What makes Ethiopia Guji Uraga washed G1 taste so delicate?

Ethiopia Guji Uraga Washed G1 delivers a clear cup with bright acidity and delicate jasmine, bergamot, lemon and apricot aromas, finishing with a honey-like sweetness. The lot grows at 2,050 to 2,100 meters in Guji, southeast of Yirgacheffe, where mountainous terrain, valleys, plateaus and large day-night temperature swings create the conditions for this delicate coffee style.

Soils here are nutrient-rich black Vertisol nearly two meters deep, and the average elevation sits above 1,800 meters, with coffee grown as high as 2,300 meters. Uraga borders Hambela to the south, Shakiso to the southwest and Ana Sora to the northwest, with more than 1,200 farmers supplying smallholder lots. The washed process keeps the green coffee bean flavor transparent, so staging the pours during brewing protects the aromatics.

In recent years, the Guji region of Ethiopia has attracted much attention in the specialty coffee world, and Uraga, as an outstanding sub-region within it, has produced many stunning washed lots. In this issue, Front Street Coffee will take you deep into this Hero Washed G1: from the terroir conditions of Guji Uraga and Ethiopia's coffee bean grading system, to the jasmine, bergamot, and apricot flavors presented under light roasting, and finally a complete set of pour-over extraction parameters and staged pouring techniques. Whether you want to understand the classic style of Ethiopian washed beans or find a reliable reference plan for everyday brewing, this article will give you clear answers.

Keep a date with [Hero], very sweet

Continuous rain has brought long-unseen coolness to Chang'an in the height of summer. Accompanied by the patter of rain, bubble after bubble rises in the vast expanse of water. A hint of roasted aroma drifts through the air—a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, keeping a date with Hero.

This Hero Washed G1 faithfully presents the flavor of Ethiopian coffee to us. Without complex processing methods, the cup is clear and the acidity is bright, with jasmine and delicate apricot and lemon aromas, as if holding sweet fruit candy in the mouth.

Ethiopia Uraga Hero Washed G1

Region: Guji Uraga

Altitude: 2050-2100m

Variety: Heirloom

Processing method: Washed

Flavor: Jasmine, Bergamot, Lemon, Apricot, Honey

[Region Introduction]

This coffee bean comes from the Guji region of Ethiopia, located southeast of Yirgacheffe. It is an area with complex terrain changes including towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys, and plains. The geology of this area belongs to nutrient-rich black soil (Vertisol), the soil depth is nearly two meters, and the average altitude is above 1,800 meters. The geographical characteristics create significant day-night temperature differences, giving the area all the terroir conditions needed to produce high-quality specialty coffee, and making it one of the most notable regions in recent years.

Uraga borders Hambela to the south, Shakiso to the southwest, and Ana Sora to the northwest, and has long produced the best coffee in the Guji area. Coffee here can be grown at altitudes as high as 2,300 meters. There are more than 1,200 coffee farmers, and smallholders provide coffee to public and private cooperative washing stations. Each farmer has about 8 to 12 hectares of land in their own backyard for growing coffee trees.

After the cherries are washed, coffee farmers use a special organic cloth to cover the green coffee beans during sun-drying, avoiding excessively high temperatures from direct sunlight. These processed green coffee beans are then sent to the market for purchase by large cooperatives and washing stations.

[Ethiopian Coffee Grading]

Coffee beans are the second-largest globally traded commodity after oil. The quality of coffee beans has objective grading standards, which facilitates international trade. Coffee bean grading methods vary among coffee-producing countries around the world—by number (rate) of defects, by altitude, by screen size, and by processing method—each with its own strengths.

Ethiopian coffee beans are divided into 5 grades: G1-G5, where "G" stands for Grade.

For example: G1 means fewer than 3 defective beans per 300 grams of green beans;

G2 — 4-12 beans;

G3 — 13-25 beans;

G4 — 26-45 beans;

G5 — 46 beans and above

Key points:

(1) Ethiopia does not grade by size;

(2) G1 and G2 generally belong to the grading of washed beans, while G3, G4, and G5 are grades for natural beans. Beans in the G4 and G5 grades generally cannot be sold as single-origin coffee; we call them "commodity beans." Because natural processing depends heavily on weather and has more uncontrollable factors than washed processing, natural beans are mostly G3. However, there are still very few natural beans at the G1 and G2 levels.

Front Street Coffee chose light roasting to express this Guji coffee's floral and fruity aromas. In the dry fragrance, floral and lemon aromas can already be sensed. On the first sip, jasmine accompanied by bergamot can be felt, and the finish carries notes of apricot, black tea, and honey. The flavor is clean and delicate.

You can refer to the following parameters when brewing!

Pour-over Drip

Dose: 15g

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15-1:16

Dripper: Hario V60

Grind size: Large Fuji 3 setting (granulated sugar size)

Water temperature: 90°C

Extraction time: 2'00"

Technique: Use "staged extraction." Pour about twice the coffee dose in water (about 35g) for blooming. Start timing when blooming begins. Once the surface of the coffee bed changes from wet to beginning to dry, the bloom can be ended (about 30 seconds). Proceed to the second pour, adding about 90g water, for a total of 125g water, then pause. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, brew with a slightly stronger stream than the previous stage. Stop when the poured water reaches about 225g. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper.

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