AvailableSpecialty
Ethiopia · Yirgacheffe
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed
- Grade
- Grade 2
- Screen
- 15+
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 120 bags
Jasmine · Bergamot · Lemon
Ethiopia · Growing region
Yirgacheffe Coffee
Yirgacheffe is the most recognised Ethiopian name and a real place with a real profile. This page covers what the designation does and does not tell you.
- Species
- Arabica
- Preparation
- Fully washed · Natural
- Harvest
- October–January
Quick answer
Yirgacheffe is a district in Ethiopia’s Gedeo zone whose washed coffee is consistent enough that the name became a quality designation. Grown at 1,750–2,200 m, the washed profile is the reference point for floral, citric Ethiopian coffee: jasmine, bergamot and lemon over a tea-like body.
Contract on: region · grade · screen · process · crop · moisture · defect tolerance · cup approval.
Request current yirgacheffe coffeeA district, not a brand
Yirgacheffe is a woreda — a district — inside the Gedeo zone in southern Ethiopia. Coffee from it became so consistently distinctive that the district name functions as a quality designation in the trade, in the way a wine appellation does.
That is a genuine achievement and a genuine limitation. The name tells you a great deal about the likely profile; it does not tell you which washing station, which kebeles the cherry came from, or which harvest week. A station-level lot is always more precisely defined than a regional one.
The growing conditions
- Altitude
- 1,750–2,200 m — among the highest routinely traded Ethiopian coffee
- System
- Garden coffee — smallholder plots intercropped with food crops, under shade
- Varieties
- Local landraces plus JARC selections such as the 74110 and 74112 series
- Harvest
- October–January
- Processing
- Predominantly washed; naturals produced and increasingly sought
- Traceability
- Washing station, within woreda and kebele
The altitude is the mechanism behind the profile: slow maturation at 2,000 m produces the dense seed and the intense, delicate aromatics the region is known for.
The cup
| Washed | Natural | |
|---|---|---|
| Aromatics | Jasmine, bergamot, lemon blossom | Berry, tropical fruit |
| Acidity | Citric, bright, defined | Softer, fruit-driven |
| Body | Light, tea-like, silky | Fuller, heavier |
| Typical grade | Grade 1–2 | Grade 1–3 |
| Consistency | High | More variable — drying dependent |
Specifying a Yirgacheffe lot
- Ask for the washing station, not just the district name.
- State the preparation with the grade — washed Grade 2 and natural Grade 3 are both specialty and not comparable.
- Ask about the variety where the station can identify it; "heirloom" is a placeholder, not a variety.
- Specify hermetic packaging — the delicate aromatics are what degrade first.
- Plan the arrival. Freshest Ethiopian arrivals land roughly February to May.
Yirgacheffe enquiries
Tell us the preparation, grade and volume. We will confirm what the current crop supports, with the washing station identified.
Request Current Crop OfferLast reviewed 2 min read
Availability
Current Yirgacheffe Coffee
Availability moves with the harvest, with milling and with prior commitments. Everything here is confirmed against the current crop on enquiry.
Quality
Quality evaluation
Every parcel runs the same sequence before it is offered and again before it is loaded. What is reported for a given lot depends on what the buyer specifies.
- 01Physical gradePreparation class against the origin’s own system
- 02Screen distributionRetention plus the percentage passing
- 03Defect analysisFull defects per 300 g on a stated weighting table
- 04MoistureRange plus the measurement method and instrument
- 05Water activityWhere the buyer specifies it, for storage stability
- 06DensityBulk density in g/L, for roast planning
- 07Sample roastTo a cupping profile, not a commercial roast
- 08CuppingMultiple cups, against the approved sample
- 09Buyer approvalThe retained sample the shipment is measured against
Export
Packing and export
- Ports of loading
- Djibouti (primary transit port)
- Bag standard
- 60 kg jute; specialty lots frequently in GrainPro or vacuum packs
- Export window
- December–August, with the freshest arrivals January–April
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF
Compare
Against the other East African origins
Grade designations do not translate between origins, and harvest windows barely overlap. This is how the region compares at a glance.
| Origin | Species | Main preparation | Representative grades | Harvest | Ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanzania | Arabica · Robusta | Fully washed · Natural | AA · A · AB · B | June–October in the south; July–December in the north | Dar es Salaam · Tanga |
| Uganda | Robusta · Arabica | Natural (Robusta) · Washed Arabica (WUGAR) | Screen 18 · Screen 17 · Screen 15 · FAQ | Robusta main crop November–February with a fly crop April–July; Elgon Arabica October–February | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Kenya | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Mbuni (natural) | E · AA · AB · PB | Main crop October–December; early (fly) crop May–July | Mombasa |
| Rwanda | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (growing) | Grade 1 (fully washed) · Grade 2 · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July, with the peak in April and May | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Burundi | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Natural (limited) | Grade A · Grade B · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July | Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) · Mombasa (Northern Corridor) |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Where is Yirgacheffe?
It is a district (woreda) in the Gedeo zone of southern Ethiopia, at 1,750–2,200 m. The district name has become a quality designation in the coffee trade.
What does Yirgacheffe coffee taste like?
Washed lots are the reference for floral, citric Ethiopian coffee — jasmine, bergamot and lemon over a light, tea-like body. Naturals from the same area are berry-forward with a fuller body.
Is Yirgacheffe always Grade 1 or 2?
Washed Yirgacheffe is commonly Grade 2, which is a specialty export grade rather than a compromise; Grade 1 lots exist in smaller volumes. Naturals sit across Grades 1 to 3 on their own defect allowances.
Should I buy a station-level lot or a regional Yirgacheffe?
A station-level lot is always more precisely defined and more repeatable. Regional Yirgacheffe is a reliable profile and generally more available in volume. Choose by whether you need precision or continuity.
Request an offer
Tell us the Ethiopia coffee you need
Region, process, grade, screen, moisture, defect tolerance, crop year, packaging and destination. Send what you know and we will confirm what Ethiopia realistically supports for the current crop.