Yayu Forest Ethiopia (Union Coffee)

Yayu Forest is a specialty coffee roasted by Union Coffee in London. Predictably for a coffee promising citrus and bourbon biscuit notes, it can taste acidic. But do not let that steer your palate away from this one. True, it takes a little bit of effort to extract good espresso from Yayu Forest, but the results are worth it.

A dose of 18g at grind setting 1 results in long extraction times (think 40s, very slow to start, but mellower taste; grind setting 2 results in a sharper flavour, very reminiscent of ripe, dark red, sour cherries, but in a good way. Grinding it above 2 will not result in a pleasant espresso experience.

If you are not getting good results, remember that Yayu Forest is sensitive to dosing. If you don’t believe it, try 19g and 20g instead of 18g and see the difference.

Tamping is very important as well. This coffee does not like being tamped heavily. I use very light to no tamping or just use the Razor to smooth out the surface.

MIXING WITH MILK

Flat white or cappucino (20g ground coffee, 40g brewed espresso and 80g milk) tones down sour notes and the flat white's foam adds a nice fizziness that brings citrus notes to the front.

At 14 g (1:2 ratio) it will change again into a somewhat bitter beverage, but if you use it to make a small flat white (1:2 ratio) it will turn into the most pleasant start to the day. What a gem!

Where to Buy

It is widely available in the UK from supermarkets and online.

Equipment

• Coffee grinder: Sage (Breville) Smart Grinder Pro

• Espresso machine: Sage (Breville) Bambino Plus