How Does Ethiopia's Coffee Grading System Separate G1 and G2?

Ethiopia's grades come from the CLU, the Cupping and Liquoring Unit under the Ministry of Agriculture, which approves export quality and sets grades. Before ECX, washed coffee was split into G1 and G2 while natural coffee could only reach G3, G4 or G5. After ECX was established, the grading was redefined, which is why G1 and G2 now appear on natural lots as well.

Cupping Front Street Yirgacheffe G1 and G2 shows shared citrus, fruit tea, honey and berry notes, but G1 leads on cleanliness and aroma refinement while G2 is slightly thinner. Yirgacheffe itself sits higher than other Sidama areas, with ancient volcanic soil and southeast monsoon rain that creates distinct dry and wet seasons, ideal for Arabica cultivation.

Yirgacheffe is a highly representative coffee-producing region in Ethiopia, and its G1 and G2 grades often confuse enthusiasts. This article starts with Ethiopia's coffee grading system, sorts out the rating evolution of CLU and ECX, explains in detail the scoring standards for washed and natural processing in terms of physical characteristics and cupping quality, and compares the actual differences between Front Street Yirgacheffe G1 and G2 in green beans, roasted bean appearance, and flavor. Through cupping, it was found that although the two share citrus, fruit tea, honey, and berry notes, G1 is superior in cleanliness and aroma refinement, while G2 is slightly thinner. It is suitable for coffee enthusiasts who want to gain a deeper understanding of Yirgacheffe grades and purchasing.

For more specialty coffee information, welcome to follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee)

Yirgacheffe was originally just a coffee collection and transportation transit town in the Sidama Province of Ethiopia. The area is higher in altitude than other producing areas in Sidama Province, has ancient volcanic rock soil, and because it is located in southern Ethiopia, it is affected by the southeast monsoon from the Indian Ocean, forming a natural environment with distinct dry and wet seasons and abundant minerals, making it an ideal place for Arabica coffee cultivation.

Yirgacheffe is a renowned coffee-producing region in Ethiopia. What we usually encounter more often are Front Street Yirgacheffe G1 coffee beans and Front Street Yirgacheffe G2 coffee beans. So what exactly is the difference between G1 and G2? Which one is better? These numbers actually originate from Ethiopia's coffee grading system. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will conduct cupping on Front Street Yirgacheffe G1 and G2 to compare their flavor performance.

Grading of Ethiopian Coffee Beans

Under the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, there is an institution called CLU (Cupping and Liquoring Unit), which specifically approves the quality of exported coffee, including the key function of grade determination. CLU existed before the establishment of ECX. Before ECX appeared, the export grades for washed coffee were divided into G1 and G2; the export grades for natural coffee were G3, G4, and G5, meaning natural beans could at most reach G3.

After ECX was established, the grading was redefined. The grading names for washed beans did not change, but G1 appeared for natural beans for the first time. This is why Ethiopian natural G1 and G2 can now be seen on the market, while G3 is gradually decreasing. Ethiopia's old grading method was based only on the number of defects, with washed beans reaching at most Grade 1 and natural beans reaching at most Grade 3. The current grading is formulated by ECX and determines the grade by combining physical characteristics and cupping flavor scores.

All coffee is divided by processing method into natural or washed, and classified into three types:

a. Specialty (washed and natural): few defects, high cupping flavor quality;

b. Commercial (washed and natural): does not reach specialty grade, but is better than domestic consumption grade;

c. Local / Domestic (washed and natural): many defects (including immature beans), or poor flavor due to being out of season or improper storage.

Among them, Specialty and Commercial are aimed at the international export market, while Local is for domestic sales.

The specific grading and scoring standards of ECX are as follows:

A. Scoring definition for washed processing

1. Physical characteristics account for 40%: defects (20%), appearance size (10%), color (5%), odor (5%)

2. Cupping quality accounts for 60%: cleanliness (15%), acidity (15%), body (15%), flavor characteristics (15%)

B. Scoring definition for natural processing

1. Physical characteristics account for 40%: defects (30%), odor (10%)

2. Cupping quality accounts for 60%: cleanliness (15%), acidity (15%), body (15%), flavor characteristics (15%)

C. Overall summary:

1. All coffee is first divided by processing method into natural and washed;

2. Each is rated from G1 to G9, nine grades in total, based on physical characteristics and basic cupping quality;

3. Among them, G1 to G3 are then cupped according to SCAA standards to evaluate flavor attributes in more detail, and G1 and G2 scoring no less than 85 points are classified as Q1;

4. G1, G2, and G3 scoring between 80 and 85 points are classified as Q2, while all G1, G2, and G3 scoring below 80 points are classified as G3;

5. Q1 and Q2 are classified as Specialty Grade for export. G4 to G9 retain their original grades and, together with G3, are classified as Commercial Grade for export.

Washed beans Grade 1 means 0 to 3 defective beans per 300 grams of green beans; Grade 2 means 4 to 12 defective beans per 300 grams. Of course, in actual transactions there will definitely be differences between sellers' and buyers' standards for defective beans (otherwise how could we pick out so many defective beans?), but the comparison of defect rates is still clear at a glance. G1 has noticeably fewer defective beans than G2, which means that aside from the influence of specific flavor and roast level, Ethiopian G1 coffee beans are of better quality and score higher than G2, at least making them easy to distinguish in terms of defective flavors.

Therefore, the biggest difference between G1 and G2 currently lies in the defect rate and cupping score. G1 has a lower defect rate than G2, so its cupping score is naturally higher. But there is also a situation now: if the defect rate has reached the G1 standard but the cupping score does not reach the G1 level (below 91 points), it will also be downgraded to G2.

Appearance Comparison

Now that we understand Yirgacheffe coffee's grading system, next let's compare the differences between Yirgacheffe G1 and G2, starting by observing the appearance of the green beans. Whether in size or shape, the appearance of G1 and G2 is extremely similar, but insect-damaged and other defective beans are easier to find in G2.

Now let's look at the roasted bean appearance of Front Street Yirgacheffe Coffee G1 and G2. In fact, no difference can be completely distinguished because Front Street manually screens out defective beans both before and after roasting. Therefore, for Front Street Yirgacheffe coffee, which is graded by defect rate, there is little difference in appearance characteristics after roasting.

Flavor Comparison

Next, a cupping comparison was conducted. By cupping these two washed Front Street Yirgacheffe G1 and G2, we obtained the following results: the common flavor expressions of Front Street Yirgacheffe Coffee G1 and G2 are citrus, fruit tea, honey, and berries. The difference is that G1 has higher cleanliness and clearer recognition, while G2 tastes relatively lighter. However, since both batches belong to washed Front Street Yirgacheffe and both the green bean and roasted bean stages have been selected, the coffee's flavor profile does not differ too greatly, and both present bright acidity and floral aroma. But after direct comparison, G1's mouthfeel is noticeably cleaner than G2, and its aroma is also more refined and richer.

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