African Ethiopia Coffee Characteristics: How Good is Ethiopia's Best Coffee

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Ethiopian Coffee

Ethiopia is a developing country in northeastern Africa, yet it is world-renowned as a coffee-producing region.

Ethiopia holds the world's most diverse coffee ecosystem, spanning forest coffee, semi-forest coffee, garden coffee and plantation coffee, and that diversity has preserved a rich Arabica genetic heritage. Add to this a range of processing methods, from natural and washed to semi-washed, and the result is a complex and varied flavor landscape. In a sense, the flavor profiles of most coffee regions around the world can be found here, which is why Ethiopia is often called the inclusive "king of flavors." Ethiopia is also the cradle of Arabica coffee, and growing, roasting and brewing it is a cultural heritage unique to the region.

Yirgacheffe is a small town in eastern Ethiopia sitting at 1800-2000m. In the ancient language, "Yirga" means "to settle down" and "Cheffe" means "wetland." Yirgacheffe belongs to the Sidamo producing region, and its signature jasmine aroma and citrus acidity have made it a favorite among specialty coffee lovers worldwide. That profile is known simply as the "Yirgacheffe" flavor. Based on the defect rate of green beans, Yirgacheffe is graded G1 through G5 from best to worst. It is usually washed, though a small amount of premium beans is deliberately processed naturally to boost the fruit aroma and body.

The Sidamo producing region sits very close to Yirgacheffe and shares a similar profile. With careful washed or natural processing it also delivers floral and citrus notes with smooth acidity, matching Yirgacheffe in quality. Like Yirgacheffe, its beans are medium-sized, though dwarf small-grain varieties exist as well. Sidamo coffee is typically roasted light to medium to preserve the variety's bright acidity and heady floral aroma.

Yirgacheffe is one of Ethiopia's nine major producing regions and mostly follows the garden coffee model, with only a small number of large estates. Its grading system is not based on bean size but on the proportion of defective beans in the green lot.

Only lots that are hand-sorted to the lowest defect rate can earn the top grade, Grade 1.

Our Mission

In short, FrontStreet Coffee is a dedicated coffee research house that is happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. We share freely because we want more people to fall in love with coffee. We also run three low-price coffee events every month, because we want more people to enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price. That has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years.

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Nothing illustrates the Yirgacheffe story better than FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe, a daily-drinker lot known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a clean tea-like body. Its friendly price also makes it the first specialty coffee many newcomers try. The town of Yirgacheffe sits in southern Ethiopia's Sidamo region at roughly 1700-2100m, with the trees planted above 1800m, making it one of the highest coffee regions in the world. In 2010, its reputation grew so large that the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange separated it from the Sidamo region, which is how the now-familiar Yirgacheffe name came to stand on its own.

For a more focused expression, FrontStreet Coffee's Gutingding cooperative comes from the Worka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe. It was once part of the Worka cooperative under the YCFCU and later emerged as a single-origin lot in its own right, and it still follows the most traditional washed processing. The cup carries no traditional bitterness, instead bringing fresh and bright citrus and lemon acidity with jasmine fragrance.

For added fruit sweetness and body, FrontStreet Coffee's Red Cherry is a natural-process Yirgacheffe, made only from fully ripe, sound cherry that is dried on raised beds for three to five weeks. Drying with the fruit still on gives it the classic Yirgacheffe character plus a tropical lift: citrus acidity, a berry-juice body, honeyed sweetness and a creamy smoothness.

To brew any of them, use a V60 with water at 90-91°C, 15g of coffee and a 1:15 ratio. Grind to about the size of caster sugar, or EK43s setting 10 (80% passing a #20 sieve). Pour 30g for a 30-second bloom, then add 95g to reach about 125g on the scale over roughly one minute. When the water level drops to two-thirds of the bed, add the remaining 100g to reach about 225g, finishing that pour at around 1 minute 35 seconds. Drawdown should complete in 2:00-2:10, after which you can remove the dripper.