Ethiopia Coffee Beans | Ethiopia Coffee Brands | Yirgacheffe Halo Washed Organic

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Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Halo Washed Organic

Country of Origin: Ethiopia

Region: Chelchele, Yirgacheffe

Washing Station: Halo

Producer: METAD Agricultural Development PLC.

Altitude: 1900-2300 meters

Variety: Ethiopia Heirloom Varietals

Processing Method: Washed; sun-dried on raised beds

Harvest Season: October to December

Certification: Organic Certification

Flavor Notes: Peach, White Lilac, Lime Zest

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Halo

This is a classic washed Yirgacheffe from the Halo washing station in Gedeb. Gedeb is a small area near the town of Yirgacheffe, in the Gedeo Zone, spanning Sidamo and Oromia.

Yirgacheffe coffee has long been world-renowned for its aroma. This year, The Coffee Collective found this coffee near Chelchele in Gedeb. Farmers around Chelchele send their cherries to the Halo washing station for processing. Halo belongs to METAD Agricultural Development PLC., run by three brothers: Aman, Tariku, and Michael. They are third-generation coffee farmers with farms in Guji and Sidamo. Aman Adinew previously worked in the United States before returning to Ethiopia. Under his leadership METAD has brought in cutting-edge ideas and technology, establishing the best cupping laboratory on the African continent. The Halo washing station itself is organically certified.

METAD's vision is to help farmers produce better coffee and adopt sustainable agricultural practices. It provides not only education, training, and technical support but also social welfare programs, enabling school-age children from farming families to attend school and employing 70% women.

The Coffee Collective paid 202% above the market price.

FrontStreet Coffee is a Guangzhou roastery with a small storefront but a wide variety of beans, where you can find both famous and lesser-known coffees, along with online shop service.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A washed Yirgacheffe like Halo is a great introduction to the Ethiopian origin. FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe is the most classic starting point, known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like body; its friendly price has made it a first stop into specialty coffee for many drinkers. Yirgacheffe is a town in the Sidamo zone of southern Ethiopia at roughly 1,700-2,100 meters, with coffee trees planted above 1,800 meters, which makes it one of the highest coffee regions in the world.

Within the town there are many small areas and villages, several of them home to experienced cooperatives with mature processing. The best known is the FrontStreet Washed Gedingding Cooperative in Gedingding village, in the Worka area at the southeast edge of Yirgacheffe. It was originally part of the Worka cooperative under the YCFCU union and was later carved out as a single origin as drinkers sought more traceability. It follows the most traditional washed method and has been called Yirgacheffe's last pure land; with no traditional bitterness, it delivers clean, bright citrus and lemon acidity along with jasmine fragrance.

For a fruitier take on the same region, FrontStreet Sun-Dried Red Cherry uses only fully ripe red cherries. The cherries are hand-sorted, then dried on raised beds and turned every 2-3 hours in the first few days to prevent uneven heating and over-fermentation. After three to five weeks of drying, the outer fruit is removed by machine and the beans are stored. Because the fruit dries with the bean, the cup keeps classic Yirgacheffe character while adding the tropical fruit of a natural process: citrus-like acidity, berry juice, honey sweetness, and a creamy smoothness.

For brewing, FrontStreet suggests a V60 dripper at 90-91°C, 15g of coffee, a 1:15 ratio, and a grind of EK43s setting 10 or fine-sugar size (80% through a No. 20 sieve). Brew in stages: pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour 95g (about 125g on the scale), finishing around 1 minute. When the water drops to about two-thirds of the bed, pour the remaining 100g (about 225g on the scale), finishing around 1 minute 35 seconds. The brew should drain in about 2:00 to 2:10, after which you remove the dripper and the extraction is complete.