Yirgacheffe Coffee Grade Classification and Variety Introduction - Premium Yirgacheffe Coffee Bean Flavor Characteristics and Taste Description

For those who love acidic flavors, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe coffee is definitely the top choice. 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 staple bean, the washed Yirgacheffe, is everyone's favorite!

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe coffee emits an extremely complex aroma, showcasing an exceptionally remarkable taste that is difficult to describe. Generally, the dry fragrance of FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe emits a strong fruity aroma with rich dried fruit notes of strawberry, mango, and apricot jam. The wet aroma is like sweet syrup, like thick apricot pulp juice wrapped in rustic honey or chocolate. The entrance is not strong, with medium body, the acidity is not obvious, yet lively and bright, like fruit black tea.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that the phrase "coffee enters the mouth, a hundred flowers bloom" is the most appropriate description, precisely like the comfortable sensation of flowers stimulating taste buds and nasal olfactory cells. Besides the floral aroma, the delicate body feels like silk massaging in the mouth, creating a wonderful tactile sensation. Currently, many coffee chemists have begun studying the microclimate and soil around Yirgacheffe to formulate cultivation equations for specialty coffee.

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

Yirgacheffe Coffee Production Area

Yirgacheffe has always been one of the most important specialty coffee production areas in Ethiopia. It was formerly subordinate to the Sidamo coffee production area but later became an independent coffee production area due to the unique flavor of Yirgacheffe coffee beans. It can be said that Yirgacheffe is not only a coffee production area name but also a noun for specific coffee flavor descriptions. The Yirgacheffe coffee production area is considered a high-altitude coffee production area, with an altitude of around 2000 meters. The Yirgacheffe coffee production area has more than 40 cooperatives, mainly managing coffee cultivation through family-operated models. However, the production methods and flavors here are so outstanding that Ethiopian coffee farmers compete to take pride in their coffee having Yirgacheffe flavor. Therefore, it separated from the Sidamo production area to form its own style and became the most renowned production area in Africa.

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) believes that each Yirgacheffe has its unique flavor, such as FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Red Cherry featuring berry notes, among others.

Yirgacheffe Coffee Bean Varieties

As the gene bank of coffee, Ethiopia has numerous coffee varieties that are difficult to identify and classify. Additionally, the Ethiopian government, out of protection for natural coffee, is unwilling to disclose information about these varieties. Therefore, exported Ethiopian coffee beans are often collectively referred to as "Heirloom" native varieties, and the coffee beans from the Yirgacheffe production area are also local native varieties. Coffee bean shape: Small-grained variety, with a relatively rounded appearance, very small beans, mostly between 14-15 mesh.

Yirgacheffe Coffee Bean Grading

FrontStreet Coffee has explained to everyone that coffee bean grading methods vary by producing country - some are graded by altitude, some by coffee bean size, some by the number of defective beans, and so on. So how are Yirgacheffe coffee beans graded? Perhaps observant friends have noticed: sometimes Yirgacheffe is written as Yirgacheffe G1, so is this G1 the grade? Yes, that is the grade. Below, FrontStreet Coffee will explain in detail the grading of Yirgacheffe coffee.

The ECX (Ethiopian Commodity Exchange, established in 2012) has a grading system for Ethiopian coffee beans that is divided into two aspects.

On one hand: grading is based on the defect rate.

Grading definitions have been made for coffee bean defect rates. Whether for washed or natural processed coffee beans, export-grade raw beans with no more than 3 defective beans per 300g are graded as G1, while export-grade raw beans with 4-12 defective beans per 300g are graded as G2. Yirgacheffe coffee beans are graded into G1, G2, G3, G4, etc., based on defects. The higher the grade, the better the quality.

On the other hand: since the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) began operations in 2009, flavor evaluation grading definitions have been established. G1 and G2 grade coffee beans are evaluated using the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) cupping method. Beans scoring above 85 points are rated as Q1 grade, while those scoring 80-84.75 points are rated as Q2 grade.

Yirgacheffe Coffee Processing Methods

Washed Yirgacheffe coffee - perhaps you might think that coffee from the Yirgacheffe production area is washed. In fact, Ethiopia traditionally used ancient natural processing methods, but after introducing washed processing in 1972, over several decades, the usage rate of washed processing has become much higher than natural processing. FrontStreet Coffee believes that washed processed coffee beans reduce defect levels and exhibit cleaner and brighter flavors.

Natural processing is one of the oldest and most traditional processing methods. Coffee cherries are dried in the sun immediately after harvesting, which is more common in areas with abundant sunlight or scarce water resources. For example, nearly 70% of coffee cherries in all Ethiopian production areas are processed using natural methods. FrontStreet Coffee believes that compared to washed processed coffee, natural processed coffee has lower acidity, higher sweetness, clearer texture, but slightly lower cleanliness, and produces more berry-like notes in flavor, making it more complex.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Recommendations

How should such excellent coffee beans be brewed to extract delicious flavors? FrontStreet Coffee believes that the freshness of coffee beans is a very important factor, as fresh coffee beans allow for the maximum appreciation of coffee's rich flavors. The coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) are all roasted within 5 days, because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that coffee bean freshness has a significant impact on flavor. 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 degassing period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it is at its peak flavor.

Of course, some customers need FrontStreet Coffee to grind the beans for them, which is also fine. However, FrontStreet Coffee must remind you: if the coffee beans are ground in advance, there's no need for degassing, because during transportation, the pressure from carbon dioxide inside the package can also make the coffee flavor smoother, so you can brew a cup immediately upon receiving the ground coffee. However, ground coffee needs to be brewed promptly, because coffee grounds oxidize relatively quickly after exposure to air, meaning the coffee flavor will dissipate faster, and the coffee flavor won't be as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends purchasing whole beans and grinding fresh before brewing to better appreciate the coffee's flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Brewing Parameters:

V60 dripper, water temperature 90°C, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, coffee amount 15g, grind size (80% pass-through rate with China #20 standard sieve)

Using segmented extraction, bloom with twice the amount of water as the coffee grounds, i.e., 30g of water for 30 seconds. The reason for blooming is to allow the coffee grounds to release internal carbon dioxide, thereby making the subsequent extraction more stable. With a small water flow, pour in a circular motion until reaching 125g, then continue pouring until 225g, then stop. Wait until the water in the dripper has finished dripping, then remove the dripper. Start timing from the beginning of pouring, with an extraction time of 2'00". Next, pick up the entire cup of coffee, shake it evenly, and pour it into a tasting cup.

FrontStreet Coffee's Washed Kochere Coffee Flavor: Citrus, berries, tea-like, cream, slight nuts

FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Red Cherry Coffee Flavor: Berries, lemon, strawberry, fermented wine aroma

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473