Is the Sun-Dried Coffee Bean Method the Sweetest? Solid Texture of Sun-Dried Yirgacheffe with Subtle Wine Aroma

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Sun-dried Yirgacheffe

Yirgacheffe is a variety that no coffee lover should miss. Many specialty coffee enthusiasts likely tried Yirgacheffe as their first introduction to fine coffee. Its flavor is so distinctive that it shatters our conventional understanding of coffee's taste profile. Drinking Yirgacheffe made us realize for the first time that coffee isn't just the dry, shriveled brown beans we see daily, but truly a fruit.

Different processing methods for Yirgacheffe green beans can yield even more diverse flavor profiles. In this brief article, I'll introduce the differences between Yirgacheffe coffee beans processed using "washed" and "sun-dried" methods.

Washed Processing Method

This method uses water and fermentation to remove the fruit pulp and mucilage, washing the coffee beans until they're smooth and clean. After washing, the coffee beans are still encased in their parchment shell with a moisture content of 50%. They must be dried to reduce the moisture content to 12%, otherwise they'll continue to ferment, become moldy and spoil. The best approach is sun-drying, which takes 1-3 weeks but produces exceptionally flavorful coffee that's highly appreciated.

Washed coffee offers good body, high aroma, and lively acidity. Washed Yirgacheffe coffee beans are graded as Gr-1 and Gr-2, with smaller Arabic numerals indicating higher grades. G1 Yirgacheffe has a distinctive style - the flavor of citrus and floral notes fused in the coffee liquid is an irresistible delight for everyone.

Sun-dried Processing Method

After harvesting, the fruits begin the sun-drying process without any treatment. This is the oldest existing processing method. The drying process typically lasts about 4 weeks. The method must be executed with great precision to ensure the coffee doesn't lose any flavor. Sun-dried beans have complete natural body, gentle aroma, and more mucilage.

Flavor Comparison

Sun-dried Yirgacheffe has a subtle fermented wine-like aroma with slightly more pronounced bitterness. The body is much richer, with honey-like sweetness, cocoa undertones with hints of spice, full body with a lasting aftertaste. The rich texture and unique soft floral notes sweep across your palate, leaving an endless回味;

Washed Yirgacheffe has brighter acidity, similar to lemon acid, with a lighter and fresher mouthfeel. The citrus aroma is more prominent, with some black tea characteristics in the finish. Both have fruit acidity similar to lemon and citrus fruits.

Knowledge Point: Typica Old Variety

Typica is an old coffee variety known for its excellent flavor, good mouthfeel, and prominent aroma, but with weak disease resistance.

In Summary

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research cafe that enjoys sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unconditional sharing is aimed at helping more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three coffee events with significant discounts because FrontStreet Coffee wants to offer the best coffee at the lowest possible prices to more friends. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!

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