Ethiopia Red Cherry Coffee Introduction and Tasting Guide

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FrontStreet Coffee - Red Cherry Coffee Introduction and Tasting

Yirgacheffe belongs to the Sidamo region. Due to its unique flavor profile, it has been separated as an independent designation. In addition to the town of Yirgacheffe itself, it also includes three surrounding sub-regions: Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena/Abaya. Therefore, in the new Yirgacheffe grading system, Yirgacheffe A, Wenago A, Kochere A, and Gelena/Abaya A are more expensive than their B-grade counterparts.

Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia with an altitude of 1,700-2,100 meters, making it one of the highest-altitude coffee growing regions in the world and synonymous with Ethiopian specialty coffee. Lakes Turkana, Abaya, and Chamo bring abundant moisture to this area, nurturing Yirgacheffe's unique terroir—where floral and fruit aromas intertwine ambiguously and change unpredictably.

Initially, Yirgacheffe's coffee trees were cultivated by European monks, later managed by farmers or cooperatives. Coffee trees grow naturally scattered throughout forests, fields, and backyards. During harvest season, the Ethiopian Coffee Trading Corporation purchases coffee beans collected by farmers in town, ultimately auctioning and exporting them under the "Yirgacheffe" brand.

The "Red Cherry Project" (ORC) is a quality enhancement program for small-scale farms. In 2007, Trabocca, the largest green coffee importer in the Netherlands, launched the "Red Cherry Project" in pursuit of high-quality Ethiopian coffee. The project requires that harvested coffee cherries must not only be fully red but also hand-picked—though this is merely the most basic requirement, as the project is far more complex. The main purpose is to encourage coffee farmers and bring surprises to roasters. Trabocca invites all Ethiopian farms to produce small batches of approximately 1,500-3,000 kilograms (25-50 bags) before harvest season. Women are tasked with selecting only 100% fully mature red cherries, which significantly impacts the brewed coffee's flavor. Therefore, diligent, keen-eyed, and hardworking Ethiopian women are crucial drivers of the Red Cherry Project.

The Red Cherry Project also serves as a reinforcement mechanism, encouraging farms to invest more attention in the coffee selection process. These coffees command relatively higher prices. The Red Cherry initiative includes washed, natural, semi-washed, semi-natural, and experimental coffees, primarily from regions such as Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Bench Maji (Bonga Forest), Lekempti, Kembata, Illubabor, Harar, Limu, with the addition of Golocha (near Harar) in 2011. All these coffees showcase unique flavors that fully represent Ethiopian coffee characteristics. Upon receiving the coffees, Trabocca conducts further selection. Farms passing cupping quality tests conducted by offices in both Ethiopia and the Netherlands receive substantial bonuses. Trabocca, the driving force behind the Red Cherry Project, has invested all profits from recent years back into partner farms. Trabocca emphasizes that this is a non-profit project, with only four people (including the owner and secretary) executing the Red Cherry Project. Other administrative matters are supported by the parent company to reduce overhead, with all profits returned to partner farms.

Coffee Tasting Guide

1. Smelling the Dry Aroma

Washed Yirgacheffe coffees typically exhibit floral, fruit-like dry aromas with lemon fragrance, while natural Yirgacheffe coffees display rich aromas including wine-like, floral, and fruit notes.

2. Perceiving Mouthfeel

When coffee liquid enters the mouth, stimulating the taste buds, use your tongue to feel the coffee liquid and perceive the impact on your palate. In professional coffee tasting, this indicator is also called mouthfeel, visually explained as the difference between water and syrup or milk. Syrup and milk have a thicker texture than water. If you drink washed Yirgacheffe (light roast), it will taste very watery, while natural Yirgacheffe offers a fuller, richer body that can be understood as a viscous sensation.

3. Understanding Cleanliness

Coffees with some astringency, powdery sensations, or earthy notes are considered unclean in cupping. High cleanliness allows for enjoyable and easy tasting. Washed Yirgacheffe typically offers a clean and clear mouthfeel.

4. Recognizing Acidity

Sweet and acidic compounds in coffee are the components that create complexity in coffee flavor. Although Yirgacheffe contains acidity, it's a comfortable and rounded acidity that accompanies sweetness. Washed Yirgacheffe contains rich acidic notes reminiscent of citrus and berries.

5. Experiencing Sweetness

Sweetness is perhaps the simplest and most intuitive aspect of coffee tasting. A good single-origin coffee has almost no bitterness or astringency, making sweetness more apparent.

Sweetness is universally liked and accepted. Pleasant, lively sweetness pairs well with acidity. When we encounter coffee with excellent sweetness complemented by lively acidity, achieving sweet-acid balance and transformation, it creates a harmonious experience.

Natural Yirgacheffe with sweet characteristics resembles fruit, containing fructose within the coffee beans—sweet like sucrose, brown sugar, or caramel, creating a mouth-watering sensation.

6. Tasting Flavor

When coffee enters your mouth, you can perceive its flavor, typically distinguishing between sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes.

7. Perceiving Aftertaste

After swallowing coffee, there's always a flavor that returns from the throat, called "aftertaste." If it makes the mouth feel dry, it's generally referred to as a "dry" or "throat-drying" aftertaste.

Natural Yirgacheffe's aftertaste is very persistent and clear. A coffee with excellent aftertaste allows the aroma to linger longer in the mouth, with a more extended finish.

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