The Best Ethiopian Coffee Brands: How Much Difference Between Washed and Natural Yirgacheffe

FrontStreet Coffee - Introducing Yirgacheffe Coffee

Ethiopia holds an extremely important place on the world coffee map. It is the birthplace of Arabica coffee and one of the recognized highest-quality producing regions, with centuries of coffee-growing history. Even the word "coffee" comes from the Ethiopian town of Kaffa. For a long time Ethiopia grew only local coffee, with no exchange of varieties between regions, so the distinctive character of each area was preserved: Harrar coffee in the east has red-wine and spice flavors, while Yirgacheffe in the south has jasmine and bergamot aromas.

Yirgacheffe is a town in Ethiopia's Gedeo region and the capital of the Yirgacheffe district, sitting at an altitude of 1700-2100 meters, which makes it one of the highest coffee-producing regions in the world.

Yirgacheffe's coffee trees were first cultivated by monks—somewhat like Belgian monks growing wheat to brew beer, monks would find something to plant when idle, and an Orthodox church still stands in the town today. Later the trees passed to farmers and cooperatives. Coffee grows naturally scattered through forests, fields, and backyards. During harvest season, the Ethiopian Coffee Trading Corporation comes to town to buy the beans farmers have gathered, which are eventually auctioned and exported under the "Yirgacheffe" brand.

Washed Yirgacheffe has rich layers of flavor, especially at a light roast. Beyond coffee's inherent mellow aroma and bittersweetness, it carries fruit acidity similar to lemon and kumquat. Taste washed Yirgacheffe with water at 60°C and the fruit acidity blooms instantly on your tongue.

Natural-process Yirgacheffe is produced in limited quantities and has less fruit acidity. It shows a faint fermented wine aroma, with a stronger bitterness and a much fuller mouthfeel.

Worth Knowing

Ethiopia, one of the world's least developed countries, has been recognized as the birthplace of Arabica coffee and can even be called the birthplace of coffee itself.

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research house that enjoys sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation, hoping to help more friends fall in love with coffee, and we are always glad to help you explore the world's great origins.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To compare the two styles side by side, start with FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe, known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a clean tea-like finish at a friendly price—the classic introduction to Ethiopian specialty coffee.

Then try FrontStreet Coffee's natural Red Cherry, picked from fully ripe red cherries and dried on raised beds. It keeps Yirgacheffe's bright citrus acidity while adding tropical fruit and a full honeyed sweetness.

Brew either as pour-over at a 1:15 ratio and 90-91°C, with a V60 dripper and a grind around EK43s setting 10, blooming with 30g of water for 30 seconds and finishing near 225g in about 2:00-2:10.