Coffee came from Ethiopia. Not as a marketing line — as a fact. The wild coffee plant, Coffea arabica, originated in the forests of the Ethiopian highlands. Yirgacheffe, a small district in the south of the country, sits at the heart of that history.
When you drink a Yirgacheffe, you're drinking something from the place where this all started. That's worth knowing.
What makes it different
Yirgacheffe coffees are washed — the fruit is removed from the bean before drying. This produces a cleaner cup than natural processing, with more defined, delicate flavours. The altitude helps too: at 1,700–2,200 metres, the cherries develop slowly, concentrating their sugars and complexity.
The result is unlike most coffees you'll encounter. It's floral, bright, and layered — bergamot, jasmine, lemon zest, peach. The kind of cup that makes you put the mug down and actually think about what you're tasting.
How to brew it
This is a filter coffee. It's not built for milk. Pour over, Aeropress, or French press will show it at its best. Grind medium-fine, use water off the boil at around 93°C, and give it time. Don't rush it.
If you normally drink espresso with milk, this might be the coffee that changes your mind about filter.
Tasting notes
- Bergamot — the defining note, like Earl Grey tea in the best possible way
- Jasmine — floral, present in the aroma before you even take a sip
- Lemon zest — clean, bright citrus acidity
- Peach — soft stone fruit in the finish
Available in 250g and 1kg bags, whole bean or ground. Shop Ethiopia Yirgacheffe →