Many who are seasoned in specialty coffee remember the first time trying a coffee from the Yirgacheffe region in Ethiopia. Reviews vary slightly but generally follow a similar theme: “I can’t believe coffee can taste like this”.

For some, it was a washed process– teeming with delicate florals and bright citrus, more reminiscent of drinking tea than coffee. For others, it was a natural with that (now all-too-well known) blueberry sweetness that made them wonder if they were drinking a "flavoured" coffee. Those of us entrenched in the industry now know coffee can be a lot wilder than a Yirgacheffe Natural, but the region continues to reliably deliver delicious, complex coffees that can be returned to again and again– and there’s a comfort in being reminded of your roots.  

Whether you’re a newcomer looking to branch out into fruitier, sweeter coffees, or a specialty coffee veteran seeking a bout of nostalgia for the early days of your coffee journey, this coffee won’t disappoint. 

Yirgacheffe

Yirgacheffe, located in the Sidamo region in southern Ethiopia, is a highly revered coffee producing region, and for good reason. Warm temperatures, fertile and diverse soil, plentiful rain, and high altitudes produce high quality coffee with unique flavour profiles without much need for chemical intervention. The cool air present in higher altitudes offered by the mountainous parts of the region slow down the growing process, giving the coffee cherry and its natural sugars more time to mature and interact with the seed (bean). The result is often a sweeter, fruitier, more complex cup. 

Gutiti Washing Station and SNAP Specialty Coffee

This lot, consisting of the Kurume variety, is produced at the Gutiti Washing Station in Yirgacheffe and managed by SNAP Specialty Coffee. Approximately 600 farmers from the region, each with farms at an elevation of 2,200 meters above sea level, deliver coffee cherries to this washing station. Once the cherries arrive at the Gutiti Washing Station, they are placed in water for sorting and the removal of floaters, then placed on raised beds made of wood posts covered in burlap, being left to sun-dry for 14-20 days. 

Founded in Addis Ababa by Negusse in 2008, SNAP operates three washing stations in Chelelektu, Kochere District of the Gedeo Zone and partnering washing stations in Uraga, Guji and Nensebo, West Arsi. They ground their operations on three fundamental pillars – Consistency, Education, and Sustainability– equipping over 6,000 farmers with crucial training, education, and free or low-cost access to resources to enhance quality and promote profitability. They help sustain smallholder farms and protect the coffee growing environment through waste recycling systems. 

Here's where we recommend you start:

Rest time: 2-3 weeks after roast
Filter: 1:16-17 ratio, 94°C
Espresso: 1:2.5-2.7 ratio, 90°C, 26-30s