How do Ethiopian coffee grades G1 and G3 differ across regions?

Ethiopia is the birthplace of Arabica and a leading specialty origin, with regions beyond Yirgacheffe and Sidama such as Harar, Jimma, and Limu. In the ECX grading system, G1 covers the top tier and G3 the more commercial lots, so the grade on a bag signals sorting and defect standards as much as flavor. The country's coffee ceremonies run three rounds: Abol, Tona, and Beraka.

Cultivation splits into three types: roughly 60 percent forest or semi-forest coffee, where pesticides are rarely used and biological pest control is relied on, about 35 percent garden coffee grown in multi-layered plots, and the remainder plantation coffee. Processing methods vary by region and grade, and the article pairs these differences with roasting and brewing examples.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of Arabica coffee and one of the most prominent producing countries in today's specialty coffee landscape. Beyond the two calling cards of Yirgacheffe and Sidama, the country also has many distinctive regions such as Harar, Jimma, and Limu. This article will sort through them one by one—from cultivation methods, native varieties, and processing methods, to the flavors of the nine major regions, and the specific differences between G1 and G3 in the ECX grading system—and combine them with Front Street Coffee's roasting and brewing examples to help readers systematically understand the quality framework of Ethiopian coffee.

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Ethiopia is both an important specialty coffee producing country and the birthplace of Arabica coffee, so it has always attracted a great deal of attention. When people mention Ethiopia, most first think of Yirgacheffe and Sidama. But in fact, the country's coffee-producing regions are far more than just these two. Today, Front Street Coffee will introduce this specialty coffee giant's overall coffee-growing landscape.

Ethiopia differs notably from other coffee-producing countries: it has never experienced deep colonial cultural influence, so from ancient times to the present it has preserved the most authentic and simple attitude and culture toward coffee. Coffee's place in Ethiopia is like that of tea in China—a natural part of daily life. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony usually involves drinking three rounds: the first is called Abol, when elders say blessings; the second is called Tona, when people begin to chat; the third is called Beraka, meaning to end the ceremony in joy. In the end, this coffee ceremony is more about promoting interaction between people, just as when Chinese people receive guests or discuss business, the first thing they do is set out the tea set.

[Ethiopian Coffee Cultivation]

Due to different cultivation methods, Ethiopian coffee can be broadly divided into three types: forest or semi-forest coffee, garden coffee, and plantation coffee. About 60% is forest or semi-forest coffee. In these wild coffee forests, pesticides are hardly used; instead, biological methods are relied upon to control pests.

About 35% is garden coffee. These coffee gardens use a multi-layered planting layout, with coffee trees on the lower level obtaining suitable growing conditions under the shade of other crops. Fertilizer mainly comes from fallen leaves, dry grass, and animal manure.

About 5% is plantation coffee. This is a modern cultivation model. The coffee also grows in a forest-like arrangement, but new varieties are used and planted in alternating rows with other shade trees.

[Ethiopian Coffee Varieties]

Ethiopia has nearly 2,000 recorded coffee varieties, of which 1,927 are native varieties and 128 are introduced foreign varieties. So just from appearance alone, Ethiopia's coffee varieties are like a "grand garden," with long, short, thin, and plump beans of every kind.

Long-shaped beans are distributed across all coffee-growing areas in the country, but in terms of the proportion actually seen, long-shaped varieties appear more frequently in western Jimma, including Limmu and Kaffa, while the proportion is relatively low in Sidama or Yirgacheffe.

Small-bean varieties are rounder in appearance and very small, mostly between screen sizes 14 and 15. This variety is probably the one we are most familiar with, often seen in Sidama and Yirgacheffe. Compared with other areas, Sidama, Yirgacheffe, and the surrounding Arsi and Guji have more plantings of these small-bean native varieties.

[Ethiopian Coffee Processing Methods]

Ethiopia mainly uses two processing methods: natural (sun-dried) processing and washed processing.

Natural (Sun-Dried) Processing

This is the oldest and most primitive way of processing coffee beans. After harvesting, the coffee cherries are placed on drying beds, and some are even dried directly by the roadside, exposed to direct sunlight (about 27 to 30 days), until the moisture content is reduced from 60% to only about 12%, at which point it is complete.

Characteristics: lower acidity, obvious sweetness, high body, rich layers, slightly lower cleanliness.

Washed Processing

Washed processing removes the skin, pulp, and mucilage, then undergoes fermentation in a tank, followed by drying. The washed process flow is: selecting beans—removing pulp—fermentation—washing—drying—hulling—sorting and grading.

Using washing and fermentation to remove the skin, pulp, and mucilage means farms using the washed method must build washing tanks and be able to introduce a continuous supply of fresh water. During processing, the fermented beans are placed in the tank and moved back and forth, using the friction between the beans and the force of flowing water to wash the coffee beans until smooth and clean. After washing, the coffee beans are still wrapped in the parchment layer, with a moisture content of 50%, and must be dried to reduce the moisture content to 12%; otherwise they will continue to ferment and then become moldy and spoiled.

Characteristics: obvious acidity, good cleanliness, medium body, high stability.

[Ethiopian Coffee Regions]

Ethiopia has nine major coffee regions: Sidama, Yirgacheffe, Harar, Jimma, Limu, Illubabor, Gimbi (Lekempti), Teppi, and Bebeka. Among Ethiopia's nine major coffee regions, the best known are Yirgacheffe, Sidama, and Harar. Within large regions there are also smaller regions, such as Kochere and Aricha in the Yirgacheffe region, and then even smaller village-level regions. Coffee estates are not very prominent in Ethiopia, so they are generally divided by large region, small region, village-level region, and washing station.

Yirgacheffe: altitude 1,800–2,000 m | garden coffee system |

Yirgacheffe is attached to the Sidama region. Because of its unique flavor, its rich and complex fruity notes made it famous internationally almost overnight, causing Ethiopian coffee farmers to vie for the honor of having their coffee carry Yirgacheffe flavor. So it was separated out on its own. This place has been a wetland since ancient times; in the old language, "Yirga" means "to settle down," and "Cheffe" means "wetland." In addition to the town of Yirgacheffe, it also includes the surrounding three sub-regions of Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena/Abaya. Therefore, in the new Yirgacheffe grading system, Yirgacheffe A, Wenago A, Kochere A, and Gelena/Abaya A are more expensive than the same-name B.

Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Natural G1 Country: Ethiopia

Region: Yirgacheffe

Washing Station: Aricha

Altitude: 2,300 meters

Variety: local native varieties

Processing: natural processing

Grade: G1

Flavor description: lemon, licorice, citrus, berries, sweet orange; overall high sweetness, with a caramel and cream finish in the aftertaste, and a black tea aroma in the lingering finish.

Sidama: altitude 1,400–2,200 m | garden coffee system |

Sidama is located in the southernmost Ethiopian highlands between 4,600 and 7,200 feet, directly south of the capital. It usually has obvious sweetness and is also favored by more people. Its flavor is similar to Yirgacheffe; finely washed or natural Sidama likewise has floral and orange notes, and its value is no less than Yirgacheffe's. The varieties in these two regions are similar, with medium-sized beans but also short-stature small-bean varieties, which farmers often sell separately.

Ethiopia Sidama Hambela

Region: Guji Hambela

Washing Station: Buku Able

Altitude: 2,350 meters

Variety: native varieties

Processing: natural

Flavor description: rose, cream strawberry, citrus, passion fruit, oolong tea

Harar: altitude 1,500–2,100 m | garden coffee system |

Located in the eastern highlands of Ethiopia, it is also an ancient trading center and an important Islamic holy site (at its cultural peak in the 15th and 16th centuries), connecting East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Its geographical location and importance as an economic and cultural center gave it a prominent place in the earliest coffee transport and trade, imbuing coffee with a sense of historical solemnity. Harar's coffee trees grow at around 1,500–2,100 meters above sea level. A century ago they were still wild on hillsides. During roasting there is a strong chocolate aroma, and the taste is wild with medium acidity and a rich texture—a very typical mocha flavor. Beans from good Harar regions have jasmine floral notes and a finish reminiscent of fermented wine aromas. Even today, Harar is still processed by the traditional natural method. But it is generally hard for us to drink Harar because it has long been bought up by wealthy Arabs in the Gulf countries.

Jimma (Djimmah): altitude 1,340–1,830 m | forest-semi-forest coffee system |

Jimma coffee grows in Ethiopia's Illubabor and Kaffa regions, between 1,340 and 1,830 meters above sea level, producing and exporting about 60,000 tons of coffee annually. Djimmah is also called Jimma Coffee. Jimma's coffee often grows between 1,340 and 1,830 meters above sea level; this height provides an ideal climate for coffee growing, and the plants can also be protected by forest trees from direct midday sunlight, which also helps maintain soil moisture content. The town of Jimma is actually quite small, but Jimma coffee accounts for most of Ethiopia's coffee exports, almost 50%.

Limu: altitude 1,850–1,900 m | forest/semi-forest coffee system |

In Limu, local smallholder coffee farmers grow in a 100% organic manner. The soil is Vertisols. The growing altitude is between 1,850 and 1,900 meters. Limu has lower production and is mainly exported to European and American markets. In the past it was not easy to buy domestically, but it is very popular in Europe and America, with fame second only to Yirgacheffe. Limu's flavor profile differs from Sidama and Yirgacheffe: its body is thinner, and its floral and citrus notes are also inferior to Yirga and Sidama, but it has an additional grassy note and cocoa note, as well as a sandalwood note.

Illubabor (large commercial coffee region): altitude 1,350–1,850 | forest/semi-forest coffee system |

This region is located in western Ethiopia, right on the border with Sudan, making it the westernmost producing region. Its coffee gene diversity is second only to the Kaffa forest. The beans are noticeably larger than those of Yirgacheffe and Sidamo, the fruity acidity is relatively low, the viscosity is good, and the flavor is balanced. Coffee from here is mostly sent to Jimma for blending and is rarely sold separately.

Gimbi, Lekempti (large commercial coffee region): altitude 1,500–1,800 | forest/semi-forest coffee system |

This region has both natural and washed beans. The beans resemble Harar's long beans, and a small amount of specialty-grade coffee is quite popular in Europe and America. Most is praised as the poor man's Harar. Its fruity acidity and fruity notes are inferior to Illubabor, and the flavor is bright.

Teppi, Bebeka (large commercial coffee region): altitude 500–1,900 m | garden/forest/semi-forest coffee system |

The two regions are very close, with Teppi north of Bebeka. There are corporately managed coffee plantations, and in recent years the garden system has been promoted to increase farmers' income, with annual output of about 3,000 tons. Both places have wild coffee, output is not high, and the flavor is very different from Harar and Yirgacheffe. Low fruity acidity is the greatest characteristic. It is suitable for use in blends, and includes both natural and washed.

Lake Tana area (alternative region): altitude 1,840 m | forest system |

Monastery coffee, with surrounding forest coffee annual output extremely small, less than 10 tons, so it cannot really be called a producing region. The Eastern Orthodox monasteries, churches, religious murals, and myths scattered around the lake area create the world's most "divine" coffee. European monks opened up the local coffee-growing industry, which was later run by coffee communities or cooperatives in villages around the small town. There are no special plantations here; coffee trees are naturally scattered in forests and gardens. During harvest season, the Ethiopian coffee trading company goes to the town to purchase coffee beans collected by farmers.

You often see Ethiopian bean packaging marked with things like G1, G2, G3. What do these represent? And what differences are there between them? Front Street Coffee will now guide everyone through a proper understanding of Ethiopian coffee!

Grading of Ethiopian Coffee Beans

First, under the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture there is a department called CLU (Cupping and Liquoring Unit), specifically responsible for approving the quality of exported coffee, and this includes the very important duty of defining grades; CLU existed before ECX appeared. Before ECX appeared, for washed Ethiopian coffee, export grades were divided into G1 and G2; for natural coffee, export grades were G3, G4, and G5, meaning the highest grade for natural coffee was G3.

After ECX appeared, grading was redefined. There was no difference in the names for washed grading, but for natural coffee, G1 appeared for the first time. This is also why on the market today there are Ethiopian natural coffees that are G1 and G2, while G3 has gradually become less common. Ethiopia's old grading method at the time graded simply according to defect count: the highest grade for washed beans was Grade 1 - G1, and the highest grade for natural beans was Grade 3 - G3. The current grading method is one established by ECX that combines physical attribute characteristics and cupping flavor characteristics in a score to determine the grade.

All coffee is defined as three types according to processing method, natural or washed:

a. Specialty (washed & unwashed): few defects, high cup quality;

b. Commercial (washed & unwashed): does not reach specialty grade, but is higher than domestic consumption grade;

c. Local / Domestic (washed & unwashed): coffee with many defects (unripe beans), and relatively poorer flavor due to being out of season or poorly stored.

Among these, Specialty and Commercial are for export to the international market, while Local is coffee sold to the domestic market.

The specific ECX grading and scoring standards are as follows:

A. Scoring definition for washed processing

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

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

B. Scoring definition for natural processing

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

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

C. Overall summary:

1. All coffee is first classified by processing method: natural, washed;

2. Each is scored by physical characteristics and basic cup quality into 9 grades, G1-G9;

3. Among them, G1-G3 are cupped again according to SCAA standards, with their flavor attributes assessed in greater detail; G1 and G2 scoring no less than 85 points are rated Q1;

4. G1, G2, and G3 scoring between 80 and 85 are rated Q2; all G1, G2, and G3 scoring below 80 are rated G3;

5. Q1 and Q2 are classified as Specialty Grade for export. G4-G9 remain unchanged in their original grades and, together with G3, are classified as Commercial Grade for export.

Washed Grade 1 means 0–3 defective beans per 300 grams of green beans; Grade 2 means 4–12 defective beans per 300 grams. Of course, in practice the defect standards of sellers and buyers are certainly somewhat different (otherwise why could we pick out so many defective beans?), but the comparison of defect rates is still very easy to distinguish. G1 clearly has fewer defective beans than G2. This also means that, excluding the influence of specific flavor and roast level, Ethiopian G1 coffee beans are higher quality and score higher than G2 coffee beans, at least in terms of defective flavors, which can be clearly distinguished.

What is the difference between G1 and G3?

Now we know that G1, G2, and so on are Ethiopia's coffee grades, so what differences are there in flavor? Front Street Coffee selected natural Sidama G1 and G3 for comparison! From the beans we can see that the overall bean appearance of G1 is much better than G3, looking more uniform, with relatively fewer defective beans. After cupping comparison, Front Street Coffee found that natural Sidama G1 and G3 both perform fairly well in sweetness and acidity, but G1 is clearer and brighter in flavor. Front Street Coffee thinks that if they were not tasted side by side, the difference between the two would not actually be very large. G1 and G3 mainly differ in defect rate, which is more obvious from the appearance of the beans, and G1 beans show fewer defective flavors in the cup.

Taking Front Street Ethiopia Sidama Hambela as an example

Region: Guji Hambela

Washing Station: Buku Able

Altitude: 2,350 meters

Variety: Ethiopian native varieties

Processing: natural

Flavor: rose, cream strawberry, citrus, passion fruit, oolong tea

Front Street Coffee Roasting Analysis

The natural-processed Yirgacheffe is sweet and delicious. In order to highlight Yirga's floral and citrus flavors, Front Street used a light roast. Also, because Ethiopian beans vary in size, temperature rise must be controlled especially carefully.

Charge at 175°C, heat 120, damper set to 3; turning point at 1'32"; when the temperature reaches 115°C, open the damper to 4, heat unchanged; at 151.7°C the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, and it enters the dehydration stage, damper opened to 5; at 8'36" the bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and dark patches, and the toast aroma clearly turns into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack; at this point you must listen clearly for the sound of first crack; first crack begins at 9'50", damper opened to 5; after first crack develop for 1'40", drop at 196°C.

Front Street Coffee Brewing Parameters

In order to fully extract the rich layered character of the Hambela coffee beans, Front Street uses a higher water temperature and a finer grind for extraction, but to avoid over-extraction caused by high temperature, it uses a faster-flow dripper such as the V60. The V60 dripper has a 60-degree conical shape; the conical angle allows the coffee grounds to gather together, and during pouring it also allows the water flow to automatically converge toward the center of the dripper, ensuring sufficient contact time between water and coffee grounds, so that a suitable coffee liquid can be extracted. In addition, the ribs on the inner wall of the V60 extend in a clockwise spiral from the bottom to the top, leaving enough space between the filter paper and the dripper, giving the water flow good mobility. Together with the large hole at the bottom, the flow rate is relatively faster than that of many drippers.

The specific brewing parameters used by Front Street Dripper: V60 Water temperature: 90°C Water-to-coffee ratio: 1:15 Dose: 15 g Grind: fine pour-over grind (80% passing a Chinese No. 20 standard sieve)

Front Street uses staged extraction. The bloom water amount is twice the coffee grounds, that is, 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom. Pour in a small stream in circles up to 125 grams, then pause; when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225 grams and stop. The total extraction time (including bloom time) is 2 minutes.

Flavor description: citrus acidity, full berry juice body, lemon black tea tea-like note, lasting sweetness.

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