Ethiopia Natural Yirgacheffe G1 Gedeb District Worka Processing Station 2017 Specialty Coffee Beans

Product Information

Manufacturer: Dazhen Coffee FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
Ingredients: House-roasted coffee beans
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Package Type: Bulk coffee beans
Roast Level: Raw or roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Ethiopia
Coffee Variety: Yirgacheffe
Roast Degree: Light roast

Coffee Details

Country: Ethiopia

Grade: G1

Region: Gedeb, Gedeb

Roast Level: Light roast

Processing Method: Natural (Sun-dried)

Variety: Local heirloom varieties

Processing Station: Woka

Flavor Profile: Peach aroma, strawberry, cantaloupe, pineapple juice

Yirgacheffe - Ethiopia's Premium Coffee Region

In the local language, "Yirga" means "to settle down" and "Cheffe" means "wetland," so Yirgacheffe means "let us settle and thrive in this wetland." Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia, sitting at an altitude of 1,700–2,100 metres in the northwestern part of Sidamo province, surrounded by mountains and lakes. It is one of Ethiopia's highest-altitude coffee-growing regions and has become a synonym for Ethiopian specialty coffee. Strictly speaking, Yirgacheffe is a sub-region within Ethiopia's Sidamo region that was distinguished for its unique flavour. Besides Yirgacheffe town, it includes three other sub-regions: Wenago, Kochere and Gelena/Abaya.

In 1959 the Yirgacheffe region introduced the washed processing method from South America. Most areas generally adopt washed processing, where cherries are pulped, then fermented and washed to remove the mucilage layer before drying. Since 2006, some processing stations in certain areas have adopted refined raised-bed sun-drying. This labour-intensive practice keeps the cherries off the ground, avoiding earthy off-flavours and creating exceptionally clean fruit flavours. After more than two weeks of sun-drying, the dark brown cherries are professionally stored to await full flavour maturation. Before sale, the dried pulp and parchment are removed, followed by sorting out underripe and over-fermented beans. Strict quality control has significantly improved the quality of natural-processed beans.

The cooperative is located in the southern part of Gedeb district. It was established in 2005 and joined the renowned Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU) the same year, and is known for producing high-quality natural-processed Yirgacheffe coffee. The Woka cooperative has approximately 300 coffee farmers. YCFCU was established in 2002 and includes 26 other cooperatives, serving over 45,000 coffee farmers.

The Woka cooperative operates under the YCFCU union and was established in 2005 as one of 22 primary cooperatives. Woka lies in the Gedeb area within the Gedeo administrative zone, a remote part of Yirgacheffe, 75 kilometres from the local coffee collection hub of Dilla town. The access roads are in poor condition, with a 20-kilometre dirt road from the cooperative to the main paved highway. The altitude is very high, around 1,800–1,900 metres. Because no chemical fertilisers or pesticides are used, Woka's smallholder farmers have obtained the Skal organic coffee certification recognised by the European Union. Just as Kochere is famous for washed processing, Woka is outstanding for natural processing — though both produce beans with both methods. In recent years natural processing has become increasingly refined, a clear improvement on the more extensive traditional methods used for hundreds of years. More attention goes to picking ripe cherries and to care during drying, which lets the beans retain the sweetness of the fruit pulp and a charming, light fermented wine-like flavour that washed processing does not give.

Natural-processed Yirgacheffe boasts an explosive peach aroma and captivating fruit acidity, with sweet flavours of strawberry, cantaloupe and pineapple juice on entry. It delivers clean fermented fruit sweetness and an elegant fruit-wine fragrance, with a sweet aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the peach and pineapple notes here appeal to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Washed Yirgacheffe is the clean, precise counterpart: white jasmine, citrus and lemon acidity over a tea-like body, with the region's typical sweetness. Brew it with 15g of coffee in a V60 at 90–91°C and a 1:15 ratio, grinding to about fine-sugar size (EK43s setting 10, 80% through a #20 sieve). Pour 30g for a 30-second bloom, add 95g, then finish to 225g in 2:00–2:10. For the fruit-forward side of the same region, FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Red Cherry layers berry juice, honey sweetness and a creamy, smooth body on top.