Ethiopia Misty Valley Yirgacheffe Natural

by Bill Nettles on October 18, 2021

I'm a fan of natural/dry process coffee, so this is a hit with me. Still trying to figure out exactly the best roast profile, but everyone should have a Yirgacheefe to compare with other City roast favorites. I prefer the Ethiopian Sidamo region coffees (Got spoiled by Hamasho Village single source ... can't find that now), but that's the only reason for less than 5 stars. It might turn out to be YOUR favorite. Has moderate fruity acid bite when served very hot, but smooths out as it cools in the cup.

by joelkz on October 13, 2021

My favorite Ethiopian so far. The fruit flavors (mostly blueberry) hold on a lot longer into the roast than other Ethiopians I have done. I roasted this one about 30 seconds past rolling FC for a nice medium and the blueberries held strong. Even in a blend with 25% Misty and 75% darker roast Brazil for body the blueberries were still very dominant in the cup. Definitely will be ordering more.

by Robert Jason on August 24, 2021

Misty Valley is one of my all time favorite coffees to roast. It is beautifully prepped, and roasts more evenly than many Ethiopian coffees. The flavor notes vary from year to year. This year's iteration gives me the welcome blueberry like essences, and as days go by a nice light cocoa...as roasted in my Fresh Roast SR800 I purchased here. I recommend a light medium, but of course as they say, YMMV. Delicious!

by Mickey on August 5, 2021

Very smooth taste a favorite

by Travishowens on July 31, 2021

This is currently my favorite coffee. I have tried many Ethiopian and coffees from other regions, but this has become my "go to." Very smooth and fruity. I do a medium roast; City Roast.

by Theuns vanNiekerk on May 14, 2021

After testing many coffees over the years, we settled on Ethiopia Misty Valley Yirgacheffe Natural. Our preference is a very light roast work a genie, switching to cooling mode at first pop. It makes for a really enjoyable morning starter as an espresso for me and a macchiato for my wife. The only downside to this coffee is that you may want to drink too much.

by Brad Lathrop on April 25, 2021

This is my go-to coffee bean. It jhas very intense flavor but also very smooth. Great for both pour over as well as cold brew. I've tried several other yirgacheffes, but this one is far superior to the others. I take it to just at second crack for a nice dark roast.

by Bob on April 22, 2021

The best!!

by Toady on April 9, 2021

I really like this coffee! I do it dark into second crack. I have reordered this several times and use it in pour overs and espressos.

by Colin on March 2, 2021

Got this in the Ethiopia sampler pack, so I only had a half pound to work with, and therefore didn't have the opportunity to properly dial in the roast profile. As a city roast, it has a medium body with a citric acidity and a hint of berries and chocolate. At FC and FC+ it lost pretty much all of the citrus and was very chocolate forward with hints of dried berries (strawberries?) with a huge syrupy body. None of my roasts really "wowed" me, but were still drinkable, and could probably benefit from more tinkering.

by Toady on February 27, 2021

I am new to roasting and have tried numerous beans and roasts. This is the one I went and reordered in a 3 pound bag because I loved it. I roasted into 2nd crack and it is a great dark.

by Adam on February 22, 2021

This is a good quality Yirgacheffe. The beans were a good size and uniform for an Ethiopian, so they roasted evenly, which I really liked. I roasted to a medium roast. I was hoping that it would be more fruity since it's a natural processed coffee but that wasn't the case with my small sample batch. If you are looking for more fruit flavor, I recommend the Ethiopia Organic Sidamo Shantawene Natural G1 instead.

by Matt on February 13, 2021

I was intrigued by this coffee's description,so I order 3 lbs. After roasting it to the 2nd Crack, I got a wonderful cup of fragrant nice body coffee. Others in my household who like their coffee with cream and sugar actually like this coffee black. I only gave it 4 stars because it is a great experience, however not my everyday coffee though I may order it again.

by Ldrapal on January 31, 2021

I have never tried a coffee with so much blue berry flavor. Spectacular! Even though it has a lot of berry flavor is still has a deep flavor too. It needs to rest 3 days for more balanced flavor.

by Adam Z on January 18, 2021

This is definitely some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. Been roasting for over a year now. I typically roast a coffee supreme and just finished a 25 pound bag of that so decided to try something new. Bought a lot of samples from this company and I have to say all of them were great. I went with a few of the CBC blends as well as Costa Rican blends and a few from India and Mexico. Haven’t tried them all but this one is deff my favorite so far. Decided to try this blend mainly after seeing an episode on Joe Rogans podcast that mentioned Ethiopia as the origin of coffee. Totally makes sense now. This is like the OG kush of coffee !

by Syed Zaidi on December 29, 2020

This coffee exceeded my expectations. It is very aromatic, bright and sweet, I can add that it is chocolaty and fruity as well. All the attributes assigned to it in the coffee bean matrix are entirely valid. My preference is medium roast, preferably on the light side. There is just one other coffee bean from Nicaragua that I would rate as highly as this one.

by Vino Caffeen'O on December 10, 2020

Ronnie This coffee reaches its prime at the French roast level. Not a lot of complexity before or after that level. At American or City Roast the acidity is overwhelming, It retains that acidity up until it reaches French Roast. Just at the second crack - for me that's about 445 degrees it does lose the acidity but lacks in any character. At French roast, its served its purpose for existing and dose so much like most Yirgacheffes, just don't look to it as a coffee that versatile and able to bring more to the cup than the quintessential Yirgacheffe.

by B Jones on November 15, 2020

Got a 1/2 lb as part of a sample pack. Roasted then to city roast in a behmor and I was blown away by the fruity smell and flavor. Super good in an aeropress. I will be buying more.

by Gabriel J Reed on October 17, 2020

I started roasting coffee a few days ago. I bought one of those Barwell coffee roasters, the updated version, and I couldn't be happier. This was the first bean I roasted, and I initially under-roasted it. After realizing this, I roasted it again as dark as I dared, and it came out amazing! One of the best coffees I have ever tried.

by callmejoejones on October 13, 2020

Might be the best coffee I’ve had.. a minute after first crack, through my kitchenaid siphon coffee maker... sooo good. I love it mixed into almost every other coffee I have too...

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 jhyounis777 on September 5, 2020

Well, this just became my go-to coffee! I’ve tried other Ethiopian coffees recently that were absolutely fantastic - the Shantawene Sidamo and the Kayon Mtn Guji G1 - both of them made me want to try this one, and now I know why it’s so world-renowned. In my opinion, it makes the perfect cup of coffee. Checks all the boxes, so to speak. Before this, my go-to was Señora Fihor’s masterpiece, the Honduras 18-Rabbit Natural. That has now become my #2 thanks to this amazing coffee.

by paul daccache on August 19, 2020

it tastes great.

by sgallik on August 13, 2020

First origin I've tried based off altitude, I was not disappointed! I roasted my beans on my cast iron a bit after the second crack while constantly whisking. I love the light aromatic flavors in this coffee. It's complex in flavor and very smooth. I brew my coffee with a Bonavita on its pre-infusion mode for my freshly roasted coffees. I will definitely buy this again! Steph

by John C Dock Jr on July 17, 2020

Should have followed your advice of trying the 1/2 sampler before buying the 3 pounds. Don't like the "blueberry" taste or smell at all. Only roasted one batch so far, in time I'll try again.

by Michaell Weiss on July 9, 2020

Beans are larger than average natural Yirgacheffe Looks very uniform, Very much grade 1. Easy to roast. Roast is predictable. 30 seconds into fast 1 st crack. 72 hours wait for espresso. Darker roast is better for french press and can be used in 24 hours. Darker roast though looses fruits. I admire people who tell that they feel mentioning all those fruits. I do coffee on near professional level over 20 years and I think they are just repeat the description of the seller. Misty Valley makes very pleasant near exotic espresso and cappuccino. Typical Yirgacheffe. Probably easy can give 93-94 points

by Big Story Coffee on June 17, 2020

This coffee is exquisite. We bought 5 lbs to try out and had considered offering to customers, but we may end up just keeping it for ourselves instead 🤣 Definitely recommend this coffee if you’re looking for an amazing start to your day, or to go with your favorite baked dessert!

by Richard Allen on May 28, 2020

This was a good coffee to roast. I have never had this type of Yirgacheffe before. Very light tasting. It is impossible to make this coffee too strong. Not as pleasantly flavored though as the Queen City Harrar though. Still easy to drink and enjoy on a hot summer day.

by Theo on May 21, 2020

Misty Valley was the first coffee I ever roasted (2014 or so), and it's my gold standard. My favorite roast is on the lighter side to preserve the strong blueberry accents, but I love it anyway if I miss the mark a little bit. I'm still trying a few different approaches out, but using my FreshRoast 500 I've had good results roasting on High for 4 minutes, switching to medium for 45 seconds, then cooling. If I leave it on high after 4 minutes it seems to progress really quickly through medium into dark.

by Michael Carty on May 15, 2020

These Yirgacheffe beans were quite a surprise as it was the first time I had roasted them. They roasted to a beautiful dark level with some oily-ness on the surface. I expected they’d be too strong and bitter but found it not to be the case. The results were a dark but bright brew (does that make sense?) with smooth body, and a slight bitterness (maybe the cocoa flavor?). Also some berry sweetness. Found it very pleasant and easy to drink.

by Gary on May 5, 2020

This is a very good example of an Ethiopia Dry Process. Nice fruity tones and a rich creamy body. I already reordered.

by Edmar on April 14, 2020

This coffee is absolutely amazing. A cup of this is a humbling, spiritual experience. Did I mention the smell and taste of blueberries!?

by Paul Sweet on March 24, 2020

I'm relatively new to home roasting and I use a air popcorn popper. This coffee tastes like none of the other green beans I've sampled so far; it's a very distinct taste with strong blueberry and black cherry notes. It is delicious black. I roast until I hear the beginning of the second crack. Will try to go lighter.

by @MikeSigers on March 17, 2020

Tried a 1/2 lb sample. Have now ordered a 5 lb bag. That should tell you that me and my Hive Roaster have found the Blueberry Treasure Pot that er'body is searching for!

by kmcconomy on February 18, 2020

Absolutely love this coffee. Very fruity and a great chocolaty body. Easily becoming one of my favorites.

by Dave Cummings on January 9, 2020

Part of the sample pack and I used it to learn more about my Hottop K2+ . Roasted it to Full City to see what it do as a dark roast. (Dropped it at 11:24/399F). Let it sit for 3 days. It came out with great body and a unsweetened cocoa aftertaste (very pleasant). Of all the Ethiopia coffees that I have tried from CBC and their competitors, this is the one I like the best. . Based on the other reviews, I will try to do this at a lighter roast level and see where that takes me. I will buy more to share with family & friends. Cheers! DaveCx

by Sarah Hill on December 17, 2019

This is the best coffee on this site. It has been my favorite since I first tasted it. The blueberry undertones make it so delicious!! You will LOVE this coffee, I promise. Give it a try and you will never go back to anything else.

by Backwoods Roasters on October 4, 2019

The roast is very easy to manipulate and it roasts to the desired flavor profile. The circus and nutty notes pair well.

by Maxwell Perry on July 14, 2019

Very fruity and bright, as I expected from a Yirgacheffe. It was the body and finish that I was disappointed in. I'll go back to the drawing board on this one. Impressive coffee but contains quite a few defects in the bag I got. Cupping it yielded all of the fruit and acidity I expect but odd, nutty popcorn flavors as well.

by Andrew Battaglia on March 9, 2019

This Particular (misty valley Grade 1 natural) notes not at all chocolate but more citrus! Dialed down the roast thru first crack on my second attempt to draw out the deeper tones and to no avail! all citrus and star fruit! Yes, Much Chaff but we it is a given with YC. it does need a bit of time to develop after roast to tone it down, so temper your palate at cupping for @ 60 to 70 hours. Great coffee to use on non rush delivery after roasting or prior to shelf or ship!

by Paul W Sharkey on February 13, 2019

This is a coffee with a very distinctly unique flavor and may not be for everyone. At first, it took me back a bit and I wasn't sure I liked it at all. I was not about to throw it away though so I decided to give it another try. Second time around it still wasn't what I hoped for until -- sometimes I like to put freshly ground cinnamon with my coffee (Mexican style) -- and THAT did it! In fact, this particular bean seems to go especially well with cinnamon, better than other beans I have used this way. This bean and the cinnamon compliment each other very well. So, whenever I want a "Mexican Cup" [with my huevos rancheros] this is the bean I choose.

by Sarah Hill on January 22, 2019

I LOVE this coffee. It is by far my favorite over all the others I have tried. If you want to drink your coffee black and enjoy the flavors, this is the one for you. It’s actually sweet on its own and has the most delicious after taste. I will drink this as long as it exists! Misty Valley is excellent!

by Harry Nagel on January 2, 2019

I was concerned about the quality on the 3rd day after roasting. Bat it hit its stride on the fifth day and equaled my first batch. The next batch I will roast an extta minute.

by rchen2235 on November 3, 2018

I tried Vienna and Full City, it's Chocolate, balance, but a little bitter and lack of acidity or fruity. I use pour over with Hario V60 dripper.

by Jonathan Gladysz on September 27, 2018

I have tried roasting this bean many different ways and can't seem to find a sweet spot for the roast. Its good, but not $8.25 a pound good. Im roasting it light, but it just never tastes great.. maybe Im doing something wrong.

by mcclurem on September 7, 2018

This Yirgacheffe lives up to all the 'hype'. Like the other Yirgacheffes we've had over the years, this delivers a full body, complex flavor...From first sip to last. Even as the coffee cools down, it still holds its flavor. For our roasting, we typically take it to ~2 minutes past first crack. Some place between FC and FC+. I agree with the other reviews: you don't want to take this into 2nd crack or beyond. Too much is lost in terms of the complex flavors. One caution: Like with other Ethiopians, there is a lot of chaff. Doesn't effect the flavor, but just be prepared to clean out a lot of chaff from your roaster. ;)

by Andrew on September 6, 2018

Tired of the store-bought Meahhh...Started roasting again...Really liking this Misty Valley...Needs to rest 2 or 3 days after roasting...Shines in a Chemex.

by Anonymous on February 24, 2008

This is my favorite coffee in the past 2 years. It has an amazing complexity in tastes and you can vary the taste greatly depending on roast. I like a city+ which give the best definition to the fruit tones. Let it rest at least 48hrs