How Does the Ethiopian Coffee Grading System Define G1?

Ethiopia grades coffee by two dimensions: cup quality and green bean defect rate. Under the ECX reform, sun-dried beans became eligible for a G1 rating for the first time. On the cupping side, G1 and G2 lots scoring at least 85 points are classified as Q1; lots scoring 80 to 85 fall into Q2. Washed grading samples 300 grams of green beans, and 0 to 3 defects means Grade 1.

In total there are nine levels. G1 to G2 belong to the specialty level, G3 to G9 are other levels, and grades after G6 circulate only in Ethiopia's domestic market. Before the ECX system, sun-dried beans could reach only G3, G4, or G5, so the ceiling for the method stayed at G3. Huakui coffee represents the sun-dried G1 grade, and the Hambella 7063 batch code traces back to this logic.

Ethiopia's coffee bean grading system combines cup quality and green bean defect rates. After the ECX reform, sun-dried beans received a G1 rating for the first time, and Huakui is a representative of this grade. This article systematically reviews Ethiopia's coffee grading logic, explains the meaning of the Hambella 7063 batch code, and provides an in-depth introduction to Huakui coffee's origin background, processing method, and naming origin. It also shares Front Street Coffee's light roast approach for Huakui and V60 three-stage brewing parameters, helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand this champion bean from production region to cup.

Ethiopia's grading of coffee beans is mainly carried out based on two dimensions: first, cupping performance, and second, the defect ratio of green beans.

In the cupping stage, the rating comprehensively considers the cleanliness of the green beans, the typical characteristics of the production region, cup flavor performance, and the beans' own personality traits. Referring to SCAA standards, batches in G1 and G2 scoring no less than 85 points are classified as Q1; G1, G2, and G3 scoring between 80 and 85 points are rated Q2; and all G1, G2, and G3 scoring below 80 points are uniformly placed in G3.

Now looking at the green bean defect rate standard: when evaluating green bean quality, in addition to relying on cupping taste performance, the number of defects in sampled green beans must also be counted, and the grade is ultimately determined comprehensively.

Taking washed processing as an example, the defect rate is tested by randomly sampling 300 grams of green beans for screening. If the number of defective beans is between 0 and 3, the batch is designated Grade 1; if 4 to 12 defective beans are found in 300 grams, it is classified as Grade 2. Based on the sampling results, there are a total of 9 levels. Among them, G1 to G2 belong to the specialty level, G3 to G9 are other levels, and grades after G6 are only circulated in Ethiopia's domestic market. Before the establishment of the ECX system, the highest grade sun-dried beans could obtain was only G3, G4, or G5, meaning the ceiling for the sun-dried processing method remained at G3. After ECX appeared, the grading rules were redefined. The standards for washed beans remained the same, but sun-dried beans also gained eligibility for a G1 rating. Therefore, sun-dried G1 and G2 beans began to appear on the market, while G3 gradually decreased.

The scoring composition for the sun-dried processing method is as follows:

1. Physical characteristics account for 40%, including defect count (30%) and odor (10%).

2. Cup quality accounts for 60%, covering cleanliness (15%), acidity (15%), body (15%), and flavor characteristics (15%).

Each batch of coffee has its own independent number, and hambella 7063 represents the coffee's batch information. The grades corresponding to the sun-dried processing method are divided into G1, G2, and G3, among which G1 is the level with the lowest defect rate and the best quality. Sun-dried Huakui coffee belongs to the G1 grade.

In fact, the difference between G1 and G2 is mainly reflected in the number of defective beans, while the flavor level is basically similar between the two. Therefore, one cannot simply assert that G1 is the highest grade or the best coffee bean.

However,

From the perspective of green bean defect rate alone, G1 is indeed superior to G2, because fewer defective beans means the overall quality of the beans is better.

All coffee can be divided into three types according to sun-dried or washed processing methods:

A Speciality: few defects, high cup flavor quality;

B Commerical: does not reach specialty grade, but quality is higher than the domestic consumption level;

C Local /Domestic: relatively many defects (including unripe beans), or relatively poor flavor due to being out of season or improper storage.

Among them, Speciality and Commerical are aimed at the export international market; Local is sold in Ethiopia's domestic market.

New season Huakui coffee beans

Hambella production region

Huakui coffee originates from the Hambella sub-region within the Guji production region of Sidamo. "Hambella" is located in Guji (GUJI), Ethiopia's largest coffee production region, and administratively belongs to Oromia State. To the west, Hambella faces Yirgacheffe's kochore across the mountains, with a highland about 30 kilometers wide and up to 3,200 meters above sea level lying between the two production regions. Its southeast and north sides are adjacent to Guji's shakiso, Uraga, and Kercha sub-regions respectively, making it Ethiopia's highest-altitude coffee sub-region (while Harrar is Ethiopia's highest-altitude main production region).

Hambella farm has a total area of 200 hectares and employs 28 full-time staff year-round; during peak harvest season, the total number expands to more than 700 people. Women account for 70% of these workers, and the farm has also implemented a plan that lets local farmers work closely with agronomists and processing experts to improve coffee quality. In addition, besides beans produced by the farm itself, some coffee is also purchased by the farm and resold.

Huakui coffee's sun-dried processing method:

Huakui coffee beans follow the traditional sun-dried processing technique. To prevent the coffee cherries from becoming moldy or absorbing undesirable odors such as soil during drying, the fruit is placed on raised beds for 21 days of sun drying. During the drying process, it must be continuously turned to ensure each cherry loses water evenly; every three to five days, coffee farmers manually remove defective and moldy beans. After the fruit skin dries and hardens, a huller is used to remove the dry, hard skin. After obtaining the green coffee beans, in pursuit of a more ideal taste, the coffee farmers also carry out a final round of sorting.

The farm was co-founded by Aman Adinew and his brother Michael. Before that, Aman had served as quality control director of ECX (the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange) and was responsible for managing Ethiopia's first specialty coffee laboratory.

The naming of Huakui coffee:

What is the origin story of this Huakui coffee? In 2017, the African Coffee Association held the TOH (the Taste Of Harvest) competition. Ethiopia's DW Green Bean Company entered this coffee, and as a result this sun-dried batch of green beans became famous overnight, defeating multiple Geisha variety coffees and taking the competition championship. A Beijing green bean trader named "Hongshun International" subsequently introduced this batch of sun-dried green beans and named it based on its champion status. After that, the name "Huakui" became fixed.

As a crop, coffee's flavor is affected by climate and environment each year, but the overall main profile remains stable. In order to distinguish Huakui coffee beans from different years, Hongshun Company separately classified coffee beans from the "Buku Abel" processing station in the Hambella production region. Only coffee beans produced at the "Buku Abel" processing station in Hambella are given the name Huakui. Hence the version changes from Huakui 2.0 to today's Huakui 7.0.

Front Street brewing parameters for Huakui coffee:

In order to fully showcase Huakui coffee's rich floral and fruity aromas such as floral fragrance, mango, jackfruit, citrus, and honey, Front Street uses a light roast. Lightly roasted coffee beans are not as porous in texture as dark roasted beans, so when brewing, Front Street chooses a V60 dripper and pairs it with higher-temperature water. The V60 dripper's body has guide ribs connecting the top and bottom as well as a large central hole, which can speed up the flow of water downward; the spiral-shaped vent groove design extends the water flow path and increases the contact time between coffee grounds and hot water. Each stream of water converges along the grooves toward the center of the dripper, the pressure on the coffee grounds is more concentrated, and the extracted coffee has a richer sense of layering.

Dripper: Hario V60, water temperature: 91°C, coffee dose: 15 grams, coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15, grind size: 80% passing through a China standard No. 20 sieve.

FrontStreet Coffee three-stage extraction method: First, use 30 grams of water to fully wet the coffee bed so that it forms a "hamburger" shape, and let it bloom for 30 seconds; for the second stage, when the timer reaches 1:00, pour water until the total reaches 125 grams, then pause, and wait until the water level drops to two-thirds of the coffee bed before starting the third stage; for the third stage, at 1:40 on the timer, pour water until the total reaches 225 grams, and after the coffee liquid has fully dripped, the total extraction time is 1 minute 59 seconds. The overall brewing time is controlled at 2 minutes 00 seconds. After extraction is complete, gently swirl the server, and taste after the coffee liquid is even.

Flavor description

Sun-dried Sidamo Huakui coffee flavor: with a faint fermented wine aroma, floral fragrance, citrus, and mango notes, a rich and complex mouthfeel, honey-like sweetness and cocoa notes mixed with a little spice, a full body, and a long finish.

Regarding coffee brewing, Front Street always recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans, as this better presents the coffee's flavor. Therefore, all coffee beans sold by Front Street are products within 5 days after roasting. Front Street's roasting philosophy is "freshly roasted good coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest possible condition when the coffee arrives. Coffee's resting period is about 4 to 7 days, so when customers receive it, it is exactly in the period of optimal flavor.

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