Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chelelektu - Natural Process Yirgacheffe Coffee Flavor Characteristics

FrontStreet Coffee - Yirgacheffe Chelelektu Natural G1

Ethiopia Natural Yirgacheffe Chelelektu

01 | Region Introduction

Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia with an altitude of 1,700-2,100 meters, making it one of the highest altitude coffee growing regions in the world and synonymous with Ethiopian specialty coffee. Lakes Turkana, Abaya, and Chamo bring abundant moisture to this area.

Many enthusiasts struggle to distinguish between the Yirgacheffe and Sidamo regions, both of which belong to Ethiopia. Simply put, Sidamo is a province, while Yirgacheffe is a town within Sidamo province. Sidamo has an altitude of 2,100 meters, while the Yirgacheffe region has a higher altitude, with the highest exceeding 2,600 meters. Yirgacheffe is known for its unique jasmine aroma, bright and lively citrus acidity, and black tea texture, distinguishing it from Sidamo's full-bodied berry and tropical fruit flavors.

Yirgacheffe is located in the Gedeo region of southern Ethiopia, which governs the well-known Yirgacheffe and Kochere areas. Due to the special flavor profile and unique style of coffee produced in Yirgacheffe, which is widely loved, it has established its own category in product classification and has always held a significant place in the global specialty coffee market. Yirgacheffe itself is a small town located in the Sidama province, with three neighboring small regions: Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena Abaya. Because the coffee produced in these areas has flavors almost identical to Yirgacheffe, Kochere is also classified within the Yirgacheffe regional category. In November 2009, Ethiopia implemented a new trading and grading system, adding three sub-regions besides Yirgacheffe: Wenago, Kochere, and Genlena Abaya.

Kochere is a small production area located about 25 kilometers southeast of Yirgacheffe. The harvested coffee beans come from local small-scale coffee farmers, comprising numerous individual smallholder farmers. These small farmers have an average coffee cultivation area of about 1 hectare, with growing altitudes ranging from 1,900 to 2,000 meters. The coffee varieties are mainly a mix of Typica and Heirloom (local native varieties). Due to this region's relatively advanced raw bean water processing equipment, it has always demonstrated high-level performance in washed processing, praised for its clean sweetness with complex notes of honey and citrus. The main local production model involves small coffee farmers delivering each harvest of red cherries directly to nearby cooperative washing stations for unified processing.

Beginning in the 1970s, Ethiopia introduced washed processing technology. Currently, the Kochere region primarily focuses on washed processing for its raw beans. After selecting and grading red cherry-colored coffee fruits, washing stations directly remove the fruit pulp for washed fermentation. After washing, the parchment beans are placed on racks for natural sun drying until humidity reaches 12% or below, then sent directly to the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) warehouse in Awassa. Cupping grading and quantity assessment typically show that washed beans are stored in parchment form until dehulling is performed just before export.

Since the implementation of the ECX system in 2008, most raw coffee beans have been sold through competitive bidding under this system. This batch of natural Yirgacheffe G1 Chelelektu comes from the village of Chelelektu within the Yirgacheffe Kochere region. The coffee cherries come from approximately 500 local family smallholder farmers in the vicinity. These small farmers have an average coffee cultivation area of less than 2 hectares, with growing altitudes ranging from 1,900 to 2,000 meters. Their washed beans have been cupped by professionals, with historical records reaching up to 94 points.

Raw Bean Information

Product Name: Ethiopia Natural Yirgacheffe Chelelektu G1

Flavor Description: Raisins, dark berries, tropical fruits, and caramel

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Yirgacheffe, Kochere region

Producer: Chelelektu processing station, local small-scale farmers in the town

Variety: Local heirloom varieties

Grade: ECX highest grade G1

Altitude: 1,900-2,000 meters

Processing Method: Natural processing

02 | Processing Method

This natural-processed coffee has slightly larger beans with lower density and moisture content. Every coffee from this processing station can be considered high-quality, finely processed coffee, with characteristics that surpass other coffees regardless of the processing method used. The coffee beans from here can be considered the best in the Yirgacheffe region.

After the processing station selects available coffee cherries, the whole cherries with complete pulp and skin are placed on raised beds for natural sun drying. It is precisely this high-intensity labor-intensive raised bed drying method that isolates contact with the ground, preventing earthy off-flavors during the drying process and creating exceptionally clean fruit flavors. After more than two weeks of sun drying, the dark brown coffee fruits are professionally stored, waiting for the entire flavor to mature. Before shipment, the processing station removes the coffee beans from the coffee cherries, making the sweetness imaginable.

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