How to Drink Kersa Gelena Abaya Natural Yirgacheffe Coffee? Natural Yirgacheffe Pour-over Recommendations

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Coffee Origin Information

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Kersa, Gelena Abaya, Yirgacheffe

Producer: Local small farmers

Processing Method: Natural

Variety: Heirloom local native varieties

Altitude: 1800 meters

Yirgacheffe's refined washed coffee is renowned worldwide for its elegant and charming floral aromas, clean flavor profile, and bright fruit acidity with lemon or citrus notes. It was long recognized as a distinctive coffee-producing region in its own right.

With ongoing development, under the ECX system, the Yirgacheffe area has been further subdivided into four districts (woredas): Yirgachefe, Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena Abaya. This steep, lush mountainous region features fertile soil, with coffee cultivated at high altitudes averaging 1800 meters above sea level, where large temperature fluctuations between day and night occur.

At first glance, one might mistake this for a dense forest, but in fact, this area is densely populated. Villages are scattered along the hillside slopes, with small coffee farmers averaging 0.7 hectares of cultivation area growing coffee around their homesteads.

Processing Methods

Originally, Yirgacheffe was predominantly known for washed processing coffee. However, with the rise and refinement of natural processing methods, natural-processed Yirgacheffe with its berry sweetness has been enthusiastically welcomed by the market, leading to significantly increased demand and substantial improvements in production. During the raised-bed natural processing method, proper ventilation and moderate turning of the fruit ensure more uniform drying, avoiding over-fermentation or rotting. This allows the coffee beans to fully absorb the sweetness from the coffee cherry fruit, enhancing fruit-like flavor notes and adding a syrup-like smooth texture.

About ECX...

There are three main channels for purchasing coffee from Ethiopian origins: importers/exporters, cooperative alliances, or direct contact with private farms or estates holding import/export licenses. Importers typically purchase required products through the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) trading system. At the end of 2008, Ethiopian authorities included coffee beans in the ECX system for trading, eliminating the弊端 of the old system where middlemen monopolized prices, manipulated markets, evaded taxes, and exploited farmers. In 2009, with the support of the SCAA specialty coffee cupping system, a new trading grading system was formally implemented. Coffee outputs from various regions are first transported to collection centers, marked with regional information based on their location (Woreda), and classified into ten grades from Q1 to Q9 and UG (Under Grade) through defect rate screening and cupping evaluation. Afterwards, they are sent to the exchange located in the capital. Premium beans from various regions belonging to specialty grades Q1-Q3 are then evaluated according to SCAA grading and cupping standards:

Scores above 85 are listed as Specialty Grade 1,

Scores above 80 but below 85 belong to Specialty Grade 2,

Scores below 80 are classified into commercial coffee categories.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using water at 90-92°C to brew Yirgacheffe, with a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15-1:16, and a brewing time of two minutes to two minutes and ten seconds. Use a three-stage extraction: 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour to approximately 120g for the second stage, and when the water level drops to nearly expose the coffee bed, begin pouring to reach 225g.

Upon tasting, rich berry aromas of blueberry and strawberry are prominent, accompanied by light and elegant floral notes, ripe fruit aromas, and a subtle fruit acidity with sweetness.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473