Introduction:The 2026 new harvest Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Hambella Guji Konga Huacaui 11 Natural Process coffee beans come from the Goro baessa mountain spring processing station at an altitude of 2280 meters. Crafted with 100% red cherries and a 21-day low-temperature fermentation process, these beans deliver intense floral notes, red wine aromas, and tropical fruit flavors. This article takes you through the origin of the Huacaui name, the regional background, the intricate processing details, the green bean characteristics, and the optimal pour over parameters — helping you master the essence and brewing secrets of this championship-grade natural coffee.
The 2026 harvest Huacaui 11 Natural coffee beans from Ethiopia’s Yirgacheffe Hambella core producing area are a highly anticipated micro-lot specialty bean. Processed meticulously by the Goro baessa mountain spring station at an elevation of 2280 meters, only red cherries with a sugar content of 21 or higher are selected. These undergo a 21-day low-temperature fermentation, resulting in rich floral notes, red wine aromas, and tropical fruit profiles, with high sweetness and a pronounced juicy mouthfeel. This article will delve into the origin of the Huacaui name, regional characteristics, processing details, green bean features, and offer practical pour over recommendations and parameters to help you fully understand this top-tier natural coffee.
This coffee is produced in the Hambella Wamena area of Ethiopia’s Guji region, which administratively belongs to the Oromia State. Hambella borders Kochore of Yirgacheffe to the west and is surrounded by other Guji sub-regions such as Shakiso, Uraga, and Kercha to the east, south, and north, making it one of the highest-altitude coffee sub-regions in Ethiopia. The area’s exceptional geographical environment, combined with high altitude and significant diurnal temperature variation, provides ideal conditions for cultivating coffee with unique flavor profiles.
The name “Huacaui” originated in 2017 when Ethiopia’s DW coffee bean company submitted its natural process batch to the TOH (the Taste Of Harvest) competition hosted by the African Fine Coffees Association. The batch won the Ethiopia TOH championship and was thus named “Huacaui,” symbolizing its outstanding quality and competitive honor. Since then, the Huacaui series has become one of the most sought-after natural process representatives in the specialty coffee market.
In the 2016/2017 harvest season, Huacaui also claimed the championship in the Ethiopia National Taste of Harvest Competition and earned second place in the 2017 Regional Africa Taste of Harvest Competition, showcasing its world-class flavor performance. The 2026 new harvest Huacaui 11 introduced here comes from the Goro baessa mountain spring processing station in the Hambella core area, classified as a micro-lot selection with even higher quality.
Huacaui 11 uses the local heirloom variety — a small-sized coffee bean with a round shape, typically sized between 14–15 mesh, slightly smaller than the common Longberry variety. The beans are greenish-yellow in color with noticeable variations in size. This heirloom variety has evolved across Ethiopia’s diverse microclimates and high altitudes, offering immense flavor potential.
In terms of processing, Huacaui 11 is made exclusively from fully ripe red cherries, with a required sugar content of 21 or above to qualify for natural processing. After harvesting, the coffee cherries are sun-dried on African raised beds with strictly controlled layer thickness and are turned regularly every 24 hours to ensure even fermentation. During the first two days of sun-drying, the station maintains appropriate humidity to initiate the fermentation of fruit sugars while leveraging the natural low temperatures at high altitudes (which can drop to 12°C at night) to prevent over-fermentation. Shade is applied during midday heat to avoid fruit scorching. The overall fermentation period lasts 21 days — far longer than typical natural processes — to ensure full and stable flavor development.
During sun-drying, if evening rainfall occurs, thick plastic sheeting is used immediately to maintain a stable low-temperature fermentation environment. After approximately 18 days of sun-drying, when the moisture content of the green beans drops to 13%, sun-drying is halted. The beans are then placed in jute bags and undergo around 50 days of resting and further dehydration in an environment of 12–22°C and 40–50% humidity, allowing the flavors to mature and balance further.
For brewing, Huacaui 11 is well-suited for pour over or siphon methods, which can fully highlight its rich layers and fruity aromas. It is recommended to use a Hario V60 transparent resin filter cone, which enhances aroma expression and showcases dynamic acidity from hot to cool stages during brewing, resulting in a more refined overall flavor profile. A medium-fine grind is suggested, with a water temperature of 91–93°C. Start with a 30-second bloom using 25g of water, then proceed with incremental pouring up to 120g, and a final total brew weight of 226g. Total brew time is approximately 2 minutes and 5 seconds.
The brewed coffee offers an upfront aroma of cantaloupe and strawberry jam, with a soft jackfruit acidity on the palate. The mid-palate reveals berry flavors such as strawberry, and the finish leaves a sweet note of cane sugar. Overall, it presents a rich yet balanced flavor profile. Whether you're a coffee novice or an experienced enthusiast, you can experience the unique charm of Ethiopian natural process coffee through this Huacaui 11.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
