What makes Hambela G1 green coffee beans stand out?

Hambela G1 coffee beans come from the Guji region of Ethiopia and are the exclusive natural coffee of the Buku Abel estate and processing plant. The bean took first place in the 2016/2017 Ethiopian coffee competition and second place in an African green bean competition, and it is known for intense floral and fruity aroma with fermented berry sweetness.

The estate sits at roughly 2,280 meters, and about 20 processing plants operate across Hambela. Only natural coffee from Buku Abel may carry the name. The article reviews producing region background, processing method, green coffee bean traits, roasting curve and brewing analysis, and suggests matching brewing equipment.

The Hunkun coffee beans come from Hambela in the Guji region of Ethiopia, and are the exclusive name for the natural coffee produced by the Buku Abel estate and processing plant. This bean won the championship in the 2016/2017 Ethiopian coffee competition and was runner-up in the African green bean competition, and is known for its intense floral and fruity aroma and fermented berry sweetness. This article will comprehensively interpret the flavor code of Hunkun coffee beans from the dimensions of producing region background, processing method, green bean characteristics, roasting curve, and brewing analysis, and recommend the most suitable brewing equipment. It will also introduce the Hunkun coffee beans roasted by Front Street Coffee, providing coffee lovers with a daily drinking choice at extremely high cost performance.

Ethiopian Sidamo Shakisso Natural Hunkun Coffee Beans

01 | Hunkun Coffee Beans Producing Region Introduction

Hambella (usually translated as "Hanbella") is located in Guji (GUJI), the largest coffee-producing region in Ethiopia, and is administratively under the jurisdiction of Oromia State. To the west, Hambella faces the Kochore producing area of Yirgacheffe across the mountains, with a highland barrier about 30 kilometers wide and up to 3,200 meters above sea level lying between them, while its southeast and north sides are adjacent to Guji sub-regions such as Shakiso, Uraga, and Kercha, making it arguably the highest-altitude coffee sub-region in Ethiopia (if speaking of the highest-altitude main producing region, that would be Harrar).

At present, about 20 processing plants of different scales are gathered in the Hambella producing region. DW Company owns four estate processing plants in Dimtu, the core producing area of Hambella, namely "Buku abel," "Buku saysay," "Haro soresa," and "Tirtiro Goye."

It should be emphasized that among all the estates and processing sites mentioned above, only the natural coffee produced by the "Buku Abel" estate and processing plant is qualified to be called "Hunkun coffee beans."

Buku Abel is located at an altitude of 2,280 meters on the African continent and is a small village surrounded by mountains. Every December, the coffee harvest season begins, and red ripe coffee cherries hang all over the mountains. The neatly arranged African raised drying beds in the village are where "Hunkun coffee beans" complete their processing.

Green Bean Information

Product Name: Ethiopia Natural Sidamo G1 Hunkun Coffee Beans

Ethiopian Sidamo Shakisso Natural

Coffee Producing Country: Africa, Ethiopia

Coffee Estate: Guji, Hambella Wamena area, Dimtu city, Buku Able estate

Coffee Variety: Heirloom, Ethiopian native species

Production Altitude: 2250-2350M

Quality Grade: G1

Processing Method: Natural sun-dried (African raised drying beds)

Awards

2016/2017 harvest season Ethiopia National Taste of Harvest Competition champion

2017 Regional Africa Taste of Harvest Competition runner-up

02 | Hunkun Coffee Beans Processing Method

During the harvest and processing season from December to January, the unique growing environment and natural climate together shape the extraordinary flavor of Hunkun. We insist on starting the natural drying process only when the sugar content of the picked red cherries reaches 30 or above. In the first two days of natural drying, the humidity of the red cherries must be maintained to promote sufficient fermentation reaction of the fructose. At the same time, the geographical advantage of high altitude allows the processing plant's nighttime temperature to drop to around 12 degrees Celsius, while also avoiding off-flavors caused by excessive fermentation due to excessively high temperatures. When the midday temperature rises, we provide shade in a timely manner to prevent the red cherries from being sunburned.

From the very beginning of cultivation, Hunkun has enjoyed a superior "family environment" — humus-rich reddish-brown soil, with "Enset" trees providing shade. In this way, while fully receiving sunlight and developing rich flavors, Hunkun does not consume excessive nutrients, thereby retaining more of its essence within the coffee fruit.

Only fully ripe all-red cherries are selected, picked entirely by hand, dried on African raised beds, with limited fruit layer thickness and regular turning 24 hours a day without interruption, ensuring even sun exposure and ventilation, and more precise control of the degree of fermentation.

At night, to prevent sudden rainfall, thick plastic sheeting is used for covering, allowing the red cherries to ferment and dehydrate at a lower temperature. After 18 days of natural drying, when the moisture content of the green coffee beans drops to about 13%, drying is stopped, and they are put into jute bags and stored in a natural environment at 12-22 degrees Celsius and 40-50% humidity for about 50 days of green bean resting and further dehydration. When the moisture content of the green beans reaches about 10%, they are then transported to the processing plant for hulling, screening, and sale.

03 | Hunkun Coffee Beans Green Bean Analysis

The variety is a local native species, belonging to the small-bean type, relatively round in shape, with a very small bean body, mostly between 14-15 screen size.

Natural Sidamo: The bean body is somewhat smaller than Longberry, yellow-green in color. There is considerable variation in bean size.

Washed Sidamo: The green coffee beans are green with a slight bluish tint. There is considerable variation in bean size.

[Natural Hunkun roasted beans]: Light roast level, relatively light color, no silver skin.

[Washed Hunkun roasted beans]: Slightly darker roast level, slightly darker color, with silver skin residue in the center line.

04 | Hunkun Coffee Beans Roasting Analysis

A bean with such a brilliant flavor is of course not suitable for medium-dark roasting, so this coffee is intended to use a light slow roasting method, which best reflects its mellow and sweet characteristics and its rich floral and fruity aroma.

The beans of this coffee are relatively small, and the moisture content is such that it absorbs a relatively large amount of heat during roasting, and the Maillard reaction process is also relatively fast.

In the first roast, I dropped the beans at a relatively high temperature. Before the coffee beans dehydrated and turned yellow, I used a power of 160 to ensure there was enough heat to continue until first crack and directly develop to second crack, confirming the development curve.

In the second, third, and fourth roasts, with the same bean drop temperature of 200 and the same power, the power was gradually reduced as needed during the roasting process.

This batch is a fast-roasted light roast:

Cupping:

Roast Profile 2: toasted bread, dried grass

Roast Profile 3: berries, nuts

Roast Profile 4: fermented wine aroma, cream, tropical fruit, jackfruit

So we settled on Profile 4

Roast Profile 4, specific operation:

Using "Nordic roasting," charge into the drum when the roaster temperature reaches 200 degrees Celsius, set the airflow damper to 3.5, adjust the power to 160 degrees after 1 minute, keep the airflow damper unchanged, adjust the power once at 140 degrees, reduce to 140 degrees, roast until 5'18", at a temperature of 154 degrees, when the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, dehydration is complete, adjust the power to 105 degrees, and open the airflow damper to 4;

At the 8th minute, ugly wrinkles and dark streaks appear on the bean surface, and the toasted bread smell clearly turns into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, you need to listen clearly for the sound of the first crack. At 8'37", first crack begins. Reduce the power to 80 degrees, open the airflow damper fully (adjusting the power must be done very carefully, and must not be reduced so much that there is no cracking sound), and drop the beans at 198.1 degrees.

04 | Hunkun Coffee Beans Brewing Analysis

The Flavor of Hunkun Coffee Beans

Recommended Brewing Methods for Hunkun Coffee Beans ——Pour-over and siphon

As for the brewing method, pour-over and siphon brewing are the best. When grinding the beans, you can already smell the striking natural fruity aroma, with obvious sweetness.

Gentle and elegant, sweet and lovely. Hunkun Coffee Beans exude an extremely complex aroma and display an extremely outstanding mouthfeel, making them difficult to describe.

V60 dripper, 15 grams of grounds, water temperature 89 degrees, grind size 3.5,

Water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

30 grams of water for blooming, blooming time 28s

Stages: 30-105-90, time 2:03 (timing starts from the beginning of blooming)

Mouthfeel: smooth, layered, with enhanced fermented berry sweetness

The wet aroma of the brewed coffee, with ripe berry fermented fruit wine notes, is astonishing. The entry is extremely smooth, leading to a delicate body, and the emergence of the sweet and sour ripe fruit is truly stunning. The sweetness is prominent, clean, and the aftertaste is also quite good.

Hunkun Coffee Beans Brand Recommendation

The Hunkun Coffee Beans roasted by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) are fully guaranteed in both brand and quality. More importantly, the cost performance is extremely high: a 227-gram bag costs only 98 yuan. Calculated at 15 grams of grounds per cup of coffee, one bag can make 15 cups of coffee, costing only about 6 yuan per cup, which can truly be called a conscientious recommendation compared with the price of several dozen yuan per cup sold in coffee shops.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.