Ethiopian Coffee Beans｜Introduction to Buku Abel Processing Plant's Guji Hambella "Flower Queen 7.0"

When it comes to coffee, many people think of Ethiopia, as it is widely recognized as the birthplace of coffee. Ethiopia has a long history of coffee cultivation and is the world's largest coffee gene bank. With numerous coffee varieties, it is estimated that Ethiopia now has between 10,000 to 15,000 coffee varieties, although most have not yet undergone formal genetic identification.

Ethiopian Coffee

Ethiopia is located in northeastern Africa, with mountainous plateaus covering two-thirds of the country. The Great Rift Valley runs through the entire territory, with an average altitude of nearly 3,000 meters. The high altitude, suitable climate, and fertile soil give Ethiopia exceptionally favorable natural conditions for coffee cultivation. This has also made Ethiopia the largest Arabica coffee producing country in Africa.

Ethiopia's domestic industry is weak, with the national economy dominated by agriculture, making it a traditional agricultural country. Consequently, coffee cultivation is mostly on a smallholder scale. Coffee is grown alongside other crops near farmers' homes, tended to daily by the farmers, and harvested by them during the harvest season. The coffee is then either purchased by intermediaries or delivered by farmers themselves to nearby processing stations. This model accounts for more than half of Ethiopia's total coffee production.

Guji Region

Ethiopia has multiple coffee producing regions, with Guji, Yirgacheffe, and Sidama being among the most famous. The Guji region was formerly part of the Sidama region but was designated as an independent new region by the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) in 2010 due to its excellent and highly distinctive flavor profile. Located in southern Ethiopia, the region features towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys, and plains, with complex and varied terrain that creates diverse microclimates. The geology consists of volcanic soil, with most areas being undeveloped or undisturbed dense forests. The average altitude is above 1,800 meters, with large temperature differences between day and night, which slows the growth of coffee cherries and allows for the development of rich flavors in coffee beans. The Guji region also contains several sub-regions, such as Hambella, Uraga, and Shakiso, with Hambella being particularly known for its "Flower Queen" coffee beans.

Hambella

Hambella is the birthplace of "Flower Queen" coffee beans and one of the sub-regions that has made Guji coffee famous. The western part of Hambella faces the Kochere Mountains of Yirgacheffe, with cultivation altitudes reaching 2,100-2,300 meters. To the southeast and north, it borders other Guji sub-regions: Shakiso and Uraga. The area's greatest advantage lies in its dense forests, which provide abundant natural fertilizer. Currently, there are about 20 processing plants of various scales in the Hambella region, with the harvest period from November to January of the following year.

Flower Queen Coffee

Flower Queen coffee beans are a natural processed variety from the "Buku Abel" processing plant in Hambella, owned by DW Company. This coffee bean gained fame in the 2017 TOH (Ethiopia National Taste of Harvest Competition), where the Flower Queen coffee won first place with its outstanding strawberry cream flavor. In the same year, Li Jianfei from Beijing, who was the runner-up in the China region of the World Brewers Cup, also used Flower Queen coffee beans to achieve his runner-up position, further enhancing the reputation of these coffee beans.

Because this bean has rich strawberry and cream aromas, Chinese green bean importers named it "Flower Queen." Later, DW Company expanded to four processing plants in Hambella, adding "Buku Saysay," "Haro Soresa," and "Tirtiro Goye" to the original "Buku Abel," with an annual production capacity of approximately 1,100 tons of coffee. Subsequently, Flower Queen 2.0 was launched in 2018, followed by 3.0 and 3.1 in 2019. Every year since, a Flower Queen x.0 series has been released, with the latest being Flower Queen 7.0. However, with DW Company's annual expansion of processing plants and increased production, its flavor profile differs significantly from the Flower Queen coffee beans that became famous in 2017.

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Guji Region Flower Queen 7.0

Region: Guji Region
Estate/Processing Plant: DW Company Buku Abel Processing Plant
Altitude: 2,250-2,350 meters
Variety: Heirloom
Processing Method: Natural
Flavor: Citrus, Apricot, Passion Fruit, Fermented Aroma, Tea Sensation

FrontStreet Coffee's current Flower Queen 7.0 coffee beans are naturally processed and lightly to medium roasted. FrontStreet Coffee uses V60 with a 1:15 ratio and 92°C water temperature for brewing. You'll notice a slight fermented aroma, with passion fruit-like acidity, citrus, and apricot flavors, a soft mouthfeel, and a refreshing tea sensation.

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