Is Sidamo G2 Coffee Delicious? Sidamo Coffee Brewing Methods

Sidamo G2 Washed

Country: Ethiopia

Grade: G2

Region: Sidamo

Roast Level: Light Roast

Processing Method: Washed

Variety: Local Indigenous Varieties

Flavor Notes: Honey, Citrus, Lemon

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

Ethiopia's Coffee Processing Industry

Today, Ethiopia's washed processing stations are increasing and developing. Small farmers sell their harvested coffee cherries to processing plants, where they are hulled and then resold through the auction system. Afterward, they are transported to the Eritrean port of Assab on the Red Sea and the port of Djibouti near the Gulf of Aden. Although coffee is the country's main agricultural export, its domestic consumption is also astonishing—approximately 1,500,000 bags of 60kg annually, accounting for 50% of total production. Wild coffee grows in the tropical rainforests of the southwestern highlands and is mostly hand-picked. However, because of this, many local people maliciously destroy natural rainforest areas—either cutting or burning them—to access difficult mountainous terrain, severely affecting ecological balance.

Whether washed or natural, all exported coffee is sent to Addis Ababa, the capital, and Dire Dawa in Harar province for auction and export. The Dire Dawa auction center typically exports natural Harar from the region. At the auction site, coffee information from different farms can be seen daily to facilitate traders' purchases. Ethiopian government officials also enter and exit this center daily to inspect and grade the coffee. Each time, 3kg of green beans are randomly sampled from the same shipment for inspection.

Today, large quantities of wild Arabica coffee varieties still grow in many parts of Ethiopia, averaging between 4,200-6,800 feet altitude. There is now a gradual trend toward small-scale cultivation, generally planting banana trees simultaneously for shade. However, due to lack of 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 exports include sugar, bananas, and cotton. It is also Ethiopia's largest and most important commodity export crop after oil, and Africa's largest Arabica export. In 1997, the 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 statistics have been difficult to compile. However, the country's official statistics show 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, increase production capacity, and exports.

Sidamo Coffee Region

The Sidamo region ranges from 1,400-2,200 meters altitude and is a famous specialty coffee area in southern Ethiopia, bordering Kenya. Washed Sidamo appears light green with small, oval-shaped beans that are full and well-formed. The average quality is excellent, with aromatic and mellow characteristics—endless aftertaste from the first sip, possessing a wild beauty. Sidamo's coffee flavors are extremely diverse, with different soil types, microclimates, and countless indigenous coffee varieties creating distinct differences and characteristics in coffee produced by various towns. From 2010-2012, it consistently achieved high scores of 92-94 from the authoritative American coffee evaluation website CR. This demonstrates the extraordinary nature of green beans from this region. The area features towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys, and plains—diverse terrain. The local geology consists of fertile, well-drained volcanic soil with depths reaching nearly two meters. Surface soil appears dark brown or brown. The area's greatest advantage is that soil fertility is maintained through organic matter circulation, using withered leaves from surrounding trees and plant residues as fertilizer.

Flavor Characteristics

Unlike typical African coffees, Sidamo has clear fruit acidity, smooth mouthfeel, and delicate floral and herbaceous aromas. Washed Sidamo is elegant yet playful. The entry is mild and pleasant, creating a strong taste impact with the bright lemon acidity that follows. The mouthfeel is unique and mellow, with a distinctive and pleasing aftertaste. The slowly rising finish contains unique sweetness. The green beans are slightly grayish, some large and some small, with both soft and bright acidity. The body is appropriately rich, with sweet and spicy notes—making it one of the garden coffees from Ethiopia's southern highlands.

Harvesting and Processing

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

Product Information

Factory Name: Coffee Workshop

Factory Address: No. 10 Bao'an Qian Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

Manufacturer Contact: 020-38364473

Shelf Life: 90 days

Net Content: 227g

Packaging Method: Bulk Coffee Beans

Roast Level: Roasted Coffee Beans

Sugar Content: Unsweetened

Origin: Ethiopia

Roast Degree: Light Roast

Important Notice :

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