty Valley, fog is present year-round, with spring-like seasons, gentle breezes, cool and humid conditions, where thousands of coffee trees thrive and reproduce, nurturing Yirgacheffe's unique terroir characterized by the ambiguous interplay and ever-changing aromas of flowers and fruits.

The Historical Origins of Yirgacheffe Coffee

Initially, Yirgacheffe's coffee trees were planted by European monks (somewhat similar to Belgian monks growing wheat to brew beer), later taken over by farmers or cooperatives. Coffee trees naturally spread in forests, fields, and backyards. During the harvest season, Ethiopian coffee trading companies come to town to purchase coffee beans collected by farmers, eventually auctioning and exporting them under the Yirgacheffe coffee brand.

About the Red Cherry Project - OPERATION CHERRY RED

Many friends are familiar with the name Red Cherry Project. However, what exactly is the Red Cherry Project? Probably only a few people can explain it clearly.

To help Ethiopian coffee farmers achieve better income and improve local living standards, in 2007, a Dutch trading company Trabocca and local farmers launched the OPERATION CHERRY RED PROJECT. This project was purely aimed at incentivizing farmers to improve coffee bean quality. At the beginning of the local harvest season, Trabocca would designate microclimate zone harvest plans, hand-picking 100% mature red coffee cherries, with yields of approximately 1500-3000 kg.

In 2008, the Red Cherry Project invested $5000 to purchase new natural drying racks. In 2009, another $8000 was invested for new natural drying racks and shade nets. In 2010, a $9000 generator was purchased, and in 2011, another $10000 was invested to improve some local coffee transport roads, making coffee transportation more convenient and efficient. Trabocca provides interest-free loans for purchasing new coffee cherry depulpers and coffee bean sorters. To facilitate supplier procurement, $14000 was invested in 2012 to build a high-quality Addis Ababa coffee cupping laboratory.

Trabocca provides financial loan support, new hardware equipment, and processing knowledge and technical assistance to help farmers improve production levels, promising to purchase at generous prices if the actual output quality meets cupping standards in both Ethiopian Addis Ababa and Amsterdam cupping rooms. Trabocca's passing standard is 88 points.

Red Cherry Project coffee beans are immediately packaged in plastic inner bags (GrainPro bags or vacuum-packed bags) after processing at origin, then shipped to Djibouti to await sea freight. Through real-time monitoring, safe transportation, and timely appropriate processing methods, they strive to pursue perfect quality. Roasters can also purchase high-quality coffee beans through the Red Cherry Project, which improves Ethiopian coffee quality and fetches better prices. Trabocca can then return profits to farmers, continuously improving and enhancing quality.

02 | Processing Method

This natural processed coffee has slightly larger beans, with slightly lower density and moisture content. Every coffee from this processing station can be considered high-quality specialty processed coffee, with characteristics superior to other coffees regardless of processing method. Coffee beans from here can be considered the best coffee in the Yirgacheffe region.

After the processing station selects usable coffee cherries, the entire pulp and skin are kept intact and placed on elevated racks for natural processing. This labor-intensive rack-drying method isolates contact with the ground, preventing earthy off-flavors during the drying process and creating exceptionally clean fruit flavors. After more than two weeks of natural drying, the dark brown coffee cherries are professionally stored to wait for complete flavor maturation. Before shipment, the processing station removes the coffee beans from the coffee cherries, resulting in remarkable sweetness.

03 | Green Bean Analysis

Yirgacheffe Coffee Grading:

According to different processing methods, Yirgacheffe coffee can be divided into two main categories:

Type A: Washed processing method, graded according to SCAA standards, divided into Gr-1, Gr-2. Smaller Arabic numbers indicate higher grades. G1 Yirgacheffe has a distinctive style, with the flavor of citrus and floral notes blended into the coffee liquid that everyone finds irresistible.

Type B: Natural processing method, graded as Gr-1, Gr-3, Gr-4, Gr-5. Similarly, the highest grade G1 natural Yirgacheffe coffee has rich fruit aroma. Opening a bag of freshly roasted G1 natural Yirgacheffe coffee can subvert everyone's original understanding of coffee - only those who have tasted the highest grade natural Yirgacheffe coffee will believe that coffee is a fruit.

Exported in ordinary jute bags printed with Trabocca.

Yirgacheffe coffee varieties are local heirloom varieties, small bean types, relatively round in shape, with very small beans, mostly between 14-15 screen size.

Yirgacheffe Cherry Red Grade 1 green beans have a yellow-green color, typical of natural coffee, with uniform and plump beans and few defective beans.

04 | Roasting Analysis

Such vibrant flavored beans are naturally not suitable for medium-dark roasting, so this Yirgacheffe coffee is intended to be lightly slow-roasted to best express its rounded sweetness and rich floral and fruit aroma characteristics. Yirgacheffe coffee beans are relatively small with low moisture content, absorbing more heat during the roasting process, and the Maillard reaction proceeds relatively quickly.

In the first roast, I used a high drop-in temperature, using 160 heat power before the coffee beans dehydrated and turned yellow, to ensure sufficient heat to continue through the first crack directly to the second crack. For the development curve determination in the second, third, and fourth roasts, the same 200°C drop-in temperature and same heat power were used, gradually reducing heat power during roasting as needed.

This roast is a quick-roasted light roast:

Cupping: Roast one: strawberry, raspberry, vanilla, honeydew, juicy

Roast profile 2: strawberry, raspberry, vanilla, honey, juice

Roast two: mango, black plum, citrus juice

Roast profile 3: mango, black plum, blueberry, citrus juice

Roast three: citrus juice, cream

Roast profile 3: citrus juice, cream

Roaster: Yang Jia 600g semi-direct flame

Using quick-roast mode, heat to 200°C, open damper to 3.5, reduce heat to 160°C after 1 minute, keep damper unchanged, adjust heat once at 148°C, reduce to 130°C, roast to 5'03", temperature 151°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, dehydration complete, adjust heat to 105°C, open damper 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, reduce heat to 70°C, open damper fully (adjust heat very carefully, not so low that cracking stops), drop at 194°C.

FrontStreet Coffee noticed that Yirgacheffe coffee's dry aroma emits strong fruit fragrance with rich dried fruit notes of strawberry, mango, and apricot jam. The wet aroma is like sweet syrup, like thick apricot pulp wrapped in rustic honey or chocolate. The entry is not intense, with medium body, acidity not obvious but lively and bright, like fruit tea.

04 | Brewing Analysis

As for brewing methods, pour-over and siphon brewing are optimal. When grinding, you can smell the overwhelming natural fruit aroma with evident sweetness. Gentle and elegant, sweet and charming. Yirgacheffe coffee emits extremely complex aromas, showcasing exceptional mouthfeel that is difficult to describe.

First Brew:

V60 dripper, 15g coffee, water temperature 90°C, medium-fine grind (85% pass rate through China #20 standard sieve), water-to-coffee ratio 1:15.

Bloom with 30g water for 30 seconds, small stream circular pour to 125g for segmentation, continue pouring to 225g when water level drops to just expose the coffee bed, remove dripper when water level drops to just expose the coffee bed (timing starts from bloom), extraction time 2'00".

Flavor: Prominent strawberry acidity, astringent finish, with off-flavors

Second Brew (Correction):

V60 dripper, 15g coffee, water temperature 86°C, medium-fine grind (78% pass rate through China #20 standard sieve), water-to-coffee ratio 1:15

Flavor: Smooth, much richer flavor, layered, enhanced fermented berry sweetness

The wet aroma of fermented berries and fermented fruit wine makes it hard to believe this is Yirgacheffe coffee, though personally I'm not fond of this wet aroma. However, from the extremely smooth entry to the delicate body, the emergence of ripe fruit's sweet-tart balance is truly amazing. The sweetness exceeds any Yirgacheffe I've tasted before. The aftertaste is also excellent, worthy of being called a fruit bomb, basically guaranteeing you can still taste sweetness in your mouth half an hour after drinking.

Yirgacheffe Coffee Brand Recommendations:

Under Yirgacheffe coffee, there are numerous villages, micro-regions, cooperatives, and processing stations. In most parts of Ethiopia, coffee farmers still live very difficult lives. They don't have sufficient capacity to build family-style processing workshops, so many processing stations emerge to centrally purchase coffee cherries from surrounding small farmers, process them, and then sell to green bean traders. Therefore, Yirgacheffe coffee quality inevitably varies. To find excellent quality Yirgacheffe coffee, without sharp discernment, it's recommended to choose high-credibility brands.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473