Sidamo G2 Flavor Description Which Sidamo Coffee Brand is Best

Washing stations are becoming more and more common in Ethiopia. Smallholders sell their harvested cherries to processing plants, where the fruit is dehulled and then resold through the auction system. From there the coffee travels to the Eritrean port of Assab on the Red Sea and to the Djibouti port near the Gulf of Aden. Although coffee is the country's main agricultural export, domestic consumption is striking, at roughly 1,500,000 bags of 60 kg each, or about 50% of total production. Wild coffee grows in the tropical rainforests of the southwestern highlands and is mostly hand-picked. That very abundance has a downside: to reach rugged, hard-to-access mountain areas, some locals destroy natural rainforest through logging or burning, which seriously harms the ecological balance.

Whether washed or natural, 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 natural Harar coffee from the surrounding region. At the auction house, details of coffee from different farms are displayed daily so traders can buy with confidence. Ethiopian government officials also pass through the center daily to inspect and grade the coffee, randomly drawing 3 kilograms of green beans from the same shipment for inspection each time.

Large stands of wild Arabica coffee trees still grow across many parts of Ethiopia, usually at altitudes between 4,200 and 6,800 feet. Small-scale cultivation is gradually taking hold, generally interplanted with banana trees for shade. Because agricultural technology is limited, herbicides and pesticides are used sparingly. Coffee is Ethiopia's main economic crop and its largest agricultural export and key industry. It accounts for 60% of the country's total export value and supports countless small farms. Other crops include sugarcane, bananas and cotton. Coffee is also Ethiopia's most important commodity export after petroleum, and Africa's largest Arabica export. In 1997 its total value reached roughly US$300 million. By volume, 94% of production comes from small farms and 6% from government institutions. Because so many farms are scattered and also grow other crops, accurate figures have long been hard to compile, but official statistics put the total coffee-growing area at no less than 400,000 hectares. The Ethiopian government encourages farmers to improve quality and productivity so that coffee growers can expand commercial scale and increase both output and exports.

Sidamo Coffee Region

The Sidamo growing region stretches from 1,400 to 2,200 meters in altitude and is a famous specialty coffee area in southern Ethiopia, bordering Kenya. Washed Sidamo appears light green, with small, oval beans that are full and well formed and consistently good in quality. The aroma is fragrant and mellow, leaving an endless aftertaste, with a striking wild beauty. Sidamo's flavors are extremely varied: different soils, microclimates and countless native varieties create clear differences between the coffees of each town. From 2010 to 2012 it repeatedly earned high scores of 92-94 from the authoritative American coffee review site CR, a testament to how exceptional the green beans of this region are.

The terrain features towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys and plains, giving the area great topographical diversity. The local geology is fertile, well-drained volcanic soil reaching depths of nearly two meters, with a dark brown or brown topsoil. The region's greatest advantage lies in maintaining soil fertility through the recycling of organic matter, using fallen leaves from surrounding trees or residual plant roots as fertilizer.

Sidamo Flavor Characteristics

Unlike typical African coffees, Sidamo has clear fruit acidity, a smooth mouthfeel and delicate floral and grassy aromas. Washed Sidamo is elegant yet playful. Its gentle, pleasant entry gives way to a strong taste impact built on bright lemon acidity and a unique, mellow mouthfeel. The aftertaste is distinctive and appealing, closing on a slowly rising sweetness. The green beans are slightly grayish, some large and some small. The acidity is both soft and intense, the body sits nicely between light and heavy, and sweet, spicy aromas run through it, making it one of the garden coffees of Ethiopia's southern highlands.

Farmers pick vibrant red cherries daily, and every two days of harvest makes up one unit of coffee fruit that is sent or sold to washing stations. Fruit that never reaches a washing station usually undergoes about 12 hours of natural fermentation before being sun-dried for easier drying and hulling. Whatever the method, farmers with a little more means always try to send their fruit to a washing station to command the premium paid for "washed processing."

At the washing station, the cherries undergo about 12 hours of soaking fermentation to soften the pulp, then pass through water channels while being stirred so the pulp separates from the beans. The pulp is carried away through gates with the water flow.

Product Information

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

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

Brewing Instructions

Hand-poured Sidamo: 15 g of coffee, medium-fine grind (Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5), V60 dripper, water at 91-93°C. Start with a 30 g pour and a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105 g and pause. When the water level drops halfway down the coffee bed, continue pouring slowly until the total reaches 225 g. Avoid the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, total extraction time 2:00.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To taste what southern Ethiopia does best, start with FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe, the classic entry point to the region. It offers a clear jasmine aroma, bright citrus acidity and a light, tea-like body that drinks like a clean, refreshing lemon tea.

For a more fruit-forward cup, try FrontStreet Coffee's natural Hambela, grown in the Guji zone of Sidamo, where ripe cherries are dried on raised beds for 21 days. The result layers a subtle fermented wine note with florals, citrus and mango, backed by honey sweetness, a cocoa edge and a touch of spice, with a full body and a long finish.