Ethiopia Sidamo Natural Process Guji Premium Coffee Beans: Differences, Distinctions, and Award Recognition

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Hand-pour Sidamo. 15g of coffee grounds, medium-fine grind (Fuji ghost tooth burr grinder setting 3.5), V60 dripper, water temperature 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water and bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and stop, wait until the water level drops to half, then slowly pour until reaching 225g total. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Ethiopian Sidamo Shakisso Natural

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Shakisso, Guji Zone

Altitude: 1800-2000 meters

Processing Method: Natural

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Ingredients: House-roasted
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Taste: Mellow and aromatic
Bean State: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Ethiopia
Coffee Type: Other
Roast Level: Light roast

Shakisso coffee possesses remarkable uniqueness, and the coffee produced here consistently garners market attention. The legendary Ninety Plus bean (Nekisse) originally means "Nectar from Shakisso," with both its growing region and name derived from Shakisso.

Variety: Local indigenous Heirloom

Producer: Local smallholders

Sidamo coffee flavors are incredibly diverse, as different soil compositions, regional microclimates, and countless indigenous coffee varieties create distinct differences and characteristics in the coffee produced by each town and area. The Sidamo region is located in southern Ethiopia, where agriculture dominates the industry, and coffee growing areas surround the Great Rift Valley.

Shakisso, located in Guji, Oromia Region in the south, borders Sidamo and Gedeo. This area contains numerous mining pits originally used for gold extraction, resulting in many holes throughout the coffee growing region, making it hazardous to walk between coffee plantations. Shakisso stands as a distinctive growing area within Guji/Sidamo; even within Sidamo it remains a remote region far from most coffee-producing areas, with gold mining being another famous local product. Factors such as miners, land disputes, and ethnic tensions also led to regional instability in 2006. Therefore, the greatest challenge this region faces today is the need for manpower to maintain growing areas and harvest coffee. Local smallholders began growing organic coffee here in 2001, working closely with medium-sized coffee producers experienced in cultivating forest coffee at high altitudes.

Flavor Notes: Lemon, mango, blueberry, wine-like aroma

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

This naturally processed Sidamo lot from Guji is a wonderful introduction to Ethiopia's fruit-forward side, and FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Huakui is a natural companion for the same region and processing style. FrontStreet Coffee's Huakui comes from the Hambela area of Guji, Sidamo, where the farm covers 200 hectares and uses a traditional natural process. To keep the cherries from molding or picking up earthy off-flavors while drying, workers lay the ripe fruit on raised beds for 21 days, turning it constantly so it dries evenly and loses moisture uniformly; every three to five days the farmers hand-sort out any defective or moldy beans. Once the skin has dried and hardened it is removed with a huller, and the farmers do a final sort to chase the perfect cup. Because the fruit and skin stay on throughout drying, a medium-light roast shows a light fermented wine aroma, florals, citrus, and mango, with a richer, more complex body, honey sweetness, a cocoa note, a touch of spice, and a full, lingering finish.

For a comparison within the same region, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Ethiopia Yirgacheffe is the fresher, cleaner counterpoint, with clear jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity, while FrontStreet Coffee's Kafa Forest coffee—grown wild under shade at 1400-2100 meters—offers white florals, bright lemon acidity, sweet orange and bergamot, and a green-tea-like body. All three are best brewed as pour-over at 91-93°C with a medium-fine grind and a three-stage pour, letting the fruit and floral layers open up as the cup cools.