Which Black Coffee is Best to Drink Recommendation - Sun-Dried Yirgacheffe with Rich and Full Tropical Fruit Flavors

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FrontStreet Coffee - Ethiopian Natural Yirgacheffe Chelichele Introduction

Different coffees contain vastly different flavors; how could they be summarized in just one word? However, for beginners, the most intuitive distinction might be the two different flavor tendencies of "sour" and "bitter." Many people say, "I don't like acidity in coffee"—but acidity is precisely one of the important characteristics of high-quality coffee. Those who dislike coffee acidity often haven't tasted good acidity. High-quality bean varieties like Yirgacheffe and Kenya all have pronounced acidity. These beans are typically light to medium roast, which can showcase delicate coffee layers and distinct, clear flavor characteristics.

If you only prefer mellow, bitter flavors and firmly reject acidity, we won't stop you. The mellow, low-acidity type of coffee represented by Mandheling has always been popular in the market. These coffees are mostly roasted darker, making the sweet and bitter flavors more prominent with a rich, thick texture. Of course, there are also beans with balanced flavors, maintaining a good balance between bitterness and acidity. These beans are mostly medium roast and tend to be more easily accepted by most people.

Most specialty coffees can be traced back to their origin or even specific estates. Having origin information doesn't necessarily mean the beans are good, and judging beans by producing country isn't rigorous either, but the origin can still provide some valuable reference information. For example, Kenyan coffees from Africa often have distinct fruit aromas, Guatemalan coffees from South America are typically mellow with a slight wild character, Indonesian Mandheling is often low-acidity and mellow, while Ethiopian Yirgacheffe tends to have distinct flavor characteristics.

The Natural Processing Method

Simply put, the natural processing method involves using the sun to dry coffee cherries with their pulp and skin intact, which is why it's called "Natural" in English. However, this natural processing method, while seemingly simple, is not easy at all—its refinement has gone through considerable effort.

Commercial natural processing involves laying a plastic sheet on the ground and directly placing coffee beans on it for sun-drying. The problem with this approach is that heat transfer from the ground and heat convection of coffee cherries are unstable. Without frequent turning, there can be issues with excessive temperature rise or uneven fermentation.

Additionally, there are many undesirable bacteria and contaminants on the ground that can also damage the coffee's flavor. Therefore, traditional natural processing had many flavor issues, and good beans wouldn't use this method in the early days because everyone had a poor impression of it, and prices couldn't be high.

However, in recent years, the natural processing method has improved significantly. Modern natural processing mostly uses African raised beds, which can effectively block moisture and soil from the ground while increasing air convection. Temperature is also strictly controlled during the natural process to prevent excessive fermentation caused by high temperatures. The entire natural processing process typically takes more than 20 days, allowing bacteria and coffee cherry pulp to gradually ferment, resulting in sweeter flavors with rich tropical fruit characteristics.

Ethiopian Natural Yirgacheffe Chelichele

Altitude: 1900-2100m

Variety: Heirloom

Processing Method: Natural

Flavor: Tropical fruits, green apple

About FrontStreet Coffee

In short, FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center that enjoys sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation, hoping to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three coffee discount events every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to provide the best coffee at the lowest prices to more friends—this has been our mission for the past six years!

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