What Brand of Yirgacheffe Coffee is Good - Introduction to Natural Process Yirgacheffe Aricha Coffee Bean Flavor

The Charm of Ethiopian Coffee: Yirgacheffe Aricha

Ethiopian coffee is renowned for its floral and fruity aromas and bright acidity, making it the top choice for many who appreciate acidic flavors. The bright lemon acidity and jasmine fragrance are truly unforgettable. Yirgacheffe coffee is one of the most distinctive coffees in the world, an outstanding representative of African washed coffee, and has always enjoyed a prestigious reputation among global coffee connoisseurs. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe coffee beans as daily stock are everyone's favorite.

Washed Yirgacheffe coffee is everyone's favorite, however, Ethiopian coffee was not always washed from the beginning. Natural processing is actually Ethiopia's original coffee bean processing method. Natural processed coffee lacks the cleanliness of washed coffee but gains sweetness, with a thicker mouthfeel and additional fermented notes. FrontStreet Coffee believes that washed coffee beans better represent the authentic local coffee flavors, which is why FrontStreet Coffee's daily stock beans are mostly washed.

But today, FrontStreet Coffee wants to talk about the natural processed Yirgacheffe Aricha coffee.

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia contains numerous coffee varieties. Each production area has different microclimatic environments, so the coffee flavors from each region are somewhat different. This is also why FrontStreet Coffee has purchased more than a dozen single-origin coffee beans from Ethiopian regions alone. Most Ethiopian coffee beans are named by their production region. Yirgacheffe is a representative specialty coffee production region in Ethiopia, with an altitude of around 1800-2000 meters, making it one of the highest altitude coffee production regions in Ethiopia. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the unique citrus and floral flavors of Yirgacheffe coffee are closely related to its special geographical environment.

Yirgacheffe Region

Ethiopia is located in the eastern part of the African continent. The "Gedeo zone" to which Yirgacheffe belongs is located in the "Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region" in southwestern Ethiopia. With Yirgacheffe as the center, from Wenago in the north to Gedeb in the south, they are broadly considered part of the "Yirgacheffe region."

Yirgacheffe is located northwest of Sidamo and was once classified under the larger Sidamo region. Later, due to its outstanding flavor, it eventually became an independent region. In fact, looking at the map, you'll know that Yirgacheffe is just a small town for Ethiopia, but for Ethiopian coffee production regions, the Yirgacheffe coffee region is not limited to Yirgacheffe town. The Yirgacheffe coffee region includes legal areas such as Wanago, Yirgacheffe town, Kochere, and Bule Hora.

Yirgacheffe Flavor Profile

In addition to being a coffee production region in Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe is also synonymous with a coffee bean flavor, featuring lively and bright citrus acidity and significant delicate floral and fruit aromas. Yirgacheffe is actually constructed from surrounding coffee subregions or cooperatives, including Idido near Misty Valley, Harfusa, Hama, and Beloya, all of which use washed processing, but a small amount of premium beans are intentionally natural processed to enhance charming fruit aromas and body.

Not far east of Yirgacheffe, there is a village called Aricha kebele. Aricha is about 8 kilometers from the center of Yirgacheffe town. Kebele is the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia, with a scale of about 500 households (equivalent to 3500-4000 people). Most coffee here comes from wild varieties in local forests. Therefore, there are numerous coffee tree varieties in this region, with a single batch often containing as many as 20-30 varieties. Since they are harvested from native forests above 1850 meters altitude, they cannot be named by estate names, so they are named after the harvesting area, Aricha. Because there are so many Ethiopian coffee varieties that cannot be individually identified and classified, and the local government, for conservation considerations, collectively refers to these varieties as "Heirloom native varieties."

There are many high-quality coffee processing plants in the Yirgacheffe region. Many coffees have become hundred times more valuable due to these processing plants. The natural processed coffee produced by Kebel Aricha Mill is one of them. This coffee is also what we often call ARICHA beans. It was processed by Kebel Aricha processing plant using refined natural processing methods and classified as Gr.1 or G1 by ECX (the highest grade of Ethiopian coffee), earning it the title "King of Fruits."

Yirgacheffe Aricha Grade 1 raw beans have a yellow-green color, which is typical of natural processed coffee. The beans are uniform and full with few defective beans. They are exported in regular jute bags printed with basic coffee information (processing plant, exporter, ICO code, processing method, region). Inside the jute bags are agricultural plastic packaging. This coffee best showcases its characteristics when using light slow roasting.

Aricha is a natural processed coffee bean that has greatly impressed FrontStreet Coffee. After grinding, it reveals tropical fruit flavors, with sweet aromas of ripe cherries and blueberries. Upon tasting, there's cherry, apple, and pineapple fruit sweetness. As the temperature slightly drops, mango and peach sweetness emerge. The mouthfeel isn't heavy but rather a gentle caress on the tongue, with an aftertaste that continuously stimulates every taste bud nerve—it's truly unforgettable. It also stands out among FrontStreet Coffee's many Yirgacheffe coffees. FrontStreet Coffee's original intention is to taste coffee beans from around the world.

Yirgacheffe Aricha

In the matter of improving Ethiopian coffee quality, besides the Dutch coffee merchant Trabocca, local coffee merchants are also actively taking action. Local coffee merchant Abdullash Bagersh, to reduce defective beans while preserving the rich flavors of traditional natural processed coffee, improved the natural processing method, enhanced flavors, reduced the defect rate, and launched three extremely famous Yirgacheffe natural processed coffees: "Idido Misty Valley," "Beloya," and "Aricha."

It's important to mention here: Yirgacheffe Aricha, formerly known as Idido, is a well-known coffee bean processing plant near Yirgacheffe town.

Natural Processing Method

Natural processing is an ancient raw bean processing method, commonly found in dry, warm, and sunny regions. Interestingly, natural processing was actually the earliest post-harvest processing method used for Yirgacheffe coffee. In the 1970s, the Ethiopian authorities introduced washed processing from Central and South America to improve coffee bean quality and shorten drying time.

Yirgacheffe is the birthplace of Arabica. The specific variety of natural processed Yirgacheffe Aricha is Ethiopia's ancient heirloom coffee varieties (Heirloom Varietals), produced at Kebel Aricha processing plant, hence named Aricha. There are about 650-700 small coffee farmers nearby. Farmers deliver ripe coffee cherries here for processing in exchange for cash. After the processing plant selects usable cherries, they are directly placed on racks for sun exposure. For the first few days of drying, they are turned every 2-3 hours to prevent over-fermentation. After 4-6 weeks of natural drying, workers, depending on weather and temperature conditions, use machines to scrape off the outer pulp before transporting to Addis Ababa for storage. Usually, naturally processed beans are stored as parchment beans until they are dehulled before export to ensure raw bean quality.

After the processing plant selects usable coffee cherries, the entire pulp and skin are completely preserved, and the coffee cherries are placed on elevated racks for natural processing. It is precisely this high-intensity labor method of rack drying that isolates contact with the ground, prevents earthy off-flavors during the natural drying process, and creates exceptionally clean fruit flavors. After more than two weeks of natural drying, the dark brown coffee cherries are professionally stored, waiting for the full development of flavors. Before shipment, the processing plant removes the coffee beans from the coffee cherries. The resulting coffee beans have richer mature fruit flavors than washed beans, sweeter floral aromas, and more intense layering.

The Yirgacheffe Aricha introduced by FrontStreet Coffee is produced at Kebel Aricha processing plant. There are about 650-700 small coffee farmers nearby. Farmers deliver ripe coffee cherries here for processing in exchange for cash. After the processing plant selects usable cherries, they are directly placed on racks for sun exposure. For the first few days of drying, they are turned every 2-3 hours to prevent over-fermentation. After four to six weeks of natural drying, workers, depending on weather and temperature conditions, use machines to scrape off the outer pulp before transporting to Addis Ababa for storage. Usually, naturally processed beans are stored as parchment beans until they are dehulled before export to ensure raw bean quality.

Differences Between Washed and Natural Yirgacheffe

The characteristic flavor of Yirgacheffe coffee beans is their rich floral aroma, delicate acidity, and elegant tea-like sensation. Washed processed Yirgacheffe presents very clean and clear flavors, while natural processed Yirgacheffe takes flavor intensity to the next level. Both processing methods are popular with the public, with no superiority or inferiority between them.

Natural Processing Method: After selecting ripe fruits, they are naturally sun-dried until reaching about 12% moisture content, then the peel and pulp are removed.

Washed Processing Method: After selecting quality-sunken beans in a water tank, the peel and pulp are removed, they are soaked and fermented in water, then dried to about 12% moisture content.

The defect rate of FrontStreet Coffee's Aricha coffee beans is relatively low for natural processed raw beans, and the aroma is extremely explosive. The dry aroma presents a rich berry fragrance with candy-like sweetness. Upon tasting the coffee, one can perceive a light wine-like sensation that's refreshing. There's also a very prominent citrus aroma with a pleasant sweet and sour feeling. The aftertaste is like the concentrated essence of sugar-preserved fruit candy, filled with a sense of joyful innocence.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Parameters for Yirgacheffe Aricha Coffee

To perfectly showcase the fruit aroma and sweetness of Yirgacheffe Aricha coffee, FrontStreet Coffee specifically uses these brewing parameters: V60 dripper, water temperature 91°C, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, coffee amount 15g, medium-fine grind size (80% pass-through rate on China #20 standard sieve).

FrontStreet Coffee's segmented extraction method: First, use 30g of water to fully moisten the coffee grounds into a "hamburger" shape and bloom for 30 seconds; the second water injection is at timer 1'00" when water is injected to 125g, then stop and wait for the water level to drop to 2/3 of the coffee bed before injecting the third segment; the third segment is at timer 1'40" when water is injected to 225g, waiting for the coffee liquid to completely drip through with a total extraction time of 1'59". The total brewing time is 2'00". After coffee extraction is complete, gently shake and wait for the coffee liquid to fully mix before tasting.

FrontStreet Coffee's Aricha coffee flavor: During brewing, you can smell the full aroma of ripe fruits. Upon tasting, there's a distinct fermented aroma and green grape. As the temperature slightly drops, there's lemon acidity and creamy smoothness, with the finish being the juice sensation of ripe grapes.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Recommendations:

To brew a delicious cup of coffee, you still need to pay attention to the freshness of the coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee has always believed that coffee bean freshness is greatly related to coffee flavor, which is why FrontStreet Coffee ships coffee beans 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 when it arrives. The coffee resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive it, it's at peak flavor.

For friends who need ground coffee, FrontStreet Coffee offers a gentle reminder: If coffee beans are ground in advance, there's no need for further resting, because during transportation, the pressure from carbon dioxide buildup in the packaging can also help the coffee flavors become rounded. So you can brew a cup immediately upon receiving the ground coffee. However, ground coffee needs to be brewed promptly because it oxidizes relatively quickly after exposure to air, meaning the coffee flavors will dissipate more quickly, and the coffee won't taste as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends purchasing whole beans and grinding fresh before brewing to better appreciate the coffee's flavors.

As the gene bank of coffee, Ethiopia contains numerous varieties, and each production region's coffee has different flavors. FrontStreet Coffee has more than fifty single-origin coffee beans, with more than a dozen from Ethiopia alone, showing how much Ethiopian coffee is loved and desired. FrontStreet Coffee hopes to let more coffee enthusiasts understand the world of coffee.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

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Important Notice :

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