Pour-Over Brewing Parameter Recommendations for Premium Ethiopian Washed Sidamo G2 Coffee Beans

Brewing Method

Hand-pour FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopian Sidamo. Use 15g of coffee grounds with a medium-fine grind (Fuji ghost-tooth grinder setting 3.5), a V60 dripper, and water at 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second pre-infusion, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g. Discard the tail. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, total extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Degree: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Ethiopia
Roast Level: Light roast

Coffee Details

Product Name: FrontStreet Coffee · Ethiopia Washed Sidamo G2
Sidamo G2 Washed

Country: Ethiopia
Grade: G2
Region: Sidamo
Roast Level: Light roast
Processing Method: Washed

Farmers harvest bright red cherries daily, with harvests from every two days forming one unit of coffee fruit sent or sold to washing stations for processing. Cherries that do not reach a washing station typically undergo about 12 hours of natural fermentation, then are sun-dried and hulled. Regardless, farmers with the means always try to send their cherries to washing stations to earn the "washed processed" designation and better prices. At washing stations the cherries undergo about 12 hours of soaking and fermentation to soften the pulp, then pass through water channels with stirring to separate the pulp from the beans. The pulp is discharged through gates.

Today Ethiopia's washing stations are increasingly developed and on the rise. Small farmers sell their harvested cherries to processing plants, which hull them before reselling through the auction system. From there the coffee moves to Eritrea's Assab port on the Red Sea and to Djibouti port near the Gulf of Aden. Although coffee is the country's main agricultural export, domestic consumption is surprisingly high at approximately 1,500,000 bags (60kg each), accounting for 50% of total production.

Wild coffee grows in the tropical rainforests of the southwestern highlands and is mostly hand-picked. However, many locals damage naturally formed rainforest areas—through logging or burning—to reach difficult, rugged mountain areas, which severely affects the ecological balance. Whether washed or sun-dried, all exported coffee is sent to the capital, Addis Ababa, and to Dire Dawa in Harar province for auction and export. The Dire Dawa auction center typically exports sun-dried Harar from that region. Information on different farms' coffee is displayed daily at the auction to help traders buy. Several Ethiopian government officials also pass through the center daily to inspect and grade, randomly sampling 3kg from the same shipment each time.

Variety: Local native varieties
Flavor: Honey, citrus, lemon

Today, large numbers of wild Arabica coffee trees still grow in many parts of Ethiopia, with cultivation averaging altitudes between 4,200-6,800 feet. There is now a gradual trend toward small-scale cultivation, generally with banana trees planted alongside for shade. Because of a lack of agricultural technology, there is minimal use of herbicides and pesticides. Coffee is Ethiopia's main economic crop and the country's largest agricultural export and important industry, accounting for 60% of Ethiopia's total export value and supporting many small farms. Other exports include sugar, bananas, and cotton. Coffee is also Ethiopia's largest and most important commodity export after oil, and Africa's largest Arabica export. In 1997 its total value was approximately $300 million. In terms of total production, 94% comes from small farms and 6% from government institutions. Because many farms are scattered and also grow other crops, accurate numbers have been difficult to compile, but the country's official statistics indicate a total coffee cultivation area of at least 400,000 hectares or more. The Ethiopian government encourages local farmers to improve quality and productivity to help them expand commercial scale and increase capacity and exports.

During harvest season, the Sidamo region sits at elevations of 1,400-2,200 meters and is a famous specialty coffee area in southern Ethiopia, bordering Kenya. Washed FrontStreet Coffee Sidamo beans appear light green, small, and oval-shaped, with a full body. The average quality is good, with an aromatic, mellow aroma. One drop in the mouth leaves an endless aftertaste, possessing a wild beauty.

Sidamo's coffee flavors are extremely diverse. Different soil types, microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties create obvious differences and characteristics in the coffee produced by various towns. From 2010 to 2012 it consistently achieved high scores of 92-94 from the authoritative American coffee review website CR, demonstrating the extraordinary quality of green beans from this region. The area features towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys, and plains, with diverse topography. The local geology consists of nutrient-rich, well-drained volcanic soil, with soil depth of nearly two meters and surface soil that appears dark brown or brown. The area's greatest advantage is that soil fertility is maintained through organic-matter cycling, using fallen leaves from surrounding trees or plant root residues as fertilizer.

Unlike typical African coffees, FrontStreet Coffee Sidamo has clear fruit acidity, a smooth texture, and delicate floral and herbal aromas. FrontStreet Coffee's washed Sidamo is elegant yet playful. The entry is mild and pleasant, forming a strong contrast with the bright lemon acidity that follows. The texture is uniquely rich and mellow, with a distinctive, pleasant sweetness in the aftertaste. The slowly rising finish carries its own sweetness. The green beans have a slight grayish tint, with some areas coarse and others fine. The acidity is both gentle and intense, the body is appropriately rich, and it is sweet with spicy notes—making it one of the garden coffees of Ethiopia's southern highlands.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The washed, citrus-and-honey character described here runs through FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian selection. FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe is the classic entry point, known for white jasmine and bright citrus-lemon acidity with a tea-like body and an affordable price. FrontStreet Gedeb Cooperative, from the Gedeb village at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe in the Worka area, uses the most traditional washed processing; because the pulp is removed before drying, the cup keeps a clearer, more transparent aroma—fresh citrus and lemon acidity with elegant white florals, bright and delicate overall. If you would like to compare washed Sidamo with the natural side of the same region, FrontStreet Sidamo Natural Hamasho 74158—built on the JARC 74 series and especially the small-beaned 74158—offers a perfume-lemon, strawberry, and starfruit fragrance, with strawberry, starfruit, and green-grape sweetness up front and a subtle floral note behind. And for a wild-grown expression of Ethiopia's forest terroir, FrontStreet Kafa Forest, grown at 1400-2100 meters under shade and roasted medium-light, brings white florals, bright lemon acidity, sweet orange and bergamot, and a green-tea-like finish.