Sidamo Nectar Coffee Brands and Sidamo Coffee Brewing Steps

Hand-pour Sidamo: 15g of grounds, 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 stop. When the water level in the coffee bed drops halfway, slowly pour to 225g. Discard the tail. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Shelf life: 90 days Net weight: 227g Packaging: Bulk Origin: Ethiopia

Sidamo Natural G1

Country: Sidamo

Grade: G1

Origin: Guji

Roast Level: Medium-light roast

Processing Method: Natural

Variety: Local landrace

Region: Shakicha

Flavor Notes: Cranberry, sweet orange, plum, blueberry

The Unique Shakicha Region

Shakicha stands out uniquely within the Guji area of the Sidamo Valley, a region remote from most coffee-producing areas in Sidamo province. The local economy is also famous for another industry: gold mining. Labor, land and ethnic factors have made the region turbulent and unstable. Yet the coffee from this area is exceptionally special; Ninety Plus's legendary bean Nekisse also originates here.

Nectar is the original meaning of Shakicha's flower nectar. Searching the Coffee Review website for "Guji" turns up over ten articles scored above 92 points, several of them a high 94 or 95.

Shakicha, in the Guji area of southern Oromia, borders Sidama and Gedeo. The area contains numerous mining pits from former gold extraction, leaving many holes across the coffee-growing region and creating dangerous conditions when walking through the plantations. Shakicha represents a unique style within Guji and Sidamo, and even within Sidamo it remains remote from most producing regions. Another famous local product is gold. Factors including miners, land and ethnic issues made the region turbulent in 2006. The biggest challenge the area faces today is the manpower needed to maintain the growing areas and harvest the coffee. Local small farmers began growing organic coffee in 2001 and work closely with medium-sized producers, who know how to grow forest coffee at high altitude.

Cupping Notes

[Dry Aroma] Sweet cherry, raisins, preserved fruits, preserved plums, dried pineapple, strawberry

[Wet Aroma] Cherry, cranberry, sweet orange, plum, blueberry, honey peach, lychee

[Tasting] The entry is like sweet, juicy honey peach, with a sweet pineapple acidity. The middle reveals intense aromas of cranberry, blueberry, strawberry, pineapple and dried fruit preserves filling the palate. The aftertaste carries lychee and plum, with the viscosity of dried fruit. The whole experience is like a tropical fruit storm, elegant yet dominant, landing in an ocean of flower nectar, just as its name suggests.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

This Shakicha lot shares Guji with FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Queen, grown in Hambella and dried whole on raised beds for 21 days to build the same tropical, fruit-forward intensity, with winey berry, floral and citrus notes in a thick, honey-sweet body. If the blueberry and stone-fruit character here appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's sun-dried Red Cherry Plan offers a comparable natural profile from Yirgacheffe, layering berry, honey and cream over bright citrus. Both show why Ethiopia's natural coffees taste so much like fruit.