There are a handful of reasons why people prefer to have African coffee beans, especially Ethiopian beans. The coffee industry of Ethiopia is steeped in tradition, history, and a perfect blend of historical fiction and fact. But before getting into the fact of why these beans are so popular and how the price of this coffee is justified, let’s learn several things about the best organic Yirgacheffee coffee in USA.
What is Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee?
Ethiopian coffee beans run the gamut from sweet, fruity, and full-bodied to floral, citrusy, and lighter-bodied ones, depending on how the beans are processed. So, when you find that people rave about the best quality coffee from the popular Yirgacheffe region, they mainly refer to the wash or wet method coffee. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee beans are known for their floral, delicate, and tea-like flavor with a light, clean body, and shimmery citrus notes. Washed Yirgacheffe beans have a coffee-snob, high-class reputation at a lower rate.
But what about another sister of Ethiopian beans, which is the naturally processed Ethiopians? These beans are known for their decadent, bright berry flavor and honey-thick body. And why they are so hyped? Until recent times, dry-processed or natural Yirgacheffe beans have taken a back seat because of their washed colleagues. Although they look quite common, they are known for their unpredictable or variable quality. And according to the traditional wisdom, these beans are just perfect for brightening up a blend, but they are less favored on the specialty market as the single origin.
Things to consider when you plan to buy the best quality Yirgacheffe coffee beans:
For inexperienced drinkers, it often becomes tough to generalize the flavor of the Yirgacheffe beans. Every coffee region of Ethiopia has some unique flavors that can vary from one season to another and from one farm to another. Besides, the processing method (dry or wet) can the level of roasting can considerably alter some highlights even from the similar bean. Besides, the high elevation of this region often produces hard beans, which leads to intense aromatics and flavors.
So, if you are planning to buy the best quality Yirgacheffe coffee beans, you must know that the best quality Yirgacheffe beans (especially the wet-processed or washed ones) exhibit brighter acidity and complex notes of citrusy and floral along with a clean taste. On the other hand, the dry-processed beans offer a bit chocolaty or nutty qualities, but often it is overshadowed by the robust-fruitiness of the beans based on the roasting levels. As a result, the dry-processed beans don’t taste as clean as the washed variants.
Why wet-processed beans are mainly preferred?
The majority of the drinkers prefer the best quality Yirgacheffe coffee beans for their fruity, floral, and tea-like flavor. And all these qualities are the main attributes of the wet-processed variants. But what is this wet processing? Wet processing is a method where the freshly harvested and moist Yirgacheffe coffee cherries are washed off for removing the pulp and skin of the fruits. After that, the beans are soaked in the water fermentation tanks for around 24-72 hours and then they are dried. Therefore, wet processing leads to higher acidity compared to the dry-processed methods that offer a clean taste to these beans.
So, there is nothing wrong with the dry-processed Yirgacheffe beans. It is just a matter of taste. People mostly prefer the washed beans as they offer more clarity to the taste. On the other hand, the unwashed beans are known for their fuller bodies and less acidic nature, which doesn’t taste that clean.
Things that can justify the cost of the best quality Yirgacheffe beans:
The taste of Yirgacheffe coffee is subjective, but the majority of coffee lovers across the globe agree on the fact that unique coffee origins by Gobez coffee delivers an unmatchable drinking experience to everyone. The best quality Yirgacheffe coffee offers a clean taste, bright acidity, and complex floral notes in the aroma, often with the hint of coconut. Besides, this coffee is often defined as vibrant with the undertones of wine and berry.
Some of these beans (dry-processed ones) have chocolate or nutty notes while other beans come with subtle notes of citrus and tangerine. These qualities make this coffee ideal for preparing iced coffee as the cold temperature perfectly complements these flavors. The Yirgacheffe coffee beans generally come in dark roast and medium roast varieties. So, if you are like your coffee a bit sweet and heavy, then you can go for a dark roast. But the dark roast expresses less fine qualities of this coffee. Therefore, it is better to go for medium roast flavors to ensure that you can savor all the natural flavors of the beans. These factors perfectly combine for making extraordinary cups of coffee, which needs to be experienced to the appreciated.
