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    Home » Single Origin Coffee Beans » African Coffees » Ethiopian Coffee Beans

    Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans

    Known for its sweet flavor and aroma with a light to medium body. Ethiopian Yirgacheffes are spicy and fragrant, and are frequently reviewed and rated as some of the highest quality Arabica coffees in the world. Their premium reputation also often means they carry a premium price, but even so, they offer better value for your money than other comparables (such as Hawaiian Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain).

    Ethiopia Coffees
    • Growing Altitude: 1,700 - 2,200 meters above sea level
    • Arabica Variety: Heirloom Varietals
    • Harvest Period: October - December
    • Milling Process: Washed, Sun-dried
    • Aroma: Floral, Sweet
    • Flavor: Complex, Fruity, Tea, Floral, Lemon

    Yirgacheffe coffees are available as both regular and Fair Trade Organic certified.

    Jump to:
    • Review
    • Green Coffee
    • Roasting
    • Espresso
    • Brewing
    • Green Coffee Production
    • Green Coffee Exports
    • Facts

    Review

    Yirgacheffe coffee is a wet processed coffee grown at elevations from 1,700 to 2,200 meters above sea level, and is the considered the best high grown coffee in southern Ethiopia, an exotic coffee region known for fine coffees. These elevations qualify Yirgacheffes as Strictly High Grown (SHG) / Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) coffees, where coffees grow slowly due to the altitude, allowing additional time for the tree to deliver nutrients to the coffee and develop the best flavors.

    A fine Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee displays a bright acidity along with intense, clean tastes and a complexity of floral notes in the aroma, sometimes with a hint of toasted coconut. Cupping notes frequently mention the aftertaste being vibrant, and the coffee may exhibit undertones of berry or wine.

    Some premium Yirgacheffes tasting notes indicate it can have a slightly nutty or chocolaty. quality. Others display subtle tones of tangerine and citrus. These qualities make it a preferred varietal for a refreshing iced coffee.

    Yirgacheffe coffee is generally milder than Ghimbi coffee and also more aromatic and fruity, sometimes exhibiting a lemony tart twist. In contrast to the jammy and wild Ethiopian Harrars, the Yirgacheffes are high-toned, floral and citrusy.

    Green Coffee

    Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Green Coffees

    The town of Yirgacheffe (Irgachefe) is in Ethiopia's Sidama (or "Sidamo") area at an elevation of about 1,900 meters above sea level and is the administrative center of the coffees-growing district. Yirgacheffe coffee farmers are often members of the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU), which comprises 23 different member cooperatives, which consists of over 40,000 farmers. Members of the YCFCU are exempt from the Ethiopian Coffee Exchange (ECX), which allows them to receive a premium for their premium coffees, including Fair Trade and Organic certifications.

    Some Yirgacheffe farmers may also be members of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU), which more generally comprises small farmers from the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Consolidation of the processing, sorting and sales functions allows for greater market efficiencies and more control over the reputation of Ethiopian coffees. It allows for more stability for the farmers by spreading out payments throughout the year, which is largely beneficial to farmers who have yearly growing and harvesting seasons.

    These cooperatives ultimately provide the contact-point for exporters who sell the best unroasted green coffee beans to distributors and wholesalers in bulk, and ultimately, the roaster.

    Some say that the Yirgacheffe area is the site of coffee's origins, though there is some debate over this issue. See World's Best History of Coffee.

    Roasting

    A Medium Roast is best used for unroasted Yirgacheffe green coffee beans to allow its delicate qualities to shine and enhance the coffee's bright acidity.

    A Medium-Dark Roast or Dark Roast may be used for those who prefer their coffee a bit more heavy and sweet, but roasting dark tends to lose some of the finer qualities of a Yirgacheffe, for which you're usually paying a bit of a premium, lessening the value of that premium.

    Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans - Medium Roast
    Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans - Medium Roast

    The key to a great roast is always starting with a good unroasted green coffee from a reputable wholesaler. Green coffee importers typically have a range of Yirgacheffes on hand and can offer samples for new and experienced roasters alike to try.

    Among all of the planet's finest specialty arabica coffees Yirgacheffe consistently rates among the best tasting. Also see Ethiopian Coffee.

    Espresso

    These coffees do surprisingly well into an espresso roast, with the fruity flavors tending to remain prominent.

    We would err on the lighter side of an espresso roast, or simply a dark roast in an espresso machine.

    Brewing

    With great care taken through the growing, harvesting, processing, sorting, distribution, roasting and final delivery stages, how much you enjoy the final product will depend on your brewing method and preferences.

    Premium, high quality coffees like the Yirgacheffe should be enjoyed to the fullest - ground properly, and brewed slowly using a french press or pour over (eg. Chemex) without a paper filter so that the full spectrum of flavour can be experienced.

    Paper filters will strain out all of the coffee grounds leaving nothing at the bottom of your keep, which is typically seen as a positive, but it also removes most coffee oils, which contain much of the flavours.

    Personal tastes vary however, and you should brew your coffee how you enjoy it.

    A number of brands sell Ethiopian Yirgacheffes on Amazon, but special care must be taken to choose companies that ship from their own locations. Yirgacheffe is a highly rated coffee and should always be fresh roasted - if a company stocks roasted coffee on shelves, chances are it was roasted weeks or months prior and had to travel through distribution and get stocked before becoming available to purchase.

    This long waiting time results in a flat, flavorless coffee relative to what's possible from a company that roasts fresh to order. Starbucks also frequently features the Yirgacheffe as a single origin - not a blend - through their Starbucks reserve program.

    As always, we recommend buying whole bean to preserve freshness and grinding just before brewing.

    Buy Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans From Canada


    Green Coffee Production

    Year60kg bagsCoffee grown
    20166,600,000 bags871,200,000 pounds
    20156,713,975 bags886,244,753 pounds
    20146,625,262 bags874,534,558 pounds
    20136,527,444 bags861,622,595 pounds
    20126,233,007 bags822,756,871 pounds

    Green Coffee Exports

    Year60kg bagsCoffee exported
    201600 pounds
    20153,091,980408,141,360 pounds
    20142,872,260379,138,320 pounds
    20133,044,440401,866,080 pounds
    20123,166,010417,913,320 pounds

    Data may not be available for the most recent year.
    Source: ICO


    Facts

    Ethiopia is the #5 largest coffee growing country in the world, in 2015 they...
    produced 886,244,753 lbs
    exported 408,141,360 lbs
    That's only 46% exported!

    Sounds like a lot? It's actually 4.4% of the coffee grown worldwide.

    Ethiopia coffee is grown on mountainside "fincas" (farms) at 1500 to 2200 meters above sea level
    (that's 4,922 to 7,218 ft)


    Source: ICO

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Saad

      June 19, 2018 at 1:26 am

      Team,

      Can you deliver Unroasted green coffee beans to UAE ?

      Reply
      • Ahmed mohammed

        May 07, 2021 at 2:06 pm

        We can send you a sample of Yirgachefee green coffe coffee bean , would you like to taste ?

        Reply
    2. Barry Hayden

      January 02, 2018 at 12:18 pm

      I'd like some advice on dose size and grind - any comments?

      Reply
    3. Tshibase

      June 14, 2017 at 3:26 pm

      The best coffee i have ever had trust me have it as a pour over I'm a barista at Jarryds espresso bar and eatery sea point Capetown.

      Reply
    4. Purwo susanto

      May 23, 2017 at 5:02 pm

      I like The Ethiopian Yirgacheffe very much .
      The other competetive to this is The Jamaica Blue Mountain!
      WE have to Be carefull to buy The Blue Mountain from Jamaica not mixed with other Beans from other country,
      This make The Blue Mountain cheapef!

      Reply

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