Characteristics of African Coffee Beans & Flavor Profile of Yirgacheffe Origin Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee - Yirgacheffe Coffee Introduction

Ethiopia is one of the main producers of Arabica coffee in Africa, and it grows some of the finest Arabica in the world. Coffee is said to have been first discovered by shepherds in Ethiopia's Kaffa region, and the word "coffee" evolved from "Kaffa." Its reputation as the "hometown of coffee" is well deserved.

Ethiopia's geography suits coffee cultivation extremely well. Coffee is grown mainly in the southern highlands at altitudes ranging from 1,100 to 2,300 meters. The soil there is well drained, slightly acidic, red and loose. Around 25% of Ethiopia's population currently depends directly or indirectly on coffee production for a living. Most farmers use traditional methods, tending the trees by hand, applying organic fertilizer and avoiding harmful pesticides and herbicides, which is why most Ethiopian coffee is organic.

The natural characteristics of a coffee bean include its size, shape, acidity, texture, flavor and aroma. Ethiopian beans are small and aromatic, with a wine-like acidity that coffee lovers adore. Because of their distinctive fragrance and flavor, they are often used in beverages, ice cream and candy, as well as in variety improvement work.

Cultivation method divides Ethiopian coffee into three types: forest or semi-forest coffee, garden coffee, and plantation coffee. 60% of the coffee is forest or semi-forest coffee. In these wild coffee forests no pesticides are used at all; biological methods handle pest control instead. 35% is garden coffee, grown in a three-dimensional arrangement where the coffee occupies the lower layer and gets suitable conditions under the shade of other crops, with fallen leaves, withered grass and animal manure as the main fertilizer. 5% is plantation coffee, a modern approach where coffee also grows in groves but uses new varieties planted in rows among other shade trees.

Processing method divides the coffee into two types: washed and sun-dried. Washed coffee accounts for 35% of exports. High-quality washed coffee is processed from freshly picked, fully ripe cherries, with careful picking and close supervision by professionals.

Clean, selected beans must be pulped on the day they are picked, then fermented, washed, dried and hulled. The moisture content of the processed beans stays at around 12%. Sun-dried coffee accounts for 65% of exports. It is mainly picked by families, with the red cherries placed on cement floors or raised tables to dry to about 11.5% moisture content, then hulled and cleaned.

World-Renowned Ethiopian Coffee Varieties

1. Limu Coffee: Grown at altitudes between 1,400 and 2,000 meters. Washed coffee. Superior quality with a rich nutty aroma, moderate acidity and wine-like intensity. Annual production: 29,000 tons.

2. Djimmah Coffee: Grown at altitudes between 1,400 and 1,800 meters. Sun-dried coffee. Slightly acidic with a nutty aroma and a long aftertaste. Annual production: 70,000 tons.

3. Ghimbi Coffee: Grown at altitudes between 1,500 and 2,300 meters. Gourmet-grade coffee with moderate acidity and a fruity aroma. Annual production: 34,000 tons.

4. Yirgacheffe (Lekempti) Coffee: Grown at altitudes between 1,500 and 2,200 meters. Mocha flavor with floral and spicy notes. Average annual production: approximately 28,000 tons.

5. Sidamo Coffee: Grown at altitudes between 1,400 and 2,200 meters. Moderate acidity and superior quality. Average annual production: approximately 37,000 tons.

6. Harar Coffee: Grown on highlands above 2,700 meters altitude. Among the world's finest coffees, with moderate acidity, an intoxicating exotic flavor, tipsy notes and a dried fruit aroma - pure mocha coffee. Average annual production: approximately 26,000 tons.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you want to understand the Ethiopian region, start with the most classic expression of it. FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe everyday lot is known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity and a tea-like body, and its reasonable price has made it the first specialty coffee for a great many drinkers.

Yirgacheffe itself is a small town in the Sidamo region of southern Ethiopia at roughly 1,700-2,100 meters, and the coffee trees there are planted above 1,800 meters, making it one of the highest coffee-growing areas in the world. In 2010, with the name so famous, the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange separated it from the Sidamo region, which is how Yirgacheffe became the household name it is today.

Within Yirgacheffe there are many smaller areas and villages, and the cooperatives there have mature production skills that lift the cup another level. FrontStreet Coffee's washed Gutiti Cooperative, from the Gutiti village in the Woka area on Yirgacheffe's southeastern edge, follows the most traditional washed processing and is often called Yirgacheffe's last clean corner. It has none of the classic bitterness, bringing instead fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity and jasmine fragrance.

For a natural-processed comparison from the same region, FrontStreet Coffee's Red Cherry lot uses whole ripe cherries only: the fruit is sorted on arrival, then dried on raised beds, turned every two to three hours during the first days to prevent uneven heat and over-fermentation, and after three to five weeks the dried fruit layer is removed by machine before the beans go to storage. Because it dries with the fruit attached, it keeps the typical Yirgacheffe character while adding tropical fruit, with citrus acidity, berry juice, honey sweetness and a creamy smoothness. To brew either one, try a V60 at 90-91°C with 15g of coffee, a 1:15 ratio, and a grind close to fine sugar (about 80% through a #20 sieve). Bloom with 30g for 30 seconds, pour to 95g, then finish to about 225g once the water drops two-thirds of the way down the bed; the brew should finish dripping in about 2 to 2 minutes 10 seconds.