What are the Flavor Characteristics of Hakugei Coffee Beans 6.0? Latest Ethiopian Hakugei Coffee 6.0 Flavor Review Information

The latest 2022 harvest of Queen of Flowers coffee has arrived as scheduled, named Queen of Flowers 6.0 to distinguish it from previous harvests. Fans of Queen of Flowers can visit FrontStreet Coffee stores to taste it, or purchase the beans from FrontStreet Coffee.

Why Is Queen of Flowers Coffee So Famous?

Queen of Flowers coffee first gained fame when Li Jianfei used it in the 2017 World Brewers Cup China region competition, where he achieved an excellent second-place finish. That might not sound like a significant event, but anyone watching the competition would notice that all the other competitors used Geisha coffee beans exclusively, which made Li Jianfei's use of Ethiopian heirloom varieties particularly striking.

Under these circumstances, the green coffee importer responsible for introducing this bean, Hong Shun, decided to sell it under the name "Queen of Flowers." The naming was a nod to the fact that this batch of beans could rival Geisha coffee, having even eliminated many Geisha competitors in the competition. Meanwhile, "Geisha" was originally translated as "Geisha coffee" on Chinese-language websites (in the Taiwan region) because "Gesha" sounds similar to "geisha" in Japanese, and Queen of Flowers refers to the foremost geisha. At the time, this bean truly enjoyed immense prestige.

Beyond that connection, Queen of Flowers beans hold another identity: they were the champion of the 2017 Taste of Harvest (TOH) natural process category. TOH is the largest green coffee cupping competition in Africa, making this bean arguably the best African coffee of 2017.

Where Does Queen of Flowers Coffee Come From?

Previously, Queen of Flowers coffee was identified as coming from the Hambela sub-region within the Guji zone of Sidamo, processed at the Buku washing station under DW Company. At that time, Queen of Flowers beans were produced in very limited quantities. Later, as Queen of Flowers coffee gained significant popularity in the Chinese market, the DW Company producing these beans established five independent specialty coffee drying stations in the Hambela area of Guji zone: "Buku Abel," "Tirtiro Goye," "Seke Bokosa," "Haro Soresa," and "Buku Saysay." Coffee beans produced at these stations can bear the "Queen of Flowers" designation.

Since Queen of Flowers beans were heavily promoted in 2017, each subsequent year's harvest has been named Queen of Flowers X.0 in chronological order. The 2018 beans were called "Queen of Flowers 2.0," the 2019 harvest was "Queen of Flowers 3.0," and so on, until this year, 2022, when Queen of Flowers 6.0 arrived.

Of course, as an agricultural product, coffee cannot maintain completely consistent flavors year after year, and "Queen of Flowers" is no exception. Strictly speaking, only the batch that won the TOH championship in 2017 can be considered the true Queen of Flowers, thanks to its distinctive rich creamy strawberry flavor and high recognizability. The subsequent "2.0" and "3.0" versions also had subtle strawberry notes, but these became increasingly faint over the years, giving way to more refreshing and comfortable citrus notes.

FrontStreet Coffee pre-orders the first batch of Queen of Flowers coffee from Hong Shun, the Queen of Flowers importer, each new harvest season. The green coffee supplier is very responsive, sending sample beans immediately upon receiving the new harvest. FrontStreet Coffee then promptly conducts roasting and cupping evaluations. Queen of Flowers 6.0 presents notes of orange blossom, red berries, and nectarine, with a juice-like mouthfeel. In terms of flavor profile, it shows more complexity than 5.0 while maintaining its juice-like character. Highly recommended.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy the bright, floral character of Ethiopian coffee, FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe is the classic place to start. Known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like body, it has become the first specialty coffee for many drinkers thanks to its accessible price. Yirgacheffe is a town in the Sidama zone of southern Ethiopia, at roughly 1,700-2,100 meters, with coffee trees planted above 1,800 meters, making it one of the highest coffee-growing regions in the world.

For more of a single-village expression, try FrontStreet Washed Gedingding Cooperative. Gedingding sits at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe, in the Worka region, and was originally part of the Worka Cooperative under the YCFCU. It follows the most traditional washed processing, and the cup is clean and bright, with fresh citrus and lemon acidity and jasmine fragrance rather than any traditional bitterness.

If you prefer fruitier, sweeter coffee, FrontStreet Sun-Dried Red Cherry uses whole ripe red cherries and a natural process. After three to five weeks of drying, the beans keep their typical Yirgacheffe character while gaining tropical fruit notes, delivering citrus-like acidity, a berry-juice body, honey sweetness, and a creamy smoothness. For brewing, FrontStreet suggests a V60 at 90-91°C, 15g of coffee, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and a grind around EK43s setting 10 (fine-sugar size, about 80% passing a #20 sieve).