Ethiopia Misty Valley Yirgacheffe Natural

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.