Ethiopia Amderaro Coffee BeansCoffee Beans
Origin
- Region: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
- Variety: Heirloom variety
- Process: Anaerobic Slow Dry (ASD)
- Roast: Cinnamon Roast
- Altitude: 2200 meters
- Sample Batch:
- Grower: Ato . Beyene Eshete
Flavor Notes:
Citrus, berries, cream, lemon, rose tea, white grape, fermentation notes
- Aroma: Strong
- Cleanliness: Medium
- Sweetness:Medium
- Acidity:Medium
- Body:Average
- Bitterness:Slight
- Aftertaste:Medium
- After Cooling:Medium
Ethiopia Amderaro Coffee BeansCoffee Bean Intro:
As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia boasts countless native coffee varieties. Coupled with its advantageous geographical location and microclimates, Ethiopia has become one of the most important coffee-producing countries. Front Street Coffee is also very fond of Ethiopian coffee. The washed coffee beans from the Yirgacheffe region offer citrus acidity, while the Huika coffee beans from Guji-Hambela boast rich creamy berry notes... The diverse flavor profiles make Ethiopia seem like a treasure trove waiting to be discovered. Every year, the baristas and roasters at Front Street Coffee cup test various Ethiopian coffee beans. On one hand, this helps them understand the characteristics of beans from different regions, and on the other hand, it aids in identifying new beans for listing. For example, at the end of 2020, Front Street Coffee listed a TOH washed group champion—the washed coffee beans from the Uraga region of Ethiopia. This year, Front Street Coffee also cup tested the non-washed group’s double champion—Amderaro. Before introducing this champion bean, let’s first understand what TOH is. “TOH” stands for the “East Africa Taste of Harvest Competition,” initiated by the African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA, established in 2000 to help African coffee-producing countries develop coffee trade and improve coffee quality). It is a green coffee cupping competition held across 12 African coffee-producing countries, similar to the international COE (Cup of Excellence) competition. TOH is divided into national competitions (NATIONAL) and the African regional finals (REGIONAL), judged based on CQI and SCA green coffee cupping standards. Winners of the national competitions can represent their countries in the African regional finals (hosted in rotation by member countries). The double championship of Amderaro refers to this coffee bean winning both the 19/20 Ethiopian national championship and the African regional championship, with a final score as high as 90.7 points. Hearing such results, the baristas and roasters at Front Street Coffee naturally raised their expectations for this champion bean. Similarly, after receiving the sample beans, the roaster developed three roasting profiles based on the beans’ characteristics and promptly sent them to the stores for separate cupping sessions by the baristas. The baristas and roasters at Front Street Coffee conduct cupping 24 hours after roasting. During cupping, they weigh and grind 11.3 grams of sample coffee into each cupping bowl, pour 94°C hot water for immersion extraction, and steep for 4 minutes. Once the time is up, the baristas break and remove the crust before proceeding to slurp and evaluate the coffee. When slurping, this Amderaro exhibits medium-to-high berry notes, evoking cranberries, strawberries, and white grapes, followed by cream, honey, and fermentation characteristics. As the temperature drops, it shifts toward orange, apple, and citrus notes, accompanied by a slight tea-like quality and rose floral aromas. The juice-like mouthfeel is paired with high complexity. Why is Amderaro coffee so special? First, this Amderaro comes from Konga in the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia, and the coffee bean’s name is derived from the processing station that produced it—the Amderaro Station (Amederaro station), owned by Ato. Beyene Eshete. The Amderaro Station processes coffee grown around Konga at an altitude of 2200 meters. These coffee trees are planted in iron-rich red soil. Such high altitude and fertile soil provide the strongest support for the premium flavor profile of this coffee. The official variety of this Amderaro coffee bean, like other Ethiopian coffee beans, is listed as Heirloom (native variety). Baristas at Front Street Coffee remind us: “Heirloom is not a specific coffee variety.” Unlike Typica, Bourbon, or Gesha, Heirloom is a general term used to describe the numerous coffee varieties in Ethiopia. Just like this Amderaro coffee bean, when the roaster inspected the beans, they found inconsistencies in size, with beans ranging from large to small, spanning screen sizes 15 to 18. Countless coffee varieties are grown in Ethiopia, and mixed planting is one of its characteristics. Although Ethiopia is a major coffee-producing country, it primarily relies on smallholder farming. During harvest season, the picked coffee cherries are sent to nearby processing stations, forming the second characteristic—mixed harvesting and processing. This makes it even harder to trace the specific varieties, not to mention other reasons not elaborated here. Therefore, unlike other coffee-producing countries, most Ethiopian coffee beans list “Heirloom” as the variety. Another unique aspect of this Amderaro coffee bean is its processing method—Anaerobic Slow Dry, abbreviated as ASD. The first time I heard of this method was in 2019 when Elida Estate won the Best of Panama (BOP) competition. That year, Elida Estate’s ASD Gesha was auctioned at a sky-high price of $1029 per pound. Regarding the ASD (Anaerobic Slow Dry) processing method, each letter accurately describes its characteristics: the first is anaerobic, the second is slow, and the third is sun-dried. The coffee cherries, along with their pulp, are placed in sealed tanks for anaerobic fermentation, which lasts up to 120 hours. After fermentation, the cherries are transferred to drying beds for at least five weeks of drying. This processing method gives this Amderaro coffee bean more intense berry aromas. Front Street Coffee’s Roasting Profile
Follow the official account and sendRead Full Article Free
Region Intro:
Yirgacheffe (specialty production region): altitude 1,800-2,000 m | garden coffee system |
Yirgacheffe is part of the Sidamo production region, but because of its unique flavor it was separated out on its own. Besides the small town of Yirgacheffe, it also includes three surrounding sub-regions: Wenago, Kochere, Gelena and Abaya. Therefore, in the new Yirgacheffe grading system, Yirgacheffe A, Wenago A, Kochere A and Gelena/Abaya A are more expensive than the B grade of the same name.
Brewing Tips:
Front Street Coffee’s Brewing Recommendations
Filter: V60 #01
Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Coffee Dose: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-Fine (80% passing through a 20-mesh sieve according to Chinese standards)
Brewing Method: Three-pour technique. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, then pour in a slow spiral until reaching 125g, pause when the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, then pour again to 225g and stop. Remove the filter when the water level is about to expose the coffee bed (start timing from the bloom). Total brew time: 2'00".
