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Ethiopian Coffee Knowledge | How High is the Grade of Sun-Dried Flower Queen G1? What Does Hambella 7063 Mean?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

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Ethiopian Coffee Bean Grading System

Each coffee-producing country has its own grading method. Ethiopia's coffee bean grading system is determined by two major standards: cupping quality and green bean defect rate.

Cupping Standards

Cupping standards are based on the cleanliness of green beans, regional characteristics, cupping flavors, and bean characteristics. According to SCAA standards, G1 and G2 beans scoring 85 points or above are rated as Q1 grade; G1, G2, and G3 beans scoring between 80-85 points are rated as Q2; and all G1, G2, and G3 beans scoring below 80 points are rated as G3 grade.

Green Bean Defect Rate Standards

The quality of green beans, in addition to cupping taste, also needs to be comprehensively graded based on the defect rate of sampled green beans.

The sampling method for green bean defect rate (washed): Randomly sample 300 grams of green beans for testing. If the defect rate is 0-3 beans, this grade is Grade 1; if the defect rate in 300 grams of green beans is 4-12 beans, it is Grade 2. Grading is based on the extracted defect rate, with a total of 9 grades. Specialty grades are G1-G2, while other grades are G3-G9. Grades after G6 are only for the domestic market. Before ECX emerged, natural-processed beans were graded G3, G4, G5, meaning the highest grade for natural-processed beans was G3. After ECX appeared, the grading was redefined. The definition for washed processing remained unchanged, but natural processing also introduced G1 grade, so natural-processed Ethiopian beans on the market now have G1 and G2 grades, while G3 grade gradually became less common.

Natural Processing Grading Definition

1. Physical characteristics account for 40%: defect count (30%), aroma (10%).
2. Cupping quality accounts for 60%: cleanliness (15%), acidity (15%), mouthfeel (15%), flavor characteristics (15%).

Different coffee batches have different batch numbers. Hambella 7063 means the batch number of the coffee. Natural processing has three grades: G1/G2/G3, with G1 being the best grade of coffee beans, having the lowest defect rate. Natural-processed Flower Champion coffee is G1 grade.

In fact, G1 and G2 are just differences in defect rates - their flavors are basically the same. Therefore, we cannot say that G1 is the best grade or the best coffee bean. However, from the perspective of green bean defect rate, G1 is certainly better than G2 because fewer defects mean better bean quality.

Coffee Classification by Processing Method

All coffees are defined by processing method (natural or washed) into three types:

A. Specialty: Few defects, high cupping flavor quality;
B. Commercial: Does not reach specialty grade but is higher than domestic consumption grade;
C. Local/Domestic: Many defects (unripe beans), off-season, and poor storage resulting in relatively poor flavor.

Among these, Specialty and Commercial are for export to international markets; Local is for domestic market sales.

New Harvest Flower Champion Coffee Beans

Hambella Growing Region

Flower Champion coffee comes from the Hambella growing region within the Guji zone of Sidamo. "Hambella" is located in Ethiopia's largest coffee-producing region, Guji, administratively belonging to the Oromia Regional State. Hambella's west faces Yirgacheffe's Kochore region across mountains, with a 3,200-meter-high, 30-kilometer-wide highland barrier between the two regions. To the southeast, east, and north, it borders Guji's Shakiso, Uraga, and Kercha sub-regions respectively. It is Ethiopia's highest-altitude coffee sub-region (Harrar is Ethiopia's highest-altitude main producing region).

Hambella farm covers 200 hectares and employs 28 full-time staff, with the total number expanding to over 700 people during the entire season. 70% of these workers are women, and there is a program that enables local farmers to work closely with agronomists and processing experts to improve coffee quality. Then, in addition to their own beans, some of these are purchased and sold by the farm.

Flower Champion Coffee Natural Processing Method

Flower Champion coffee beans use traditional natural processing methods. To prevent coffee cherries from developing mold or acquiring unpleasant smells like soil during drying, the coffee beans are placed on raised beds for 21 days of sun exposure. During the sun exposure process, they are constantly turned to ensure even drying and uniform water loss from the coffee beans; every three to five days, coffee farmers manually select and remove defective and moldy beans. After the fruit skin dries and becomes hard, a hulling machine is used to remove the dry, hard fruit skin. After obtaining the green coffee beans, to pursue perfect flavor, coffee farmers will perform one final screening.

The farm itself was created by Aman Adinew and his brother Michael. Previously, Aman was the Quality Control Director at ECX or Ethiopia Commodity Exchange and was responsible for Ethiopia's first specialty coffee laboratory.

The Naming of Flower Champion Coffee

What is the origin of Flower Champion coffee? In 2017, the African Coffee Association held TOH (The Taste of Harvest), and Ethiopia's DW green bean company sent this coffee to participate. As a result, this batch of natural-processed green beans became famous overnight, defeating many Geisha variety coffees and winning the championship. A Beijing-based green bean trader named "Hongshun International" introduced this batch of natural-processed green beans, naming it based on its champion status, and thus the name "Flower Champion" was established.

Because coffee is an agricultural product, its flavor is affected by climate and environment each year, but its main characteristics remain. To distinguish Flower Champion coffee beans from different years, Hongshun Company distinguishes coffee beans introduced from the "Buku Abel" processing plant in the Hambella region. Only coffee beans from the Hambella "Buku Abel" processing plant are called Flower Champion coffee, which is why there are versions from Flower Champion 2.0 to the current Flower Champion 7.0.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameters for Flower Champion Coffee

To highlight the rich floral and fruity flavors of Flower Champion coffee - such as floral notes, mango, jackfruit, citrus, and honey - FrontStreet Coffee uses light roast. Light-roasted coffee beans are not as porous as dark-roasted ones, so for brewing, FrontStreet Coffee uses high-temperature water with a V60. The V60 dripper has flow ribs connecting the top and bottom and a large central hole that accelerates water flow, while the spiral-shaped exhaust channel design extends the water flow path, increasing contact time between coffee grounds and hot water. Each water flow converges along the grooves to the center point of the dripper, concentrating pressure on the coffee grounds and extracting coffee with richer layers.

Dripper: Hario V60, Water Temperature: 91°C, Dose: 15g, Ratio: 1:15, Grind Size: 80% pass-through rate through Chinese standard #20 sieve.

FrontStreet Coffee's Three-Stage Extraction Method: First, use 30g of water to fully moisten the coffee bed into a "burger" shape for a 30-second bloom; Second, at 1'00" on the timer, inject water to 125g, then wait for the water level to drop to 2/3 of the coffee bed before the third injection; Third, at 1'40" on the timer, inject water to 225g, waiting for the coffee liquid to completely finish dripping. The total extraction time is 1'59". The total brewing time is 2'00". After coffee extraction is complete, gently shake the cup and wait for the coffee liquid to be fully uniform before tasting.

Flavor Description

Natural-processed Sidamo Flower Champion coffee flavor: Light fermented wine aroma, floral notes, citrus, mango, with much richer and more complex mouthfeel. Honey sweetness, cocoa notes with a hint of spice, full body with a persistent aftertaste.

For coffee brewing, FrontStreet Coffee always recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans to better express the coffee's flavors. Therefore, all coffee beans sold by FrontStreet Coffee are roasted within 5 days. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Good Coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee. The coffee resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at its optimal flavor time.