Yirgacheffe Dalle | Hunkute Washing Station Washed Heirloom Ethiopia

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The Flavor Profile of Washed Ethiopian Heirloom Varieties from Dalle, Sidamo - Hunkute Processing Station

This coffee comes from the Sidamo region of southern Ethiopia, where it is cultivated at altitudes between 1,600 and 1,900 meters. After harvest, it goes through wet processing: the pulp and fruit flesh are removed, the beans ferment at the station for one to two days, and then dry in the open sun for ten days. Hunkute is a cooperative of 2,000 smallholder coffee farmers in southern Sidamo. The altitude here is among the highest in the region, and the cooperative operates two nearby washing stations, Hunkute No. 1 and Hunkute No. 2. Based in the Dalle district of Sidamo, the cooperative counts 270 members. Station No. 1 sits at 1,850 meters and was built ten years ago, while Station No. 2, at 2,150 meters, was established five years later.

Both washing stations collect cherries from member farmers in the surrounding area. In the washed process, the pulp and fruit flesh are stripped from the parchment, which then ferments at the station for 24 to 36 hours depending on the weather. The beans are washed clean of mucilage, sorted into two grades, and soaked in fresh water for 12 to 24 hours. Once wet milling is complete, the parchment is laid out on African raised beds for 10 to 15 days of natural sun-drying, and the beans are turned regularly to keep air moving and ensure even drying.

Every Ethiopian cooperative belongs to a union, and Hunkute is a member of the Sidamo Union, which handles the marketing and exporting of its coffee. Before shipping, the beans are hulled and graded. What sets Hunkute apart is its insistence on quality over quantity. Sidamo is farmed mostly by smallholders who grow both improved and heirloom varieties, and organic fertilizer is common. Hunkute has also built a strong reputation through years of successful collaboration with Nordic Approach, which guarantees the consistency of its coffee.

Hunkute is widely regarded as one of the finest coffees Sidamo produces. The high altitude and the diverse heirloom varieties give it its signature citrus and lemon brightness with delicate jasmine florals, which is why so many of the world's best-known coffee shops favor this origin. It is also a fixture on The Roaster's platform, featuring coffees from Poland's Odin Coffee, London's Workshop, and Berlin's The Barn - all of which have showcased Hunkute. Even Odin's portable blend, "The Name of the Rose," includes Hunkute in the mix.

Coffee Details

Region: Dalle, Sidamo

Producer: Hunkute Cooperative

Washing Stations: Hunkute No. 1 / No. 2 Washing Stations

Altitude: 1,900-2,000 meters

Varieties: Ethiopian Heirloom Varieties

Processing Method: Fully Washed

Flavor Profile: Ripe apricot, white flowers, sweet chocolate, and yellow fruits, with a juicy, silky mouthfeel

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal R-440 #3.5

Brewing Technique: Using a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio with 15g of coffee grounds. First pour 25g of water and allow 25 seconds of blooming. Second pour to 120g, then pause and wait until the water level in the bed drops to half before continuing the pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time should be approximately 2:00 minutes.

Analysis: Using a three-stage pour to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, the pause during pouring helps extend the extraction time.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you are new to Ethiopian coffee, FrontStreet's washed Yirgacheffe house bean is the perfect place to start. It is prized for its white jasmine florals, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a distinct tea-like finish, and its friendly price makes it the classic first specialty bean for many coffee drinkers. Yirgacheffe itself is a small town inside the Sidamo zone of southern Ethiopia, with elevations of roughly 1,700-2,100 meters; the coffee trees grow above 1,800 meters, making it one of the highest coffee-growing regions in the world. So recognizable are its white floral notes and lemon-citrus acidity that the name became a byword for Ethiopian specialty coffee - so much so that in 2010, the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange formally separated Yirgacheffe from the wider Sidamo designation, giving the region its own identity.

FrontStreet also offers other takes on this celebrated region. The washed Worka (Guodingding) Cooperative lot comes from a village at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe, once part of the Worka cooperative under the YCFCU union and now sought out worldwide as a single-origin community. Made with the traditional washed method, it carries none of the old bitterness - instead offering a clean, bright citrus-lemon acidity and jasmine fragrance. For a different profile, the natural Red Cherry lot is made from fully ripe, defect-free cherries that are sorted on arrival and dried on raised beds, turned every two to three hours in the early days to prevent uneven heating and over-fermentation. After three to five weeks of sun-drying, the fruit is mechanically stripped away. Because the cherries dry with their fruit intact, the cup combines classic Yirgacheffe character with tropical fruit from the natural process: citrus acidity, a berry-like juiciness, honeyed sweetness, and a creamy smoothness.