Ethiopia Misty Valley Yirgacheffe

by Marjorie Martinez on January 13, 2023

…if I could only, ever, for the rest of my life on this great green earth drink one coffee… it would be Yirgacheffe. It is a wonder and I never grow tired of it.

by Jeston on December 7, 2022

So just got this bean thanks to cyber Monday sale. Been home roasting 3 years now. 100% blueberry muffin and chocolate notes. Super sweet and tasty. Ethiopians can be tricky. This one seems to be one that has small room for error to get it right. Definitely city roast to hit all the tasting notes but taste is subjective so folks should bear in mind that but tasting notes maybe what’s on the nose as well. This bean is fantastic. 11 minute roast dropped 30 seconds into rolling first crack seems counterintuitive I know but…….48 hrs later boom!!!! Glad I got ten lbs yes yirgs are more citrus and floral not fruit but that also depends on the region and the region these beans come from are noted for Sweet, very fruity and chocolate finish. Folks that are roasting well up to and into second crack will roast away a lot of what makes this bean special. Reminds me of a chocolatey blueberry with a sweet muffin note from halo bariti from 12 years ago will definitely buy this again thanks CBC I’m a newer customer to you but your beans have been exquisite so far thank you

by Christine on November 12, 2022

I agree with others who have questioned the fruity, floral reviews. Yirgacheffe’s general flavor profile is more of a winey taste, not fruity, and this one is no different. The fruity flavors come more from Harare/Harrar, not Yirgacheffe. This coffee was more like a Sidamo. It’s good, but it’s not fruity. I find that I get to first crack around 400, and I take it to second crack, but that mutes some of the flavor profile as you probably already know. We use it exclusively for espresso and it’s been lovely for that. I probably wouldn’t buy it again, only because I don’t care for the winey flavor, but it is a good coffee. Just don’t expect blueberries from this one.

by J.R. on October 19, 2022

My previous batch of Misty was great. However, I'm not having any success w/this batch for some reason. First off, the fragrance of the beans isn't floral at all. I've tried going from 30s increments to 2min. after 1C. Unlike the Sidamo Durato Bombe, I'm not getting any fruity or floral notes at all. I'll have to Turn n' Burn the last 5lbs I have left. Ugh.

by Paul W Smith on October 9, 2022

Open campfire roasting using a vintage wire mesh popcorn popper in far NE Vermont. (FALL 2022). I purchased 6 different green coffee beans to roast over open flame/coals maple hardwood. I roast 1/3 cup of green beans at a time. I made a v. dark roast and noted length of first crack (25-30 seconds), darkening, then second crack (softer sounding) and oil coating. This roast level yields a dull tasting coffee, but not overly burnt tasting. I had to be careful not to ignite the batch. Oils come to surface during first crack. LOTS of chaff !!! Chaff is flammable. Lots of oil vapor and vapor is flammable. My cousin burnt her first attempt after observing me make three batches. I burned a previous batch, but not in her presence. Her brother kept it - will try to grind and drink it... Dark roast lost the brightness and subtle flavors. Coffee was OK, but not great. Light roast (just finished first crack) retained floral nodes and brightness. Medium roast still had muted brightness, but individual flavors were blended into a different taste. Could taste a hint of smokey maple??? I roasted 3 lbs, 1/4 - 1/3 cup at a time. An inexpensive bean to test your fire roasting skills to yield various roasts.

by Rich Estrem on September 17, 2022

Rich E. - Sad to say I've now done 4 roasts of Misty and no fruit or floral. Today's roast (9/17/22) after cooling I tried in an aeropress and even with cream ended up dumping out 1/2 the cup. I've been roasting about 15 yrs and love Ethiopian's but this has been very disappointing now 1/2 way thru a 5# bag. In the meantime I've done a couple Kenya's that have been great. Using a drum w/3 TC's into artisan. Not sure what to try next to salvage something from what is left. Argh!

by Hugh Griffin on September 4, 2022

Great Yirg. Roasted to full city. Fantastic range of fruity notes with excellent body and lingering pleasant afternoons!

by Joe on August 3, 2022

Joseph Giammarinaro Excellent Coffee! Aromatic, wonderful!

by Nathan on July 11, 2022

Using the Sweet Marias Popper and a 6 min roast. Pour over with ~25g grounds and 400 g H2O. Makes a pretty delicious cup in my opinion. I'd buy these beans again for sure.

by David on July 9, 2022

So smooth and the aftertaste nice. Blueberry muffin creamy mellow taste. My new favorite coffee.

by RHEUBEN JOHNSON on June 25, 2022

VERY GOOD.

by Todd on June 19, 2022

I love it, but I had to figure out what I was doing wrong with my roast profile first. I had read about the wow-factor blueberry flavor, and my first attempt at roasting it resulted in a muddy blueberry-floral hit with plenty of sweetness, but not the acid to balance it out. A hotter start, with a shorter roast cleaned up the flavor significantly. For those with the Gene Cafe roaster, here was the profile used: 8 oz, 227 grams starting, 7.0 oz 199 grams weight after roasting (12.5% loss). Pre-warm the empty drum for 5 minutes at 392 F. Rapidly add your beans and re-insert the drum into the Gene Cafe. (be quick!). Clear your kitchen timer and start timer and the roast at 392 F. (200 C) Stay at this temperature for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes have elapsed, raise the temperature to 464 F (240C). First pop of first Crack will be likely heard at about 10:30 on the kitchen timer, Reduce temperature to 437 F (225C) one minute ten seconds after the first pop of first crack is heard. (For me, the temp was lowered at 11 minutes 40 seconds into roast). Continue at this temperature until Full-City roast is reached (About 13 minutes and 30 seconds). Rapidly cool externally to the Gene Cafe to stop the roast process. I include this because the Gene Cafe roasts a bit differnt than classical drum roasters, so the roast profile is tuned for the Gene Cafe Roaster.

by Nicola on June 14, 2022

Simply the best for espresso dark roasted !!!

by Todd Anderson on May 27, 2022

Very good coffee!! I roasted past FC and it turned out great. My first sip were strawberry notes. I knew that I hit the right roast when I finished the cup. There are some dead beans in the bunch, but not many. I would highly recommend it and will be buying more if it is available.

by Timothy on May 5, 2022

I went with a light sample roast to see what the bean has to offer and was very impressed. Usually the coffee flavor descriptors are seemingly random, but this one actually does have the blueberry note so beloved by Ethiopian natural fans. I’m excited to continue developing my roast for this coffee and see how it tastes at medium roast levels. Definitely give it a shot!

by LJ on April 10, 2022

When the coffee is roasted as medium the flavor has outstanding blueberry flavor. This is my second five pound batch and I will continue to purchase it. Thank you CBC for making this bean available for purchase.

by Philip Dohrer on February 19, 2022

This is the kind of coffee that made me fall in love with dry processed beans. Many years since I've had a natural this good. Very few defects, lots of beautiful fruit notes and not a lot of funk. GREAT coffee!

by #Orrgrey on January 28, 2022

Some of my favorite beans. Easy to get consistent roast profile..

by ervan on January 25, 2022

Wonderful Ethiopian Natural. Tastes like Brookside blueberry chocolate. City+ 210 C. A must try.

by Dan S on January 2, 2022

Great coffee but bag was light…only received 4.5#’s out of the 5#’s I was supposed to get.

by Sunghee Lee on November 16, 2021

Roasted to medium, it is wonderful fruity smell. If you like dark roast, this is not for you.

by harrisam on October 14, 2021

One of the best tasting coffees I've roasted at any price. The only complaint is that the second crack is hard to discern. I roast 30 second into the second crack. The extra attention required is more than worth the effort.

by JeffG on October 11, 2021

After roasting 4 coffee samples so far and not finding one I would call a keeper I landed on Ethiopia Misty Valley. With my trusty SR500, I roasted it to end of FC (City) with heat at medium after FC started. Delicious coffee in pour over using 0.8 oz of grounds between med and fine grind (like sand). So smooth, floral notes, light sweetness and balanced, medium boldness. This is less than 24 hrs after roast. Very Impressed.

by Jerry McGuire on August 18, 2021

I’m not a professional at roasting and have only tried this bean a few times and it’s a little tougher for me to get that perfect roast than some others but I will get there. It still turned out good.

by Dylan Manning on August 2, 2021

One of my favorite beans, alongside Kayon Mtn. Ordered it as soon as it came back in stock. Ethiopians are very sweet, this one is no different. 10/10.

by RPro on May 26, 2021

Yirgscheffe coffees are a favorite of mine. And it seems over the years, a lot of other people's favorite. A great drinker, a fairly mellow body. I like to take it to a darker roast, FC+. Seems at this roast is at its smoothest, and most chocolate enhanced. Some sweeter, dark red fruit essences.

by AdamZ on April 29, 2021

Tried about 15 different types of beans so far and these are by far my favorite - just re upped on another 20 pounds !

by Workbench Roasters on April 23, 2021

This Ethiopia Yirgacheffe has been one of our staple beans since we started our business a year ago. We roast it dark to caramelize the sugars and the result is a wonderful dark chocolate, full body, coffee that's intense without being bitter. We also roast this bean light for a collaboration with an ice cream company, and medium for a collaboration with a local brewery.

by NT on April 21, 2021

One of the best for espresso.

by GLORIA WARREN on March 6, 2021

I'm not a fan of "fruity" flavors in coffee and favor darkly roasted beans for pour-over brewing (Chemex), so Ethiopian has never been on my radar. But Ethiopian was suggested by a barista for espresso, that it's the only kind she uses in her shop. And she certainly makes an excellent cappuccino! Misty Valley makes a delicious espresso, better than two others varieties I tried, but not something for drip or pour-over.

by Greg W on February 28, 2021

This is an excellent Ethiopian natural. I roasted two batches, the first just shy of 2C, and the second about 30 seconds into 2C. When combined, they produced a smooth and well balanced blend, with notes of berries and chocolate.

by Ryan Edwards on February 26, 2021

30 seconds after first crack ends amazing citrus flavors one of my favorites!

by Jean on February 16, 2021

This coffee is a bit finicky to roast. However, if you get it just right, you are rewarded by a fruit forward (blueberry) coffee with chocolate base. Works well as espresso and holds up in milk. I have achieved this in a popcorn popper once or twice (don’t know how) and in my hottop more consistently by dropping in at around 150C and removing just at the end of first crack. However, get the roast wrong and it can be blah or downright musty.

by Jack Keith Sanderson on February 4, 2021

JKeith I am a newbie when it comes to roasting my own coffee, and a friend of mine pointed me to Coffee Bean Corral. I don't know how to 'properly' describe it, so I'll just country-boy it... I like a light roast so I simply looked through the descriptions and found this bean. LOVE it! roasted 250g at 220c for 11 minutes...waited a couple days...and then it was like heaven in my cup. I know that everyone's tastes are different, but I highly recommend you give this bean a try if you like a light roast.

by Chuck on January 31, 2021

I roasted this in a Genecafe at 428. Total time roasting was 16 1/2 minutes and then cooling time. It was a delicious aroma right out of the ginger. Very fruity and floral. The cup was a delightful fruit forward cup and the berries were very evident. I love it best when a Yirgacheff is like that.

by Gordon McCauley on January 16, 2021

I read that this bean, when properly roasted, suggests blueberries. I thought that sounded interesting, so I tried it. It has since become one of two beans that I will always try to keep on hand. Others may come and go, but this is a keeper for me.

by roasted on December 15, 2020

This is one of my favorite coffees. I love it with oatmilk. It has a complex and satisfying flavor. I drink it almost every day.

by jgaude on December 2, 2020

First roast was to a light/med roast. Taste and aroma are amazing! Fruity, light chocolate, bright.. Awesome cup! Love this bean!

by Ceci on November 13, 2020

I tend to roast right to second crack. (The rest of my household doesn’t enjoy light roasts.) So I tend to look for brands that retain as much of their fruity or nutty notes up to SC. This coffee is quite good, but I think it lost those fruity notes mentioned in the description when roasted darker. Still, it’s quite good and I think if not roasted past a medium level, it will likely retain much more of those flavor notes. So I’m giving it a 4.

by Robert Beverly on October 14, 2020

This is an exceptionally clean full natural. It is balanced and has great floral and fruit profile as described along with a very nice body. I am not a fan of naturals as I prefer a clean cup but I am buying an extra 5 lbs of this as it's a keeper that I want to share with friends via USPS. I have brewed it in V60 and it was awesome. It was also amazing in the Aeropress and makes an excellent milk drink.

by Elson Boles on October 4, 2020

This is my favorite offering from Coffee Bean Corral so far. I'm a coffee snob, but I'm not a coffee expert. I know what I like, and I like Ethiopian beans, and from Kenya, and the natural processing because it leaves a residual Bourbon like flavor that I can't get enough of. They say to roast these light, but I think much more flavor come through when roasted to second crack. The friendly small-shop service is the best I've experienced, making me a loyal customer.

by Workbench Roasters on September 17, 2020

This Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Misty Valley is one of my two favorite beans and has become one of our anchor roasts that our customers love. We roast it dark, just past 2nd crack to get the oils to surface. This results is a full body, robust, cup, with a nice dark chocolate base with a slight berry/citrus finish. We've roasted and sold over 150 pounds of this bean and don't have any plans to stop using it!

by William on August 31, 2020

This year's crop is good. Roasted on a Gene Cafe to full City. Sweet and smooth, starting with a bit of blueberry and continues to a general light fruitiness that doesn't overpower or cover up what is an outstanding coffee.

by Hillary on August 16, 2020

I have struggled with roasting this coffee. There seems to be a lot of green defects in the bag, particularly insect damage. Also, the beans are very different in size causing over roasting in the small beans, leaving a roasty flavor which I try to avoid in coffee. Unfortunately I will not order again.

by Nathan Johnson on July 24, 2020

This coffee is everything I like about Ethiopian Yirgacheffe in an easy-to-roast bean. I have had some problems roasting other Ethiopians in my little Nesco, but this works great roasting for about 16 minutes. Full flavor, great color, and still just the right acidity. This morning I had what might be the best cup of coffee that I have ever had from this. Really.

by Natalie on July 15, 2020

I love this coffee. I make my coffee in a pour over and it is so smooth and full of flavor. I don't need to add creamer, its perfect just the way it is.

by Jerry on July 9, 2020

Roasted until just after first crack stopped. I was floored by the overwhelmed and pleasant chocolate notes. The finish was perfect. One of my favorite beans and this was my favorite purchase so far.

by David A on June 8, 2020

BLUEBERRY ..... medium roast 450 deg rolling basket air fryer 35 minutes - 24 to 48 hour rest .... fine grind... 4 minute french press - blueberry.. not syrup sugar blueberry... but a light natural essence or as one other reviewer said .. muffin tone. You can smell it in the aroma too. Not everybody tastes it the first time, not all roast batches are strong... but when you get a strong batch... WOW... the lingering coffee flavor is like bakers chocolate which could be earthy to some. It seems the roast needs 24 to 48 hours to really come out. Being a medium roast .. and lighter roasting is good too.. its going to zing you out... nice caffeine punch, be ready for that. Now when I order coffee at Denny's .. I only do so to warm my hands.

by Mark on May 23, 2020

This is a fine example of dry processed Yirgacheffe. Complexity and aroma are even better than we expected. As close to a really great Yemen as I've ever had. Fantastic!

by Gary on May 16, 2020

I roast regularly for friends and family, and this one is the biggest hit of any bean I've sent to people. I get people asking for it non-stop. As others have said, it's quite complex, even compared to Ethiopia Natural Process coffees. A wonderful coffee!

by Mark on May 7, 2020

Absolutely fantastic! First crack at 465° F_4/9/7 Started cool down at 510° F_ 4/9/8 Dark and rich color.

by Sean Lawrence on April 23, 2020

This bean is one of my favorites, hands down! The natural processing provides a very pronounced berry quality that has been consistent over my many purchases, and is unlike any other coffee on the market. This Yirgacheffe is it's own food group and is better lighter than over-roasted.

by Coach52 on April 9, 2020

This is a wonderful example of a very complex cup of coffee. From your initial sip all the way through the cooling cup you will enjoy the many aspects it has to offer. I’ve found that my preferred roast level is about half way between first and second crack. I have done both city and full city plus roasts also and they too are very good. I will purchase more of this coffee and I believe you would find it to your liking.

by Kevin on March 21, 2020

So far these are my favorite beans that I’ve roasted.

by Dmitriy D on March 11, 2020

Just recently starting roasting at home and the Misty Valley Yirgacheffe is my favorite thus far! The large uniform beans roast very evenly. Amazing complexity of flavors and aroma.

by Eli Gaisford on January 27, 2020

This coffee is very good, make no mistake about that. The flavors aren’t quite as strong as I am used to but that could be because the bag came with a nice, big hole in it so I’m sure the beans got plenty of oxygen to make them slightly stale.

by Peter on January 5, 2020

Roast these little gems light or medium for a taste of pure goodness. Lighter roasts bring out a strong blueberry muffin tone. Unlike anything else ever. I've been roasting on a small commercial basis for 2 years and these are my favorite beans.

by eravau on November 9, 2019

I love natural processed Yirgacheffe and the sweet berry notes it always has. This one seemed a little more subtle on the berry than some Yirgacheffe beans I’ve had… but also had an incredible honey and graham aftertaste that I loved. This will definitely be a bean I come back for again and again. Roasted in my hot air popper to 30 seconds after the end of first crack. Drank 3 days later as espresso in a latte.

by Kerry on August 14, 2019

It had been years since I roasted this coffee. I thought I'd try it again and meh. There are many coffees that appeal to me, this is not one. I guess my palate doesn't find this one as fantastic as other reviewers. I enjoy Indian (Monsoon Malabar in particular), Papua New Guinea, Brazil, and Vietnamese coffees. .

by rafie18 on May 11, 2019

this Yirgacheffe is amazingly complex yet subtle in its delivery. One of my friend how is an avid coffee drinker says it has geisha like qualities. when roasted on the ligther side of medium. would recommend a slower and gradual approach to roasting these beans.

by rafie18 on March 5, 2019

got only the sample size and i was disappointed. Disappointed i only got the sample size lol. i shared it with a bunch of people and one actually commented that it has similar characteristics as so geishas. I don't know if i should take the credit or give all the props to the beans themselves. WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND TRYING IT ON MEDIUM ROAST

by Geoff in Topanga on February 9, 2019

First I took this to 2nd crack, and it was a bitter mess, but at City+ this bean really shines - as others have mentioned. Definitely a keeper!

by Bruce D on January 7, 2019

Beautiful coffee at city to city+ roast. I find it ordinary roasted darker and somewhat bland lighter. Nice chocolate milk and slight earl grey tea notes. Not sure what anonymous is doing to get fruit bombs out of these Ethiopians, as I find them nicely balanced.

by David on December 9, 2018

Oh my...when it says "heavy fruits," that's an understatement. I should have avoided this one as well as the other Ethiopian. The fruits are here aren't an undertone: they are smack you in the face, overpowering and blows out every other nuance of this coffee: I've never had anything like it...same with the other Ethiopian. I love a winey flavor in coffee such as a top shelf Kenya has but this is absolutely not that. After drinking less than a cup of this and the other Ethiopian, both went in the trash (and I have never once thrown coffee I roasted in the trash). And I agree with Doug....no hint of even Blueberry...just a sickening, overriding (I guess you can call it) fruitiness that is just flat out nauseating. And I do not know what the issue is with these Ethiopians from CBC...I have roasted many Ethiopians and never had one anywhere near this level of sickening fruit...sorry guys, these are just nasty. Sorry to have wasted the money.

by Doug on October 17, 2018

Ever since the original "Misty Valley" natural (Ethiopia Organic Idido - Misty Valley) exploded onto the market in 2007, I've been trying to find its equal. See, that first experience ruined me forever. It was highly forgiving, yielding intense blueberry notes across a fairly wide range of roasts. That blueberry essence is what I've chased for the last 11 years. I've roasted a hundred or more Ethiopian lots in that time...washed and natural...and never found its rival. I've never found those flavor notes in any washed Yirgacheffe, and hitting them in naturals is incredibly tricky: FC at most, don't push it into second crack, and try to find the sweet spot...which may be no more than 5 seconds in the roast. I've roasted this lot 4 times, brewed it both cold and conventionally...no blueberries. Didn't even feel like I got close. It's good, sure, a nice example of a natural Yirgacheffe, but it's just not exceptional...to my tastes. You may love it. Only way to know is to try it!

by Steven Hanscom on September 24, 2018

Very nice Thanks

by Matthew on September 6, 2018

Misty is back! The two batches I already roasted have lived up to my memories. The previous batch was not my favorite but this one is almost back to the full blueberry essence that seemed so strong when this was available as an organic bean, many years ago.

by John on January 10, 2009

This is reall good stuff. After having my first pot I had to order more. Better than the more expensive geshia coffees.

by Anonymous on January 4, 2008

My wife and I have only been brewing for a year, but we bought this coffee based on the review. We were also stunned by the complexity of the coffee. It was really true that you can taste all of those undertones. We were very very impressed. My wife is a Columbian lover, myself lately into Costa Rican, but we both rank this one in our top three! Get it but don't roast to the second crack as it is better to light roast and let it sit about 4 days.