Ethiopia Kaffa Forest | Washed Agaro G1 Bitu Gudina Local Heirloom Varieties Flavor

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Ethiopia Kaffa Forest | Washed Agaro G1 Biftu Gudina - Local Native Varietal Flavors?

Ethiopia's coffee flavors are incredibly diverse. Different soil types, microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties create distinct differences and characteristics in coffee produced by each town. From 2010-2012, it received continuous high ratings of 92-94 points from the authoritative American coffee review "Coffee Review" for three consecutive times, demonstrating the exceptional value of green beans from this region! The area features towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys, and plains, with diverse topography. The region's geology consists of nutrient-rich, well-drained volcanic soil, with soil depth reaching nearly two meters and surface soil appearing dark brown or brown. The area's greatest advantage lies in maintaining soil fertility through natural organic matter cycles, using fallen leaves and debris from surrounding trees and plant residues as natural fertilizers.

This coffee is composed of micro-batches from 600 small coffee farmers, grown in semi-wild or wild forests. Traditional farming methods have always been organic practices, although this washing station has not received formal organic certification.

In the past, when mentioning Ethiopia's famous producing regions, people would immediately think of Yirgacheffe or Sidamo, but new specialty coffee producing regions have emerged one after another with excellent quality, and Agaro is one of them. Agaro is located in the far west of Ethiopia with high altitudes, with some coffee farms even exceeding 2,100 meters.

Biftu Gudina is a newly established cooperative in the Agaro region. "Biftu Gudina" means "development line" in Amharic, established in 2012 and located in Agaro-Goma within the Jimma zone. With high altitudes, beautiful environment, and lush forests, it was initially established with assistance from the international organization Technoserve and currently has 130 members. Remarkably, the cooperative's products have received praise from world-renowned roasters from the very beginning, who consider it a region full of potential that can compete with Yirgacheffe.

Biftu Gudina uses the washed method to process coffee. The washing machine used is a Penagos ecological pulper. After removing the pulp, the beans are soaked in cement tank water for 24-36 hours of fermentation, then sorted into two grades through water channels to remove mucilage, soaked again in clean water for 12-24 hours, and sun-dried on raised beds for 10-15 days, with manual turning and screening during this period.

The coffee variety is a local native hybrid mix, making it difficult to know the exact varieties, though it should include Ethiopian native variety number 1274. In addition to classic Ethiopian floral and fruit aromas, it also exhibits unique Agaro flavors: bright acidity, floral notes, complexity, and spice characteristics.

Coffee Information:

Region: Agaro, Kaffa

Cooperative: Biftu Gudina Co-op

Variety: Ethiopian Heirloom Varieties

Altitude: 1,950-2,150 meters

Processing Method: Washed

Ethiopian Coffee Classification System

Since the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) began operations in 2009, the current practice is to classify well-known sub-regions within the broader Yirgacheffe region, including Yirgacheffe, Wenago, Kochore, Gelena Abaya, etc., into "with classic Yirgacheffe flavor" and "without classic Yirgacheffe flavor" for A/B classification. If it has it, it's A; if not, it's B. Currently, green bean importers in Taiwan who bring in Yirgacheffe coffee beans actually don't make such classifications. When you see such classification and want to try what's called classic Yirgacheffe flavor, remember to choose A.

A/B Classification ≠ Coffee Bean Quality

So, does lacking classic Yirgacheffe coffee flavor mean it's not good beans? Not at all. The ECX has further classification methods for the grade quality of the beans themselves. It's not the "Yirgacheffe G1" or "Yirgacheffe G2" you're familiar with. Freshly harvested coffee beans must first undergo primary grading, and only beans receiving G1-G3 ratings will be further classified into Q1 and Q2 grades using SCAA cupping standards.

Q1 Highest Grade: Coffee beans receiving G1 or G2 in primary grading with 80+ points + specialty grade scoring of 85+ points. This is the highest grade of coffee beans.

Q2 Second Highest Grade: Coffee beans receiving G1 or G2 in primary grading + specialty grade scoring of 80-84.75 points. This is the second-highest grade of coffee beans.

• Q1 is the highest grade, Q2 is second
• Commonly seen in Taiwan are only G1-G4 classifications → For both washed and natural processed beans, choosing G1 should result in fewer defects and delicious coffee beans.

Flavor Description:

Fresh floral aromas and citrus fruit dry notes. When sipping, it presents citrus, orange juice, lemon peel, and white grape accompanied by floral notes. The aftertaste features bergamot and black tea sensations, with full and substantial flavor and texture.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal R220 grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, using 15g of coffee grounds. First pour 25g of water for a 25-second bloom. Second pour up to 120g and pause, wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains faster, pausing during pouring can extend the extraction time.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473