Introduction to the Origin, Development, History, and Culture of Ethiopian Sidamo Natural Process 'Horse King' Premium Coffee Beans from Guji

Coffee Origin Information

Coffee Producing Country: Africa, Ethiopia

Coffee Estate: Guji, Hambella Wamena region, Dimtu city, Buku Abel Estate

Coffee Variety: Heirloom, Ethiopian native varieties

Production Altitude: 2250-2350m

Quality Grade: G1

Processing Method: Natural sun-dried (African drying beds)

Shelf Life: 90 days

Net Content: 227g

Packaging Method: Bulk coffee beans

Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Ethiopia

Roast Degree: Light roast

Ethiopian Sidamo Shakisso Natural

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Guji Zone

Altitude: 2250-2350m

Processing Method: Natural

Variety: Local native Heirloom varieties

Producer: Local smallholders

Flavor Notes: Passion fruit, rose floral aroma, strawberry jam

Sidamo Regional Characteristics

Sidamo coffee is remarkably diverse. Different soil compositions, regional microclimates, and countless native varieties give the coffee produced by each town its own distinct character. The Sidamo region lies in southern Ethiopia, where agriculture is the main industry, and its coffee-growing areas sit around the Great Rift Valley.

Awards and Recognition

Cupping Notes: Passion fruit, rose floral aroma, strawberry jam, berry sweetness and acidity, peach flesh, black tea aftertaste

Ethiopia National Taste of Harvest Competition, 2016/2017 harvest season - Champion

Ethiopia Coffee Competition, 2016/2017 harvest season - Champion

Regional Africa Taste of Harvest Competition, 2017 - Second Place

Africa Coffee Competition, 2017 - Second Place

Processing Details

The Shakiso processing station is located in Buku Abel village at an altitude of 2200 meters. During the harvest and processing season (December to January), its unique growing environment and natural climate create Shakiso's distinctive flavors. Sun-drying only begins once the sugar content of the picked red cherries reaches above 30. During the first two days of sun-drying, we carefully maintain the humidity of the red cherries so their fruit sugars ferment thoroughly. Meanwhile, the high-altitude location lets the processing station's nighttime temperature fall to around 12°C, preventing the over-fermentation odors that excessive heat would cause. When temperatures rise at noon, we promptly provide shade to keep the red cherries from sunburn.

At night, thick plastic sheets are used as a cover against sudden rain. This allows the red cherries to ferment and dehydrate at relatively low temperatures. After 18 days of sun-drying, once the moisture content of the green beans drops to around 13%, sun-drying is stopped and the beans are packed into jute bags. Under natural conditions of 12-22°C and 40-50% humidity, they rest in warehouses for about 50 days, conditioning and dehydrating further. When the green bean moisture content reaches around 10%, they are transported to the processing station for hulling, screening, and sale.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To taste Ethiopia at its most classic, start with FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe, an excellent entry point for anyone new to the origin. It delivers a clear jasmine aroma and bright citrus acidity, the signature of Yirgacheffe: a small town in southern Ethiopia where misty, cool, and humid conditions and thousands of coffee trees produce a delicate, tea-like cup with floral and citrus notes woven together, like a clean, refreshing glass of lemon tea.

For a cup closer to this natural-processed Sidamo, try FrontStreet Sun-Dried Huakui from the Hambella area of Guji, Sidamo. Ripe cherries are dried whole on raised beds for 21 days, turned regularly for even drying, and any defective or moldy beans are removed by hand every three to five days before the dried fruit skin is hulled off. Because the fruit stays with the bean throughout drying, a medium-light roast gives a light fermented wine aroma, floral notes, citrus, and mango, with honeyed sweetness, a cocoa edge, a hint of spice, a full body, and a long finish.

If you want to explore the region further, FrontStreet Sidamo Sun-Dried Hamasho is built mainly on JARC's disease-resistant 74 series, with 74158's smaller beans and pronounced floral and fruity character: a perfume-like aroma of lemon, strawberry, and star fruit, leading into ripe strawberry, star fruit, and green grape, with delicate florals emerging afterward.