When it comes to specialty coffee, many people first think of a rich and captivating taste experience. However, not all coffee brewed from specialty coffee beans can be called specialty coffee; the key lies in whether it fully brings out the beans' own distinctive and beautiful flavors. The concept of specialty coffee was first proposed by Ms. Knutsen of the United States in the magazine Tea & Coffee. At the time, she was working as a coffee buyer for B.C. Ireland in San Francisco and was deeply dissatisfied with the industry's neglect of green bean quality, and even the practice of large companies blending large amounts of Robusta beans into their blends, so she advocated raising the industry's quality standards. This term specifically refers to coffee beans grown in special environments and possessing distinctive flavor characteristics, and it quickly spread with the promotion of international coffee conferences. This article will take you deep into a natural Yirgacheffe from the Kebel Aricha processing station, savoring its unique flavor interwoven with longan and red date aromas and honeyed sweetness, while also introducing the Project Origin green bean sourcing project initiated by Sasa Sestic, as well as related recommendations from Front Street Coffee.
Specialty coffee can deliver a layered and delightful taste experience. However, even coffee made from specialty coffee beans may not necessarily deserve the name specialty coffee; it depends on whether it fully releases the beans' unique character and presents a satisfying flavor performance. If it cannot do this, then it cannot be called specialty coffee. This concept was first proposed by the American Ms. Knutsen in the magazine Tea & Coffee. At the time, she worked at B.C. Ireland as a coffee buyer in the San Francisco area and was extremely dissatisfied with the industry's disregard for green bean quality, and even the phenomenon of some large roasters blending large amounts of Robusta beans into their blends. Therefore, she proposed the idea of specialty coffee and called on the industry to raise its quality standards. The term is used to describe coffee beans grown in special environments and with distinct flavor characteristics. Later, its widespread use at international coffee conferences made the concept spread rapidly.
Yirgacheffe comes from the Kebel Aricha processing station. Around it are about 650 to 700 smallholder coffee farmers, who bring ripe coffee cherries here for processing and exchange them for cash. After the processing station selects usable cherries, it spreads them directly on raised beds for natural drying. In the first few days of sun exposure, they are turned once every 2 to 3 hours to avoid over-fermentation. After four to six weeks of sun drying, workers remove the outer fruit layer by machine according to weather and temperature conditions, then transport it to Addis for storage. Usually, naturally processed beans are stored in parchment form and only hulled before export, in order to ensure green bean quality. This batch of natural Aricha was graded G1, the highest grade, by ECX, and performed quite excellently from green bean appearance, consistency, and freshness to dry aroma and flavor. If you prefer bright acidity and intense berry flavors, this bean is definitely worth trying.
Flavor description: a faint fermented wine aroma, stone fruit and jujube, sweet citrus notes, dark berries, lychee, star fruit, peach, honey peach, longan and red date aroma, honeyed sweetness, cocoa notes with a hint of spice, a full body and a long-lasting finish.
About Project Origin
Sasa Sestic is the winner of the 2015 World Barista Championship. Three years ago, together with his business team ONA Coffee, he launched a green bean sourcing program called Project Origin. The project works directly with coffee-growing farmers in poor countries and regions, improves their production conditions, and purchases coffee beans at a buying price 20% higher than fair trade prices.
The original intention behind this project also included strengthening communication and connections between roasters and coffee farmers, and guiding coffee farmers to grow high-quality coffee beans. So far, Sasa has established cooperative relationships with coffee growers from eight countries, including Brazil, Panama, India, Ethiopia, El Salvador, and Costa Rica, among others.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
