Differences, Distinctions, and Awards of Ethiopian Washed Sidamo G2 Specialty Coffee Beans

Washing processing facilities are an increasingly common sight in Ethiopia. Small farmers sell their harvested coffee cherries to processing plants, which remove the pulp before reselling through the auction system. The coffee is then transported to the Eritrean port of Assab on the Red Sea and the Djibouti port near the Gulf of Aden. Despite coffee being the country's most important agricultural export, domestic consumption is also astonishing, reaching approximately 1,500,000 bags of 60kg each, or 50% of total production. Wild coffee grows in the tropical rainforests of the southwestern highlands and is mostly hand-picked. For this reason, however, many local people destroy naturally formed rainforest areas through logging or burning to access difficult mountainous terrain, severely affecting the ecological balance.

Both washed and natural process green coffee beans destined for export are sent to Addis Ababa, the capital, and to the DIRE DAWA auction center in the Harar region. The DIRE DAWA auction center typically exports natural process Harar coffee from the region. At the auction site, daily information about coffee from different farms can be found to facilitate trader purchases. Several Ethiopian government officials also visit this center daily to inspect and grade the coffee. Each time, 3 kilograms of green beans are randomly sampled from the same shipment for inspection.

Today, large quantities of wild Arabica coffee species still grow in many parts of Ethiopia, cultivated at average altitudes between 4,200-6,800 feet. There is now a gradual trend toward small-scale cultivation, often with banana trees planted simultaneously for shade. However, due to limited agricultural technology, there is minimal use of herbicides and pesticides. Coffee is Ethiopia's main economic agricultural crop and the country's largest agricultural export and important industry. It accounts for 60% of Ethiopia's total export value and sustains the livelihoods of many small farms. Other major crops include sugar cane, bananas, and cotton. Coffee is also Ethiopia's largest and most important commodity export after oil, as well as Africa's largest Arabica coffee export, with a total value of approximately $300 million in 1997. 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 statistics have been difficult to compile; still, the country's official statistics indicate that the total coffee cultivation area is at least 400,000 hectares or more. The Ethiopian government encourages local farmers to improve quality and productivity to help coffee farmers expand commercial scale and increase production capacity and exports.

Sidamo Coffee Region

The Sidamo growing region, with elevations ranging from 1,400-2,200 meters, is a famous specialty coffee area in southern Ethiopia, bordering Kenya. Washed Sidamo beans appear light green, are not large, and have an oblong shape with full-bodied fruit. The average quality is excellent, with aromatic and mellow characteristics. One sip leaves an endless aftertaste, possessing a wild beauty. Sidamo coffee flavors are extremely diverse, with different soil types, microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties creating distinct differences and characteristics in the coffee produced by various towns. From 2010-2012, it consistently achieved high scores of 92-94 from the authoritative American coffee evaluation website Coffee Review, which demonstrates the exceptional 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 fertile, well-drained volcanic soil with depths of nearly two meters, and the surface soil appears dark brown or brown. The region's greatest advantage is that soil fertility is maintained through the cycling of organic matter, using fallen leaves from surrounding trees and plant residues as fertilizer.

Flavor Profile

Unlike typical African coffees, Sidamo offers clear fruit acidity, a smooth mouthfeel, and delicate floral and herbaceous aromas. Washed Sidamo is elegant yet playful. The entry is mild and pleasant, creating a strong sensory impact with the bright lemon acidity that follows. The mouthfeel is unique and mellow, with a distinctive and pleasant aftertaste. The slowly rising finish contains a unique sweetness. The green coffee beans have a slightly grayish appearance, with some areas showing large beans while others are small. The acidity is both gentle and intense, the body is appropriately balanced between light and heavy, and it features sweet, spicy aromatics. It is one of the garden coffees from the southern Ethiopian highlands.

Brewing Method

Pour-over Sidamo: 15g of coffee, ground to medium-fine (Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5), V60 dripper, water temperature 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level drops to half in the coffee bed before continuing the pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g in total. Discard the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

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

Coffee Details

Sidamo G2 Washed

Country: Ethiopia
Grade: G2
Region: Sidamo
Roast Level: Light roast
Processing Method: Washed
Variety: Local native varieties
Flavor Notes: Honey, citrus, lemon

Farmers harvest bright red cherries daily, with each two-day harvest forming one unit of coffee cherries sent or sold to washing stations for processing. Coffee cherries that are not processed at washing stations typically undergo about 12 hours of natural fermentation, then are sun-dried to facilitate drying and hulling. Regardless, farmers with some means always try to send their cherries to washing stations, since this allows them to command the "washed process" designation and sell at better prices. At washing stations, coffee cherries undergo about 12 hours of soaking and fermentation to soften the pulp, then pass through water channels while being stirred to separate the pulp from the coffee beans. The pulp is discharged through gates.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A washed Sidamo G2 like this one, with its clear fruit acidity, lemon brightness, and delicate floral and herbaceous aromas, is the ideal starting point for exploring Ethiopia. The FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe delivers the classic version of that profile, with clear jasmine florals, bright citrus acidity, and a light, elegant, tea-like body that drinks like a clean lemon tea. For a single-village washed coffee, the FrontStreet Gotiti Cooperative lot brings citrus and lemon tones with elegant white florals, its aroma especially clear because the pulp is removed before drying. To hear Ethiopia through the natural process instead, the FrontStreet Sun-Dried Red Cherry shows peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon, while the FrontStreet Sun-Dried Huakui from Hambella is dried on raised beds for 21 days and, at a light-medium roast, offers a faint fermented winey note with florals, citrus, mango, honeyed sweetness, cocoa, and spice. If you want something rare, the FrontStreet Hamasho 74158, built on the JARC 74 series, is bright with perfume lemon, strawberry, and starfruit.