Ethiopian Coffee Beans | Introduction to Yirgacheffe Amderdello ASD Processed Coffee Beans

When it comes to coffee, Ethiopia must be mentioned. As the universally recognized birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia has a long coffee history and countless native varieties. Located in northeastern Africa, it is dominated by mountainous plateau covering two-thirds of the country, with the Great Rift Valley running through the entire territory at an average altitude of nearly 3,000 meters. The high altitude, suitable climate, and fertile soil give Ethiopia exceptional natural conditions for coffee cultivation.

The Yirgacheffe Growing Region

Ethiopia has many famous coffee regions, such as Sidamo, Jima, and Harrar. Guji and Yirgacheffe were originally part of Sidamo but became independent growing regions because of their unique flavors.

The Yirgacheffe region originally belonged to Sidamo. Because the coffee produced near the town of Yirgacheffe has unique floral and citrus flavors, it became independent and established itself as a famous Ethiopian growing region. At an altitude of 1,700-2,100 meters, this is one of the highest-altitude coffee regions in the world. Fertile soil, abundant water, and a suitable climate produce coffee with distinctive citrus and floral notes. FrontStreet Coffee offers a washed Yirgacheffe as a representative selection for beginners, featuring jasmine, orange, and tropical fruit flavors, lemon acidity, and a soft, refreshing taste.

Taste of Harvest (TOH) Competition

Several African countries grow coffee, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. In 2000, these countries established the African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) to help African coffee-producing countries develop coffee trade and improve coffee quality. They also initiated the East Africa Taste of Harvest (TOH) competition, a green coffee cupping competition held by 11 African coffee-producing countries, similar to the international Cup of Excellence (COE) green coffee competition.

The TOH is divided into national competitions and an Africa regional final, using CQI and SAC green coffee cupping scoring standards. Winners of the national competitions can represent their countries in the Africa regional final. Among these, the relatively famous Amederaro coffee beans won the Ethiopian national championship and the Africa regional championship twice in 2019/2020, with competition scores as high as 90.7 points, making it a double champion.

The Amederaro Processing Station

The Yirgacheffe region has 28 member cooperatives, including the Konga Cooperative. This cooperative is located 5 kilometers south of Yirgacheffe town and is named after the nearby Konga river and Konga village. The Amederaro processing station is located in Konga and processes coffee grown at 2,200 meters. These coffees are planted in iron-rich red soil, and the high altitude combined with fertile land allows the coffee to develop high-quality, rich flavors.

Anaerobic Slow Dry (ASD)

Anaerobic Slow Dry, abbreviated as ASD, involves placing the harvested coffee fruits, with their pulp intact, into sealed tanks for anaerobic fermentation lasting up to 120 hours. After anaerobic fermentation, they are placed on drying beds for slow drying lasting up to 5 weeks. This processing method requires producers to invest more time and effort, but it lets the coffee beans develop richer, fuller aromas and flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Amederaro Coffee Beans

Region: Yirgacheffe Region

Estate/Processing Station: Amederaro Processing Station

Altitude: 2,200 meters

Variety: Native Varieties

Processing Method: Anaerobic Slow Dry (ASD)

Flavor: Citrus, Berries, Cream, Lemon, Rose Tea, White Grapes, Fermented Notes

FrontStreet Coffee's Amederaro coffee beans use the Anaerobic Slow Dry (ASD) processing method with a medium-light roast. FrontStreet Coffee brews with a V60 at a 1:15 ratio and 92°C water. You will notice a slight fermented aroma, with citrus, berry, rose tea, and white grape flavors on tasting, lemon-like acidity, and a smooth, tea-like mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you want to understand the Ethiopian region, begin with the most classic expression. FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe staple 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 many drinkers ever buy. Yirgacheffe, a small town in the Sidamo zone of southern Ethiopia at about 1,700-2,100 meters, is one of the highest coffee regions in the world, with trees planted above 1,800 meters, and its floral and citrus character has become a byword for Ethiopian specialty coffee.

The Gotiti Cooperative shows what careful washing can add. Many people know Yirgacheffe but not that smallholders there deliver their cherries to cooperatives for centralized processing. Gotiti, in the Woka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe, was originally part of the Woka cooperative under the Yirgacheffe union YCFCU before becoming an independent single origin in 2012. Following the most traditional washed processing, the beans carry no traditional bitterness, bringing their own fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity and jasmine fragrance that wins many drinkers over on the first sip.

For something more fruit-forward, FrontStreet Coffee's Sun-Dried Red Cherry uses only fully ripe, sound cherries, which are screened and then dried on raised beds, turned every two to three hours over the first few days to avoid uneven heating and over-fermentation. After three to five weeks of sun drying, the pulp is scraped off by machine and the beans are moved to storage. Because the fruit dries with the pulp on, the coffee keeps the classic Yirgacheffe profile while gaining tropical fruit from the sun drying, showing citrus acidity, a juicy berry body, honeyed sweetness, and a creamy smoothness.