Is Yirgacheffe Pour-Over Coffee Black Coffee? How to Brew Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans for the Best Taste?

Is FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Pour-Over Coffee Black Coffee?

Of course, it's black coffee. Black coffee refers to a pure cup of coffee without any other additives. FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe black coffee is prepared using pour-over method. Before drinking, you can notice distinct white floral aromas, and when tasted, it reveals refreshing fruit acidity and elegant unfermented tea notes, with well-defined layers that are quite appealing. So, why is FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe coffee so popular? Today, let's explore this classic African coffee growing region to find out.

The Yirgacheffe Region

Located in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, Yirgacheffe is a small town in the southern Gedeo region, situated at an altitude of 1,700-2,100 meters. It originally belonged to the Sidamo region, but because the coffee produced there is exceptionally excellent with distinctive flavor profiles that stand on their own, it was established as an independent growing region.

It is bordered by three small growing regions: Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena Abaya. The coffee flavors produced in these areas are similar to Yirgacheffe, so Kochere is also classified within the Yirgacheffe regional category. The Yirgacheffe region has a total of 28 member cooperatives of various sizes, each with limited production. Coffee is typically grown in their backyards or intercropped with other crops, truly representing smallholder farming.

Initially, coffee in the Yirgacheffe region was processed using Africa's most traditional natural drying method for green coffee beans. Later, the local government introduced washing processing technology from Central and South America to improve coffee bean quality. They began using the washed processing method, which makes the coffee's acidity brighter and more lively, with fresher and more prominent floral and fruit aromas. FrontStreet Coffee's Guodingding Cooperative is a typical example of washed Yirgacheffe flavor, featuring light white floral notes, bright lemon-citrus acidity, and a refreshing green tea aftertaste.

Ethiopia's Coffee Trademark System

To promote the development of the coffee industry, the Ethiopian government registered the flavor profiles of three coffee growing regions (including Yirgacheffe Yirgacheffe®) as commercial trademarks in 2004. In 2008, they established the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX), where coffee is one of the auctioned commodities. The government implements quality grading and flavor classification for exported coffee to ensure buyers can purchase coffee with trademarked flavor profiles. The origins with Yirgacheffe flavor include Yirgacheffe, Wenago, Gelena Abaya, and Kochere.

However, not all coffee from these four administrative regions can be sold as "Yirgacheffe flavor" because it must first pass the Ethiopian government's flavor certification to confirm it possesses the "Yirgacheffe flavor" before using this trademark. FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe daily coffee bean selection is made from G2 grade washed Yirgacheffe coffee beans.

What is G2 Grade?

Ethiopian green coffee beans are divided into two main categories based on processing methods: natural and washed. They are then graded according to the number of defects and cupping performance. In Ethiopia's coffee grading system, grades start with G and are divided into 5 levels, with smaller numbers indicating higher grades. G1 grade requires no more than 3 defective beans per 300 grams of green coffee, while G2 grade allows 4-12 defective beans per 300 grams. Since manual selection is performed both before and after roasting, the gap in defective beans between G1 and G2 in their roasted state also narrows, making G2 grade Yirgacheffe a coffee bean with excellent cost-performance ratio.

Why Choose Washed Yirgacheffe?

The reason Yirgacheffe can have such a distinctive style, in addition to its natural terroir conditions, is largely due to the washed processing technology introduced from Central and South America by the Ethiopian government in 1972.

Farms using the washed method must build washing pools and have access to continuous fresh water, resulting in higher production costs. During processing, fermented beans are placed in the pool and moved back and forth, using the friction of the beans and the power of flowing water to wash the coffee beans until smooth and clean. Each step removes impurities and defective beans, resulting in more uniform green bean quality, and the final trading price is higher than naturally dried coffee. The washed process not only significantly reduces the defect rate of coffee but also gives Yirgacheffe its refreshing citrus tones and elegant white floral aromas, with overall flavors that are bright, delicate, and clean.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe daily coffee beans use washed processing and medium-light roasting, featuring classic Yirgacheffe flavor notes, suitable for various brewing methods including pour-over, cold brew, French press, and more. FrontStreet Coffee's daily bean series allows friends who are new to the coffee world to experience the basic flavors of growing regions at affordable prices, while the small packaging design also helps avoid waste from unfinished coffee. If you want to taste the classic aromas of Yirgacheffe, FrontStreet Coffee believes that hand-brewed extracted black coffee is most suitable.

Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: V60

Water Temperature: 92-93°C

Coffee Dose: 15g

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Fine sugar size (78% retention through #20 sieve)

Three-Stage Pouring: Use twice the amount of water as the coffee dose to wet the coffee bed, forming a dome and let it bloom for 30 seconds. Then use a small water stream to pour in concentric circles from inside out until reaching 125g, then pause. Wait until the coffee bed drops to half the height of the dripper, then continue with the same fine water stream for the third pour to 225g. Remove the dripper once all coffee liquid has filtered through, with a total time of about 2 minutes.

When ground into powder, the washed Yirgacheffe daily coffee beans emit honey and jasmine aromas. When FrontStreet Coffee pours hot water, it begins to release subtle berry notes. The hand-brewed black coffee presents bright lemon, citrus, and green tea flavors. As the temperature changes, berry, cream, and sugarcane notes emerge in the aftertaste, with a distinct sweet aftertaste and a clean, refreshing mouthfeel.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473