We have ordered several Lavassa green coffees and have been reasonably satisfied given the price point. However, where Yirgacheffe is concerned, they don't even come close to the FRC green coffee!
I'm surprised the reviews for the other varietals offered by FRC are all mixed together in one review pool. I've only found one other review for Yirge. After having gone through a LOT of different green Yirgees from different distributors, this is the second best I've ever had and it is by far the most affordable! Or at least it was... it appears to have fallen off the Amazon Prime lists since I ordered it and received it... It was the equivalent of $6 per pound.
They advertise the beans as Grade 2. I'm not sure what the limit is on quakers in grade 2. In roasting two cups of beans I found maybe 7 or so beans to reject before roasting (bug damage, discoloration or under ripe). After roasting them I probably found 10-12 quakers. That seems a bit high for Grade 2 to my inexperienced self, but that was far fewer than other "good quality" Yirgees I've roasted, especially Lavassa.
We like our roast a light as possible while still achieving full bean flavor. 1:20 after first crack has yielded marvelous results with this bean! I've only roasted one Yirge that was better. Floral and citrusy notes abound. The Lavassa Yirge we had to roast quite a bit more just to get any flavor out of it, and we were never happy with the result. So this was cheaper, better quality beans and a much livelier and enjoyable cup than Lavassa.
Thank you (ironically named) Fresh Roasted Coffee for such wonderful unroasted coffee! Hopefully by the time we're out, this will be back on Prime at the lower price point. Even if it wasn't (depending on price) I certainly consider ordering it again anyway.
Arabica Coffee Beans
