What Are the Characteristics of African Coffee Beans - Introduction to African Coffee Varieties

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Characteristics of African Coffee

African coffee is generally characterized by its rich aroma and captivating fruit acidity. Its bright acidity is lively and refreshing, but African coffee often tends to be somewhat thin in body, with sweetness not being particularly prominent. Due to drought and water scarcity in Africa, natural processing methods are commonly used for green beans. The coffee beans are often not uniform in appearance and have a higher defect rate. Next, we will briefly introduce the African coffee varieties available at FrontStreet Coffee.

I. Ethiopia

Coffee cultivation in Ethiopia is mainly concentrated in the western and southern regions, with three major areas producing African coffee beans: Harrar, Ghimbi, and Sidamo, or Yirgacheffe.

Coffee Cultivation Models in Ethiopia

● Forest coffee (8-10%): Coffee trees coexist with other crops in pristine forests without any artificial management. Farmers regularly harvest coffee cherries.

● Semi-forest coffee (30-35%): Coffee tree cultivation areas are situated between forests and farmers' living areas. Coffee trees are the same natural varieties as forest coffee, and farmers manage the coffee tree cultivation areas while planting other cash crops.

● Garden coffee (50-55%): Coffee trees are planted around farmers' living areas, mostly self-cultivated by farmers.

● Plantation coffee (5-6%): Large private growers with more processing facilities and production capacity.

Coffee Processing Methods in Ethiopia

● Natural processing: This is the most traditional processing method. The Harrar region, due to extreme drought and lack of water conditions for washing, exclusively produces naturally processed coffee. Other regions such as Sidama, Yirgacheffe, Guji, and Jimma also produce natural processed coffee.

● Washed processing: Compared to natural processing, this method has higher requirements for processing equipment, water resources, and processing plant environments, but can more stably produce high-quality coffee in bulk. All production areas except Harrar have washed processing methods.

● Honey processing: In recent years, items identified as Kochere honey processed have gradually appeared on the market.

Different processing methods represent different flavor characteristics. The basic flavor profiles are as follows:

● Washed: Citrus fruits, similar to lemon, orange, tangerine, and grapefruit. The intensity ranges from obvious citrus fruit (peel) aroma to varying levels of fruit acidity—from gentle small tangerines to medium-intensity oranges, to more refreshing lemon and grapefruit acidity.

● Natural: Aromatic notes of ripe yellow, red, and black fruits, such as apricot, peach, cherry, strawberry, cranberry (dried), blueberry (dried), and plum, often accompanied by varying degrees of wine-like aromas, such as rum, whiskey, and even red wine (beaujolais). Below are several Ethiopian coffees from FrontStreet Coffee.

1. FrontStreet Coffee Red Honey Red Cherry Coffee

Region: Yirgacheffe Idido

Altitude: 2000-2200m

Processing Method: Red Honey

Variety: Local Heirloom

Grade: G1

Flavor: Aroma of ginger flower, with citrus, lemon, and fruit candy notes on entry. Mid-palate features cedar aroma, honey sweetness, and oolong tea sensation. The finish has a persistent creamy aftertaste.

The most distinctive feature of this coffee is its red honey processing. In 2007, Trabocca, the largest green coffee importer in the Netherlands, launched the "Red Cherry Project" to pursue high-quality Ethiopian coffee. According to the project requirements, fully ripe red coffee cherries must be hand-picked. This plan was far from simple. It required careful, observant, and hardworking Ethiopian women who were important promoters of the Red Cherry Project. Its unique flavor fully showcases Ethiopian coffee characteristics.

Honey processing refers to the method of sun-drying coffee beans with their mucilage intact. After removing the outer pulp from coffee beans, a viscous gelatinous substance remains. Traditional washed processing uses clean water to wash it away. The pectin mucilage is the part with the highest sugar content in coffee cherries and an important component of coffee processing fermentation. It can be said that this part determines 80% of the nutrient supply during processing. Yellow honey retains 60% of the pectin, red honey retains 75%, and black honey retains almost all pectin. However, due to water resource limitations in some high-altitude areas, this direct sun-drying method was developed.

2. FrontStreet Coffee Natural Red Cherry Coffee

Region: Yirgacheffe

Processing Station: Aricha

Altitude: 2300 meters

Variety: Local Heirloom

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Flavor: Berries, lemon, strawberry, fermented wine aroma.

Natural processing is the oldest and most primitive coffee processing method. This natural red cherry coffee involves placing entire coffee cherries with intact pulp and skin on raised beds for sun-drying, isolating them from ground contact to prevent earthy off-flavors from direct sun exposure. After more than two weeks of sun-drying, the dark brown coffee cherries are stored for full flavor development. Before shipment, the processing station removes coffee beans from the cherries. This natural processing method results in lower acidity, noticeable sweetness, and body, though not as clean as washed processing.

3. FrontStreet Coffee Gedeb Coffee

Region: Yirgacheffe Gedeo Zone

Altitude: 1900-2300 meters

Variety: Heirloom

Processing Method: Washed

Grade: G1

Flavor: Citrus and black tea on entry, with cream, caramel, and almond notes as temperature changes. The aftertaste is distinctly sweet with a clean, refreshing profile.

4. FrontStreet Coffee Kochere Coffee

Region: Yirgacheffe Kochere

Variety: Local Heirloom

Altitude: 1650-1800 meters

Processing Method: Washed Processing

Grade: G1

Flavor: Lemon, floral notes, tangerine, cane sugar. Overall clean and refreshing, with honey flavors and oolong tea aftertaste in the finish.

Kochere's production model mainly involves local small farmers delivering batches to cooperatives for unified processing. Advanced processing equipment enables the Kochere region to consistently achieve high standards in washed processing, offering clean sweetness with complex molasses and citrus notes.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Kochere differs from general batches of green coffee beans, belonging to the highest specification G1 grade. It strongly expresses regional flavor characteristics, featuring clean and fresh lemon aroma with refined and elegant jasmine flower notes, along with rich flavors and aromas of melon, citrus, ginger, and spice tea.

5. FrontStreet Coffee Worka Coffee

Region: Yirgacheffe Worka

Altitude: 1800-2000 meters

Processing Method: Washed

Variety: Local Heirloom

Flavor: Lemon, jasmine floral aroma, brown sugar, cane sugar.

The Worka Cooperative was established in 2005 and is known for producing high-quality natural processed Yirgacheffe coffee. It uses refined washed processing, placing coffee in washing tanks for approximately 72 hours to ferment and remove parchment. Some of the acid produced during pectin fermentation enters the beans. Simultaneously, since no pectin or mucilage remains attached to the parchment during drying, it lacks the distinctive fruitiness of natural processed coffee, with flavors leaning toward clean and bright acidity, which is also more pronounced. It is then placed on raised beds for drying, undergoes manual selection, and is exported after passing inspection by the Ethiopian Coffee Authority. The coffee flavor exhibits pure and refreshing characteristics.

6. FrontStreet Coffee Aricha Coffee

Region: Yirgacheffe Gedeb

Variety: Heirloom

Altitude: 1900-2100 meters

Processing Method: Natural

Flavor: Subtle fermented wine aroma, sweet tangerine, spice notes, honey sweetness.

There are many high-quality coffee processing stations in the Yirgacheffe region, and many coffees from these stations have become extremely valuable. The natural processed Yirgacheffe from Kebel Aricha Mill is one of them. This coffee is also what we commonly call ARICHA beans, processed by the Kebel Aricha station using refined natural methods and classified as Gr.1 or G1 (Ethiopia's highest coffee grade) by ECX, earning it the title "King of Fruits." Every coffee from this processing station can be considered high-quality specialty processed coffee, with characteristics that surpass other coffees regardless of processing method. Coffee beans from here can be considered the best in the Yirgacheffe region. This natural processed coffee has slightly larger beans with lower density and moisture content. It's incredibly smooth on entry with delicate body, and the emergence of ripe fruit sweetness is truly astonishing. The sweetness exceeds any Yirgacheffe previously tasted.

7. FrontStreet Coffee Konga Coffee

Region: Yirgacheffe, Keble Konga

Altitude: 1800-2000 meters

Processing Method: Natural

Variety: Heirloom

Processing Station: Konga

Flavor: Berries, cantaloupe, lemon, citrus, lychee

Grade: G3

The Konga Cooperative was established in 2002 and is located in a small area of Gedeo, Yirgacheffe town in southern Ethiopia. It is one of the members of the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU). This cooperative uses no chemical fertilizers or pesticides during coffee cultivation, thus obtaining organic coffee certification and being an excellent member of the YCFCU alliance.

8. FrontStreet Coffee Ninety+ Chelan Coffee

Region: 90+SNNP, Sidama

Altitude: 1750-2000 meters

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Variety: Heirloom

Flavor: Floral aroma, nectarine, tropical fruits, blackberry, blueberry, plum, cream, cinnamon.

"90+" does not refer to all coffees scoring above 90 points; it refers to a premium coffee series of 13 flavor profiles. Ninety+ green beans all come from Ethiopian heirloom varieties, including the Gesha variety from Panamanian estates, which was transplanted from Ethiopian heirloom varieties. Sometimes they appear in different estates, possessing various flavor characteristics. During processing, coffee professionals separate these coffees by variety, climate, and harvest timing, tasting each one individually. They are like works of art approaching perfection. Coffee professionals pour their hearts into making them achieve optimal flavor, presenting them in their most perfect form. The pursuit of ultimate flavor by "90+" is truly admirable, and their sustainable development model and environmental practices are learning objectives for many coffee producers.

9. FrontStreet Coffee Cup of Excellence (COE) #22 Coffee

Region: Ethiopia, Sidamo, Arsi

Producer: Adem Banta Sute

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Variety: Typica

Flavor: Sweet and sour notes of strawberry and lychee, fermented wine aroma, creamy smoothness, honey-like aftertaste.

West Arsi has an altitude of 1900-2200 meters and is located in the western part of the Sidamo region. The area's name comes from a branch of the Oromo people who have long lived here. About 88.52% of West Arsi's population is Oromo, which is very important in coffee history because they were the first tribe in human history to drink coffee. Half of Ethiopia's coffee production comes from this region.

In the 2020 Ethiopian COE competition, 28 coffees stood out with scores exceeding 87 points. Among these, 3 coffees scoring above 90 points all came from the Sidamo region. FrontStreet Coffee secured the #22 position in this year's COE with a natural processed Typica from Sidamo Arsi, grown by Adem Banta Sute and scoring 87.64 points.

10. FrontStreet Coffee Washed Yirgacheffe Coffee

Region: Yirgacheffe

Altitude: 1800-2000 meters

Processing Method: Washed Processing

Variety: Local Heirloom

Flavor: Aroma of lemon and nuts, lemon acidity on entry, clean cane sugar sweetness with subtle floral notes, and oolong tea finish.

11. FrontStreet Coffee Geisha Village Gold Label Coffee

Region: Bench Maji

Altitude: 1909-2069 meters

Variety: Gorigeisha

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Flavor: Fermented wine aroma, gentle citrus and strawberry acidity on entry, nutty and creamy sweetness in mid-palate, cane sugar sweetness; as temperature drops, notes of strawberry jam and fresh lemon emerge.

Geisha Village Coffee Estate is completely different from most Ethiopian farms - it's not a small farm but a large 500-hectare estate with its own washing station and laboratory, located in the southwest near the Sudan border. The most special feature is that the entire farm only grows Geisha varieties, rather than the typical Ethiopian heirloom varieties of uncertain classification.

Geisha Village divides the farm into 8 zones with 3 main Geisha varieties. Geisha seeds are collected from nearby forests, not from Panama. Geisha Village coffee grading includes: Auction, Gold Label, Red Label, Green Label, and CHAKA. Geisha coffee is an original Arabica variety that is particularly selective about growing conditions, requiring high altitude, cloud shade, fertile soil, and sufficient accumulated temperature.

This Gold Label Geisha uses natural processing. First, floating debris and impurities are removed, then thin layers are spread on African raised beds covered with plastic sheeting for sun-drying. During drying on the beds, secondary selection is performed to remove insect-damaged beans and greenish coffee beans. Total drying time is 18-30 days.

12. FrontStreet Coffee Geisha Village Red Label Coffee

Region: Ethiopia Bench Maji

Estate: Geisha Village Estate

Altitude: 1909-2069 meters

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Variety: Gorigeisha

Flavor: Tropical fruits, citrus, cream, fermented fruit aroma, pineapple, green tea. Overall feeling is quite balanced.

FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Village Estate Red Label Geisha comes from the estate in Ethiopia's Bench Maji region. This Red Label batch comes from the Shewa-Jibabu plot in the northwest of the estate, where coffee trees are planted at altitudes between 1973 and 2069 meters.

13. FrontStreet Coffee Geisha Chaka Coffee

Region: Bench Maji

Altitude: 1900-2100 meters

Variety: Gori Gesha, Gesha 1931, Illubabor

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Flavor: Citrus, grapefruit, plum, nuts, cream, oolong tea, floral notes, brown sugar. Overall feeling is quite rich and full-bodied.

II. Burundi

Burundi is a landlocked country located on the steep East African Rift Valley with complex terrain. The magnificent ridge rising suddenly from the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika forms the watershed between Africa's two major river systems - the Nile and Congo - earning it the beautiful title "Heart of Africa." Through Belgian introduction, Burundi began growing coffee in 1930, with varieties mostly being Bourbon series, similar to neighboring Rwanda. Coffee grows at high altitudes between 1750 and 2000 meters.

Like other East African countries, Burundi has its own special processing method called double washing (or double fermentation). Coffee processed this way always has extremely clean and bright flavors.

1. Heart of Africa

Region: Rutana Town

Altitude: 1400 to 1700 meters

Variety: Bourbon

Processing Method: Washed Processing

Flavor: Aroma of tangerine and tea. Black plum and tangerine flavors on entry with rich mouthfeel. Mid to late palate features nutty caramel sweetness. The flavor is wild with strong lingering taste and aroma in the mouth, with a rich and persistent finish.

III. Kenya

Most Kenyan coffee grows at altitudes between 1500-2100 meters, with two harvests per year. Its main characteristic is distinct fruit aroma, commonly citrus. Kenyan coffee has multi-layered flavors and juice-like acidity, with perfect grapefruit and wine notes, moderate body, making it a favorite single-origin among many coffee professionals.

Kenya Assalia and Kenya Sasini: Kenya K72 processing method.

General coffee beans rarely ferment for more than 36 hours in washing tanks, but Kenyan fermentation lasts up to 72 hours - what we commonly call 72-hour washing, also known as double washing.

After 30-48 hours of fermentation, the surface pectin layer is removed, followed by a 24-hour clean water soaking process. This additional soaking step immediately brings out the bright, clean flavors of the coffee beans. The drying process is also carefully managed - coffee is placed on specially designed net racks with upper and lower ventilation, which helps prevent moisture and ensures even drying while avoiding earthy off-flavors from ground contact.

1. Sasini

Origin: Kiambu Region

Estate: Sasini Estate

Altitude: 1680 meters

Variety: SL28, SL34 & Ruiru

Processing Method: Washed Processing

Flavor: Distinct black plum, cherry tomato, honey, with slight nuts when cool. Juice-like mouthfeel with bright acidity.

Sasini Estate is located in the Kiambu region at altitudes between 1500 and 2000 meters. This area features beautiful scenery and pleasant climate, abundant sunshine, and fertile acidic red soil that is loose and deep, providing good drainage. The water pH ranges between 5.5-6.5. Sasini grade is Kenya AA.

2. Assalia

Region: Thika, Kenya

Processing Station: Asali Honey Processing Station

Altitude: 1550-1750 meters

Variety: SL-28, SL-34

Processing Method: 72-hour Washing

Flavor: Wet aroma of mature tomato and flowers. At high temperature, entry shows caramel and brown sugar sweetness. As temperature slightly drops, cherry tomato and black plum acidity emerge. Bright acidity, clean mouthfeel, medium body, prominent mid-palate sweetness with juice-like character.

"Asali" means "honey" in Swahili (Kenya's official languages are English and Swahili). The Asali Honey Processing Station is located in the Thika region of Kenya's Aberdare Mountains in the Great Rift Valley, bordering Ethiopia to the east. The station's green bean processing is primarily washed, graded by bean size, with final cupping determining actual value. Assalia grade is Kenya AA TOP.

IV. Rwanda

Rwanda is located in central Africa and is a standard landlocked country, with all neighboring countries being major coffee-producing nations. In the early 20th century, Rwanda successively became a colony of Germany and Belgium, with German missionaries first introducing coffee.

It wasn't until after Rwanda's independence and the establishment of the first official coffee organization OCIR that attention gradually turned to coffee bean production. Rwanda's coffee production continued to grow from the 1960s-1980s, reaching an unprecedented peak in 1986, until political instability began in the early 1990s (Rwandan genocide) that halted the coffee industry.

Rwanda has a temperate and tropical highland climate with average temperatures between 24.6-27°C. Its temperatures are lower than typical equatorial countries, but coffee cultivation in mountainous western regions has even lower temperatures than eastern lowlands, with greater temperature differences. For example, Lake Kivu in the north has an average altitude of 1463 meters with average daily temperatures around 22°C. Combined with fertile volcanic soil, it's very suitable for coffee cultivation.

Rwandan coffee is primarily washed processed. The washed processing method involves floating harvested coffee cherries to remove low-density fruits, then depulping, followed by fermenting pectin-covered beans in water pools. After fermentation completion, clean water is used to wash away the pectin layer, and finally the coffee beans are dried to reduce moisture content to 11-13%. FrontStreet Coffee believes that washed coffee has higher acidity, good cleanliness, and stable overall performance.

1. Gasharu

Coffee Region: Nyamasheke

Processing Station: Gasharu Processing Station

Altitude: 1700 to 2000 meters

Processing Method: Washed Processing

Coffee Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai

Flavor: Delicious citrus-like sweet aroma, bright acidity, berries, apples, citrus, with honey sweetness in mid-palate, high-quality sweetness and balance, with almond and chocolate aftertaste.

V. Tanzania

Tanzania is a typical East African country, bordering Kenya and Uganda to the north, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to the south, and Rwanda and Burundi to the west. When mentioning Tanzanian coffee, many people think of Kilimanjaro coffee. FrontStreet Coffee finds Tanzanian coffee has less bright acidity, showing gentler and more approachable beauty, with more sweet aroma. Rich red wine notes are also a characteristic of Tanzanian coffee.

Kilimanjaro is Tanzania's largest coffee-producing region, and Kilimanjaro coffee is also an important economic lifeline for Tanzania. Kilimanjaro coffee comes from Africa's highest mountain range - Mount Kilimanjaro - in northeastern Tanzania. Local small farmers grow coffee at altitudes between 1300-2000m, nurtured by volcanic ash and produced at high altitudes, resulting in excellent quality coffee beans.

1. Kilimanjaro

Region: Northern Highlands, Kilimanjaro Volcanic Region

Variety: Bourbon

Processing Method: Washed

Grade: AA

Altitude: 1300-2000 meters

Flavor: Honey, berries, tea notes.

Tanzanian coffee is mostly processed using the washed method. After harvesting, coffee farmers deliver coffee cherries to the nearest processing station for processing. FrontStreet Coffee's Tanzania Kilimanjaro also uses washed processing. The washed processing steps are:

1. Screen and remove impurities mixed in coffee cherries

2. Remove coffee pulp and outer skin

3. Send to fermentation tanks to remove the pectin layer adhering to the inner parchment through fermentation

4. Clean and then proceed with drying

Above is a general overview of African coffee varieties from FrontStreet Coffee. For more coffee varieties, please consult in-store.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, ID: kaixinguoguo0925

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