What coffee varieties does Yirgacheffe have? Is it very acidic when brewed as pour-over?

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As one of the most representative specialty coffees today, Yirgacheffe coffee beans are loved by the new generation of coffee consumers for their bright citrus acidity, subtle white floral aroma, honey-green tea-like sweetness and aftertaste.

Today's coffee consumption is mainly concentrated between ages 20-35. This generation of young consumers no longer pursues only rich and intense coffee flavors, but rather hopes for coffee to have fresh tonalities like fruit tea. Therefore, coffee beans produced in Ethiopia's regions—known for their rich soil phosphates, high-altitude cultivation, and pleasant acidity—have gained widespread popularity.

Where is Yirgacheffe?

Among these, Yirgacheffe coffee beans are particularly symbolic of the Ethiopian region. Yirgacheffe is actually a small town in the western part of Ethiopia's Sidamo region, situated at an altitude of 1700-2100m. Due to its high elevation and abundant water resources, the geographical climate and washed processing method give coffee beans from this town a very clean taste and rich layers of complexity.

Flavor Characteristics of Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans

Paired with today's popular light roasting, through years of cupping comparisons, FrontStreet Coffee has found that Yirgacheffe coffee beans consistently exhibit rich floral and fruit aromas, delicate acidity, and elegant tea-like qualities, thus gaining recognition from an increasing number of coffee enthusiasts.

Yirgacheffe Coffee Bean Varieties

Coffee beans grown in the Yirgacheffe region are all Ethiopian native varieties (Heirloom). This variety differs from other coffee varieties we know. Heirloom doesn't refer to a specific coffee variety but rather a mixture of numerous coffee varieties.

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia possesses an unimaginable number of native varieties. These diverse and complex varieties are mixed in cultivation and processing, making it difficult to trace specific varieties. Therefore, "Heirloom" is used as a general term to collectively refer to unidentifiable coffee varieties.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that the rich and pleasant sweet-sour sensation of Yirgacheffe coffee beans is inextricably linked to the diversity of these mixed varieties. Just like blended coffee beans, the purpose of blending is to achieve stable flavors, while Heirloom is like nature's perfect blend for us.

Is Pour-Over Yirgacheffe Very Acidic?

Although most Yirgacheffe coffee beans sold are mainly light-roasted, their flavor expression is actually not as acidic as one might imagine. It's more like lemon juice heavily diluted with green tea, where in the tea-like aftertaste, you can still feel bright, clean acidity.

Currently, FrontStreet Coffee sells both washed and natural processed Yirgacheffe coffee beans. Washed processed Yirgacheffe presents very clean and transparent flavors, while natural processed Yirgacheffe takes intensity to the next level. Both processing methods are loved by the public, with neither being superior to the other.

Light-roasted "Gedeb Cooperative Washed Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans" and "Natural Red Cherry Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans" are both recommended to be brewed using medium-fine grind (granulated sugar size), 90-91°C water temperature, with a V60 at a 1:15 ratio.

For the first infusion, pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour 95g more (scale shows around 125g), completing in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed, pour the remaining 100g (scale shows around 225g), completing in about 1 minute 35 seconds. Finish dripping at 2'10", remove the filter cone, and complete extraction.

Important Notice :

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