Introduction:Would you like to know how Ethiopian coffee beans with the flavor of white peach oolong tea are produced? These specialty beans from the Guji Soraa region feature an enzyme-washed process that highlights honey sweetness and fruity-tea aromas, perfect for exploring layers through pour over. This article delves into the region’s background, details of the processing method, and provides practical Hario V60 pour over parameters to help you brew a cup of coffee with distinct flavors.
In recent years, coffee with floral and fruity profiles has become highly popular. Among them, an Ethiopian coffee bean exuding the aroma of white peach oolong tea is truly astonishing. These beans come from the Guji region in the Sidamo province, specifically the village of Ana Soraa. Since being administratively separated from Sidamo in 2010, this area has repeatedly won awards in domestic and international coffee competitions, establishing itself as an emerging hub for specialty coffee.
Nowadays, many coffee enthusiasts are no longer satisfied with traditional fruit and chocolate notes, but have developed a growing interest in coffees that blend tea and fruit undertones. Although there are already many fruit-tea flavored coffees on the market, you might still be surprised to find one that smells and tastes just like white peach oolong tea—and it comes from Ethiopia.
These special coffee beans actually come from the Ana Soraa village within the Guji region of Ethiopia’s Sidamo province. Guji was originally part of Sidamo but was officially designated as an independent region by the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) in 2010. In recent years, due to its high-quality beans, it has gradually risen to the forefront of the international specialty coffee market.
The Guji region has repeatedly achieved outstanding results in international coffee evaluations and competitions. Especially since the popularity of the Guji Hambela Huika coffee, this region has become a rising star in the eyes of many coffee lovers. Guji not only benefits from exceptional altitude conditions, but also gradually established a premium regional image thanks to government policies promoting the development of specialty coffee.
These coffee beans with white peach oolong tea notes come from the Ana Soraa farm in the Guji region, at an altitude between 1,900 and 2,350 meters. They are classified as G1 grade, using local heirloom varieties and processed via the enzyme-washed method, with a harvest season in 2021.
The Ana Soraa farm was established in 2010, covering a total area of 250 hectares, about 150 hectares of which are dedicated to coffee cultivation. The farm’s name comes from a local small village. Though not as well-known as Yirgacheffe, its growing environment is superior. Coffee trees are planted under the natural shade of acacia trees, Cordia africana, leguminous plants, and false banana trees. This not only helps regulate the microclimate, but fallen leaves decompose to provide natural nutrients. Coupled with high altitude and sustainable farming practices, the result is coffee beans with balanced acidity and sweetness, and refined flavors.
Although Ana Soraa is known for its washing station, it is actually a privately operated processing facility now managed by the second-generation owner, Israel Degfa. Israel’s parents were formerly involved in operating a coffee cooperative and selling green beans, respectively, and he grew up immersed in the coffee production process, gaining deep understanding of it. Before 2018, the site mainly produced natural processed beans. It wasn’t until a new washing station was built that it began developing washed beans, using water from the nearby Tuuloo River to create a uniquely styled washed coffee.
These beans, referred to as “White Peach Oolong Dorothy,” are processed using the enzyme-washed method: first, ripe cherries are depulped, placed in a sealed tank with enzymes, and fermented for 24 hours. Then they are soaked in water tanks for 48 hours to separate the mucilage, and finally the mucilage-covered beans are dried on raised beds. This process retains more fruity and floral notes while imparting a gentle sweetness to the coffee.
In terms of roasting, to fully highlight the fruitiness and bright acidity of these heirloom beans, the roaster opted for a medium-light roast. This preserves the rich aromas while making the flavor layers clearer.
During actual cupping, this Dorothy revealed delicate jasmine floral notes, intense white peach oolong aromas, and a honey-like sweet aftertaste. The overall flavor profile is like sipping a high-quality white peach oolong tea.
If you wish to replicate similar flavors at home with a pour over, it is recommended to use a Hario V60 filter, with water at 91°C and a medium-fine grind. Medium-light roasted beans release flavors more slowly, so a slightly higher water temperature and finer grind help with extraction, while the V60’s flow design also helps avoid bitterness from over-extraction.
Specific parameters are recommended as follows: use 15 grams of coffee grounds, with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and a grind size roughly equivalent to 80% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve. Start with a 30-second bloom using 30 grams of hot water, then slowly pour in a circular motion from the center outward to 125 grams for the first pour. After the water level drops, pour again to reach 225 grams, and let all the water drip through the filter. The total extraction time is approximately 2 minutes.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
