2020 TOH Washed Category Champion - Uraga RegionCoffee Bean Intro:

Ethiopia 2020 TOH Washed Category Champion Coffee Beans

Region: Ethiopia Guji Uraga

Processing Station: Sela Gajaba Processing Station

Variety: Ethiopian Native Varieties

Altitude: 2170m

Processing Method: Washed Process

TOH Green Bean Competition

Taste of Harvest

The TOH Green Bean Competition is the most important green bean competition in African coffee-growing countries each year. Its full name is the East Africa Taste of Harvest Competition (TOH). This competition is similar to the Cup of Excellence (COE) in Central and South America. Since its establishment, the TOH has become a competitive arena for discovering the best coffees from 12 African producing countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and the Congo.

The TOH competition process is as follows: In the preliminary round, batches scoring below 80 points in cupping are eliminated, gradually selecting the highest-quality green beans from each region to enter the national-level competition. Then, domestic and international judges use standards based on the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) to cup and score the beans, with the highest scorer being named the annual national champion.

Uraga / Uraga

Uraga

The coffee beans recently acquired by Front Street come from the Uraga sub-region of Ethiopia’s Guji zone. Since the Guji region became independent from the Sidamo region, it has undoubtedly been the most attention-grabbing coffee-producing area in recent years. Located southeast of Yirgacheffe, Guji is a region with complex terrain changes, including towering mountains, valleys, and plains. The area features fertile black soil (Vertisol) with soil depth of nearly two meters and an average altitude above 1800 meters. The significant diurnal temperature variation caused by its geographical characteristics provides ideal terroir conditions for producing high-quality specialty coffee.

Uraga is a sub-region within the Guji zone, with altitudes reaching up to 2300m. Although the town of Uraga is within the Guji region, geographically it is closer to the high-altitude areas of Yirgacheffe at around 2200m. Before the Guji region gained fame, coffee beans processed by Uraga washing stations were often sold under the name of Yirgacheffe. After the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) declared Guji as an independent region, the western high-altitude areas of Uraga began labeling production units directly by village or cooperative names on jute sacks. The Uraga region has also won the TOH championship multiple times in recent years.

Sela Gajaba Processing Station

The Sela Gajaba washed processing station is located 12 kilometers outside the town of Uraga. The surrounding area is shaded by trees, and the presence of several mountain ranges creates a perfect environment for growing high-quality coffee. The Boye River flows through the area, irrigating the coffee farms of small and medium-sized farmers.

Washed Processing Method

Washed

The TOH champion beans recently acquired by Front Street come from the washed category. Becoming a champion bean is no easy feat—just like becoming Miss World, absolute strength is essential for global recognition, and coffee beans must excel in both quality and processing. The processing of coffee must be strictly and carefully controlled and screened at every stage. Hand-picking only perfectly ripe fresh coffee cherries is the first step in ensuring coffee quality. Before processing, the beautiful and ripe red cherries look particularly enticing under the sunlight. The picked coffee cherries undergo meticulous selection before entering the washed processing stage.

The selected coffee cherries are placed in a pulper to initially remove the skin and pulp. The coffee beans, still coated with residual pulp and mucilage, are then soaked in water for fermentation for about 18-36 hours. After fermentation, the parchment-covered coffee beans are washed in flowing water channels to remove the pulp and mucilage. The beans are then dried in the sun or with the help of a dryer until the moisture content is reduced to around 12%. Finally, the parchment layer is removed from the green beans. Through cupping, Front Street found that the washed processing method highlights the bright acidity of the Uraga region’s coffee beans, with an overall profile reminiscent of the floral and citrus acidity characteristic of the Yirgacheffe region.

Front Street Coffee Roasting Record

Front Street’s roasters used the Yangjia 800N (300g batch capacity): the drum temperature was set at 180°C when loading the beans, with a heat output of 130 and a fan setting of 3. The turning point was at 1’36”, and when the drum temperature reached 140°C, the fan was adjusted to 4 while maintaining the same heat output. At 151°C, the beans turned yellow, and the grassy aroma completely disappeared, marking the start of the drying phase, with the heat output reduced to 110.

At 8’37”, the beans showed ugly wrinkles and black streaks, and the toast-like aroma clearly transitioned to a coffee fragrance, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, it’s important to listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack began at 9’39”, and the development phase lasted 1’00” after first crack, with the beans dropped at 193.2°C.

Front Street Coffee Cupping Report

Front Street conducts cuppings within 8-24 hours after roasting the coffee beans. Front Street baristas use 200ml standard cupping bowls, with a grind size passing through a 20-number standard sieve at 70%-75%, a coffee dose of 11.1g, and water temperature at 94°C. The dry aroma is first evaluated by grinding, followed by pouring water to fill the bowl. The wet aroma is confirmed, and after 4 minutes, the crust is broken and scooped off for flavor evaluation.

Dry Aroma: Floral

Wet Aroma: Citrus

Flavor: Jasmine, Lemon, Berries, Grapefruit, Honey, Green Tea

Front Street Coffee Brewing Insights

Filter: V60 #01

Dose: 15g

Brew Ratio: 1:15

Water Temperature: 91°C

Grind Size: Medium-Fine (20-number sieve, 78% retention)

Front Street Brewing Technique: Pre-wet the filter and preheat the V60 and coffee kettle. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, then pour in a small circular motion until reaching 125g for the first pour. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Remove the V60 when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed again. (Timing starts at blooming.) Total brew time: 2’05”.

Brewed Flavor: Citrus acidity and jasmine aroma in the front, grapefruit tea and honey in the middle, with a lingering finish.