90+ Candlelight Sidamo Natural Premium Coffee Beans - Growing Conditions, Geographic Location, Climate, and Altitude Overview

Ethiopian Coffee Cultivation and Regions

Ethiopia hosts every kind of coffee cultivation: vast wild coffee forests, semi-managed woodlands, traditional smallholder plots, and modern plantations. Roughly 50% of the coffee grows at altitudes above 1,500 meters. Based on these different production systems, Ethiopian coffee is divided into nine major regions nationwide — five specialty areas: Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Harar, Limmu, and Kaffa, plus four general commercial areas: Jimma, Illubabor, Tepi, and Bebeka. Each region uses either natural or washed processing, and the method shapes the flavor. Today natural processing accounts for about 80% of production, washed processing for about 20%.

The Ninety Plus Coffee Philosophy

"Ninety Plus" does not mean every coffee scores above 90 points. Great coffee may appear one year and vanish the next; it may surface on different estates with different flavor signatures. "Ninety Plus" is actually the name of a premium series built around 13 flavor profiles. These coffees come exclusively from Ninety Plus Coffee, an American specialty coffee creator. All are Ethiopian heirloom varieties, grown to maturity in natural ecological settings and processed to an almost artistic standard for flavor optimization. Processing is Ninety Plus's true specialty: the coffees are separated by variety, microclimate, and harvest timing, tasted individually, then assigned a processing method designed for each profile to bring out a distinctive character. Like the designs of a major fashion house, they are products of painstaking research and craftsmanship — extensively refined and improved until they reach their most beautiful form.

Drima Zede: Exceptional Natural Processing

The ancient natural method rarely delivers a clean flavor, but Drima Zede, with Ninety Plus technical support, uses only hand-selected, fully ripe cherries. During drying the coffee is stirred constantly to ensure uniformity. The result is an exceptionally transparent, pure taste with dramatic differences between hot and cold brewing, and captivating aromas of fruit, flowers, and oak barrel!

Candlelight: Refined Ethiopian Natural Coffee

Another Ethiopian natural, Candlelight is produced under strict supervision and selection, avoiding the harsh earthy off-flavors and high defect rates typical of ordinary naturals while showcasing the captivating sweetness the method is famous for. Candlelight's enchanting fruit character inherits all the aromatic gifts of traditional Ethiopian natural processing, expressing round, full-bodied sweetness, a lingering aftertaste, and perfectly appetizing fruit acidity. It is also very approachable for daily brewing — the beans are so flavorful that whether you use a clean pour-over or a rich siphon, they show their inherent character beautifully.

Flavor Profile: 90+ Level Up Series Candlelight

Nectarine and tropical fruits with a clean, bright mouthfeel — stunning from the very first sip.

Product Information

Roaster: FrontStreet Coffee
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Form: Roasted whole beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Ethiopia
Roast Degree: Light roast

Detailed Specifications

Country: Ethiopia
Altitude: 1750—2000m
Region: Sidamo
Roast Degree: Light roast
Processing Method: Natural
Variety: Local heirloom varieties
Processing Station: Ninety Plus
Flavor: Nectarine, tropical fruits, oak barrel aroma

The Ninety Plus Brand Philosophy

Ninety Plus names its beans in a completely different way from conventional specialty coffee — no region or estate names. Each coffee is named for its flavor profile. The name is conceived first as a flavor concept, and only then are regions and partner farms chosen. It is a thoroughly boutique way to run a coffee brand.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Candlelight's nectarine-and-tropical-fruit character appeals to you, start with FrontStreet's classic washed Yirgacheffe — the gateway Ethiopian for most newcomers. Yirgacheffe itself is a small town in the Sidamo zone at roughly 1700-2100 meters, with coffee planted above 1800 meters, making it one of the highest coffee regions in the world. The washed lot is prized for white jasmine florals, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like finish, at a very friendly price. One step up is the FrontStreet Guodingding Cooperative lot, from a village cooperative in the Worka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe that split off from the Yirgacheffe Union as a standalone single-origin. Pulping before drying keeps its inherent character crystal clear: citrus, lemon, and elegant white florals in a bright, delicate cup.

For the same tropical-fruit intensity in natural form, try the FrontStreet Red Cherry Project, made only from fully ripe, defect-free cherries sun-dried on raised beds and turned every 2-3 hours at first to prevent uneven fermentation. After three to five weeks of drying, the result carries classic Yirgacheffe character plus natural-process fruit: citrus acidity, berry juiciness, honeyed sweetness, and cream-like smoothness. Brew any of them as FrontStreet does: V60, 15g of coffee, water at 90-91°C, a 1:15 ratio, a fine-granulated-sugar grind (80% pass through a #20 sieve), and a three-pour schedule — 30g bloom for 30 seconds, then to 125g within about a minute, then the final 100g to about 225g, finishing the drawdown in 2:00-2:10.