What Brand is Ethiopian Gudin Coffee? Gudin Brewing Guide and Tips

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Gotiti: Hand-Pour Brewing Guide

Yirgacheffe was originally a small town in Ethiopia, located in the West Arsi administrative region. This ancient town has been a wetland since antiquity: the ancient word "Yirga" means "to settle down," while "Cheffe" means "wetland."

Yirgacheffe is one of the world's highest-altitude coffee growing regions and is synonymous with Ethiopian specialty coffee. With elevations ranging from 1,700 to 2,100 meters, it enjoys cool, foggy weather year-round with spring-like conditions. The terrain and the unique cultivation system provide ideal conditions for growing specialty coffee beans.

Strictly speaking, Yirgacheffe is a sub-region of West Arsi. The town sits in the northwestern part of West Arsi, surrounded by mountains and lakes, making it one of Ethiopia's highest-altitude coffee regions. Because of its distinctive flavor profile, however, it became independent from West Arsi, established its own identity, and grew into Africa's most renowned coffee region.

Coffee trees in Yirgacheffe are mostly grown in farmers' backyards or intercropped with other crops in farmland. Each household's production is limited, making it a typical example of garden coffee.

What we often call the "Yirgacheffe flavor" means intense jasmine floral aroma, lemon or lime citrus notes, along with peach and almond sweetness and tea-like qualities. FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe offers rich layers, a delicate body, charming flavors, and a sweet aftertaste. The phrase "flowers bloom as coffee enters the mouth" fits best, like flowers stimulating the taste buds and olfactory cells into a pleasant sensation. Beyond the florals, the delicate body feels like silk massaging the palate, a wonderful tactile experience.

Gotiti Cooperative

Gotiti Cooperative, located in the Woreda region at the southeastern end of Yirgacheffe, was originally part of the Woreda Cooperative under the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU).

However, as people increasingly sought traceability in coffee beans, independent single-origin regions were gradually discovered by coffee hunters worldwide. So in 2012, Gotiti, with approximately 300 member farmers, established itself as the independent Gotiti Cooperative.

Gotiti village was one of the first areas to be separated as an independent village. Many smallholder farmers were originally members of the Woreda Cooperative, so their coffee production skill is beyond question.

Gotiti Cooperative is known as the last pure land of Yirgacheffe, and it employs very traditional processing methods: washed and natural.

FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gotiti Cooperative Coffee

Parameters & Technique

Filter: Hario V60

Dose: 15g, medium-fine grind (BG 6S: 58% pass-through rate on a China standard #20 sieve)

Ratio: 1:15

Water temperature: 90°C

Segmented extraction

Bloom with 30g of water for 35 seconds. Using a small stream, pour in a center circular motion to 124g, then segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring with a slightly larger stream to 228g. Remove the filter cone when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed (timing starts from bloom). Total extraction time: 2'00".

Flavor Profile

The first taste reveals citrus and black tea notes. As the temperature changes, cream and caramel flavors emerge. The aftertaste is distinctly sweet, with a clean, sweet mouthfeel. Overall, the cup highlights prominent citrus harmony and tea-like sensations.

During hand-pour extraction, pay special attention to the water flow rate. If the pour stream is inconsistent, it affects how evenly the water passes through the grounds and leaves undesirable flavors in the cup. If the water column is too large or poured at too steep an angle, it carves channels through the coffee bed, so water escapes directly through the filter paper and the coffee comes out under-extracted. Pouring from too high also disrupts the coffee bed structure, introduces air bubbles, causes uneven extraction, and increases the surface area of water exposed to air, which affects the water temperature.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

It should come as no surprise that FrontStreet's own Gotiti Cooperative coffee is the most direct way to taste this exact profile. Kept to a medium-fine grind and brewed on a Hario V60 at 15g, 1:15, and 90°C, it starts with citrus and black tea, then opens into cream and caramel as it cools, finishing distinctly sweet and clean.

If you want an even more affordable everyday version of the same region, FrontStreet's Washed Yirgacheffe delivers the white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and tea-like finish that define the area, at a price that makes it an easy daily pour-over.