Introduction to Flavor and Taste Characteristics of Premium Coffee Yirgacheffe - Features of Washed and Natural Process Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans

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People who frequent cafes should be familiar with the name Yirgacheffe. Some might say it's a province, others say it's a growing region, and some believe it's a specific type of coffee bean.

Actually, Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia, sometimes also translated as "Yigacheffe." Any coffee beans produced in this town are called Yirgacheffe coffee beans. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will chat with you about how charming the coffee beans from this region are!

Where is Yirgacheffe?

Originally, Yirgacheffe was a small town belonging to the Sidamo province of Ethiopia. However, in 1995, when Ethiopia's administrative divisions were reorganized, Sidamo was no longer an administrative region, and Yirgacheffe was classified under the Gedeo zone.

Later, coffee traders discovered that coffee beans from the Yirgacheffe area had very special white floral aromas along with lemon and citrus notes, which were highly loved by consumers. Therefore, many people would specifically select coffee beans from the Yirgacheffe region before export, hoping to sell them at better prices.

It wasn't until 2009 that the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange implemented a certification in several specific regions (Wenago, Yigacheffe, Kochere, Gelena~Abaya), dividing them into classic Yirgacheffe flavor (Yigacheffe A) and non-classic Yirgacheffe flavor (Yigacheffe B). This means that the Yirgacheffe you drink in cafes today might not actually come from the "Yirgacheffe" place, but still carries the Yirgacheffe name, similar to how Yonghe soy milk doesn't necessarily come from Yonghe.

The Cooperative Origins of Yirgacheffe

Currently, most Yirgacheffe we can drink refers to a region or area. Within the Yirgacheffe region, there are also many coffee bean processing cooperatives, such as Kochere, Worka, Gotiti, Chelelektu, Misty Valley, Konga, and others that are well-known and frequently heard of.

When trading these beans, green coffee suppliers typically label them as Yirgacheffe + cooperative name to indicate that these beans come from a specific village and cooperative in Yirgacheffe. Most Ethiopian coffees are related to place names, but not all varieties are classified by place names. For example, the FrontStreet Coffee Sidamo Natural Flower Queen 8.0 on FrontStreet Coffee's menu is a pleasant name given by domestic green coffee traders to highlight its selling points.

Why Are Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans So Charming?

Yirgacheffe is located in the coffee belt, with an altitude ranging from 1700 to 2100 meters, making it one of the highest altitude coffee growing regions in the world and very suitable for the growth and cultivation of Arabica coffee beans. At the same time, this area has historically been wetland, with sufficient water, high altitude, and terrain creating rich microclimates and large temperature differences between day and night, plus the soil here is rich in phosphate.

Under the combination of these excellent conditions, Yirgacheffe coffee beans have bright acidity, accompanied by white floral aromas and tea-like aftertaste. Compared to the traditional understanding that coffee is only mellow, rich, and bitter, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe coffee has a fresh and clean flavor profile, with acidity that is truly eye-opening.

When FrontStreet Coffee cupped multiple coffee beans from Yirgacheffe, they discovered that coffee beans from this region typically have distinct citrus and berry aromas in their dry fragrance, or fresh white floral notes. The wet fragrance is often like honey, with gentle sweetness and full juice sensation intertwining and blending, light and lively, with a delicate finish that leaves one wanting more.

How to Brew Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans for Better Taste?

To make a delicious cup of Yirgacheffe coffee, you first need to use freshly roasted coffee beans ground fresh for brewing. This is why FrontStreet Coffee insists on selling coffee beans roasted within 5 days - to ensure our friends receive coffee beans with the best aroma and flavor. The optimal tasting period for freshly roasted coffee beans is 30 days.

To preserve the bright acidity characteristic of FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee roasts them to a medium-light level. Therefore, the coffee bean structure doesn't change much during the roasting process, and the substances inside are not easily extracted. For this reason, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using medium-fine grinding (80% pass rate through China #20 standard sieve) with 90-91°C hot water for brewing.

Filter: Hario V60; Dose: 15g; Water temperature: 90°C; Grind size: Medium-fine (80% pass rate through China standard #20 sieve); Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15; Segmented extraction.

Use 30g of water to bloom for 30 seconds, then pour with a small water stream in the center to 125g for the first segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level completely drops and the coffee bed is exposed, remove the filter cup. (Timing starts from the beginning of blooming) Total extraction time is 2 minutes.

Important Notice :

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