What Exactly is LEVEL UP90+ Chomond Coffee? The Difference Between Chomond and Yirgacheffe

What is LEVEL UP 90+ Candelaria Coffee?

Some people say Candelaria is Yirgacheffe; others insist it is Sidamo. So which region does 90+ Candelaria actually come from, and what sets it apart from ordinary Yirgacheffe?

Origin and Growing Conditions

Ethiopian heirloom varieties grown at altitudes of 1,750-2,000 meters, in fertile soil and suitable temperatures, combined with adequate rainfall, let Sidamo exceed expectations for natural-process beans. Natural-process coffees usually have good sweetness but lack the clean brightness of washed beans. Candelaria, beyond the inherent quality of the beans themselves, owes its excellence entirely to careful post-harvest processing, together with temperature- and humidity-controlled warehouses and hygienic conditions. Finally, an appropriate roast brings this exceptional coffee to life.

90+ Philosophy and Flavor Profile

90+ beans are named differently from other specialty beans, starting from flavor concepts. "Candelaria" means "best approach" locally, and it carries the charming aroma of traditional natural processing. It delivers a round, full, rich fruit flavor that is extremely difficult to achieve in most natural-process beans, which rarely combine clean and bright characteristics. Candelaria has both the bright acidity of a washed bean and the full body of a natural, with floral and fruit notes intertwined into a complex mouthfeel.

Flavor description: floral, tropical fruits, honey peach sweetness.

Roaster's Notes

This batch of Candelaria comes from Ethiopia's Sidamo region, at an altitude of 1,750-2,000 meters. Its density and its characteristic tropical fruit and honey peach sweetness are genuinely captivating. Plenty of heat and time were given during the evaporation phase, but no special treatment was applied during the Maillard phase. Even so, that slowed the flavor-development reaction and brought out delicate flavors.

About 90+ Level Up

90+ Level Up is a sub-brand of Ninety Plus, a specialty green coffee company known worldwide for supplying rare and unusual beans. The cultivation and processing of these fine coffees are tailored to every subtle detail, from planting and harvesting to post-processing. Through repeated cupping and calibration, each variety is ensured to express its own flavor characteristics.

Since 2008, Ninety Plus has been visible in coffee competitions of every size around the world, becoming the bean of choice for competitors, with award-winning traces found nearly everywhere.

Coffee Flavor Radar Reference:

• Aroma: 4.5
• Flavor: 4.5
• Aftertaste: 4
• Acidity: 2
• Sweetness: 4
• Bitterness: 1
• Body: 4

Candelaria Coffee Bean Hario V60 Pour Over Extraction Record:

1. Grind size: Fuji scale 5, approximately granulated sugar size.
2. Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:16. 15g coffee grounds, total water injection 240cc.
3. Brewing water temperature: 88-90°C
4. Extraction time: Total extraction time 1 minute 55 seconds.
5. Inject 30cc water, bloom for 25-30 seconds.
6. Inject water to 240cc, stop water, let drip finish, remove filter cup to complete.

Clever Dripper Extraction Record:

1. Grind size: Fuji scale 3.5, approximately fine sugar size.
2. Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:16. 15g coffee grounds, total water injection 240cc.
3. Brewing water temperature: 94-92°C
4. Extraction time: Total extraction time 2 minutes 40 seconds.
5. Inject 30cc water, bloom for 25-30 seconds.
6. Inject water to total 210cc, stop water, at 2 minutes 10 seconds, stir gently.
7. Move filter cup to bottom server for dripping.
8. Drip finishes, remove filter cup to complete.

Espresso Machine Extraction Record:

• Dose: 19g
• Water temperature: 90-92°C
• Pressure: 8.5-9 bar
• Pre-infusion time: 6-7 seconds
• Total extraction time: 27-28 seconds
• Yield: 48-50cc

Candelaria Coffee Bean Brand Recommendation

The 90+ Candelaria beans roasted by FrontStreet Coffee offer solid guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they provide extremely high value for money: a 227-gram package costs only 90 yuan. At 15 grams per cup of single-origin coffee, one package yields 15 cups, working out to about 6 yuan per cup. Compared with the dozens of yuan per cup typical in coffee shops, that is exceptional value.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Candelaria's Ethiopian heritage is what drew you in, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe lineup is a natural next step. FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe is the classic starting point, known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like body - one of the most approachable ways to meet the region. FrontStreet Gidding Cooperative goes a step further: grown in the Woka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe and once part of the YCFCU's Woka cooperative, it is a single-origin washed coffee with a clean, refined profile of citrus, lemon and elegant white florals.

For a fruitier counterpoint, FrontStreet Sun-Dried Red Cherry is processed as a full red-cherry natural, with only fully ripe fruit selected and dried on raised beds; the beans dry with the pulp still attached, so the cup keeps the typical Yirgacheffe character while gaining tropical fruit from the natural process - citrus acidity, berry-juice body, honeyed sweetness and a creamy smoothness. Brew it like the Candelaria above: a V60 at 90-91°C, 15 grams of coffee at a 1:15 ratio, ground to fine-sugar size (around 80% passing a No. 20 sieve). Pour 30 grams for a 30-second bloom, add 95 grams by about one minute, then, once the bed drops to two-thirds, add the remaining 100 grams to roughly 225 grams total, finishing the drawdown in 2:00-2:10.