Is Sidamo Honey Coffee Delicious? Brewing Methods for Sidamo Coffee

Shakisso lies in the Guji zone of the Oromia region, bordering Sidama and Gedeo to the south. The area is dotted with mining pits originally dug for gold, leaving countless holes across the coffee-growing land and making it dangerous to walk between the plantations. Within Guji/Sidama, Shakiso stands apart as a growing area that is isolated from most coffee-producing regions, even those within Sidama itself. Gold mining is another famous local product. Factors such as miners, land and ethnic tensions made the region unstable in 2006. As a result it now faces its greatest challenge: finding enough manpower to tend the plantations and harvest the coffee. Local smallholders began planting organic coffee in 2001 and work closely with medium-sized producers who understand how to cultivate forest coffee in the highlands.

Tasting Notes

Dry Aroma

Sweet cherry, raisins, preserved fruit, preserved plum, dried pineapple, strawberry.

Wet Aroma

Cherry, cranberry, sweet orange, plum, blueberry, honey peach, lychee.

Tasting

It enters like sweet, juicy peach, with a sweet pineapple acidity. The mid-palate floods the mouth with intense cranberry, blueberry, strawberry, pineapple and dried-fruit-preserve aromas. The finish brings lychee and plum, with a dried-fruit-like viscosity. The whole experience is like a tropical fruit storm — elegant yet commanding, dissolving into an ocean of floral nectar, exactly as the name suggests.

Brewing Method

Hand-pour Sidamo: 15 g coffee, ground medium-fine (3.5 on a Fuji ghost-tooth grinder), V60 dripper, water at 91-93°C. First pour 30 g water for a 27-second bloom. Continue to 105 g, then pause. Wait until the water level drops halfway, then continue a slow pour on to 225 g. Avoid the tail of the brew. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227 g
Packaging: Bulk
Origin: Ethiopia

Coffee Details

Sidamo Natural G1

Country: Ethiopia
Grade: G1
Region: Guji
Roast Level: Medium-Light
Processing: Natural
Variety: Local Landrace
Area: Shakiso
Flavor Notes: Cranberry, sweet orange, plum, blueberry

Shakiso stands apart within Guji in Sidamo, a region isolated from most coffee-producing areas even within Sidamo province. Gold mining is another famous local industry, and factors related to labor, land and ethnicity have made this growing area unstable. Yet the coffee from here is quite special — Ninety Plus's legendary bean Nekisse also originates from this area.

Nectar, meaning the nectar of Shakiso — searching "Guji" on the Coffee Review website returns more than ten reviews scoring 92 points or higher, including several high marks of 94 and 95 points.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and FrontStreet's Ethiopian selection is the best place to taste the floral, fruity character this region is known for. For a gentle introduction, FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe offers clear jasmine aroma and bright citrus acidity with a light, elegant, tea-like body — like a clean glass of lemon tea. FrontStreet Gudingding Cooperative, from the Worka area at the southeastern end of Yirgacheffe, is washed and shows citrus and lemon notes with elegant white flowers for a bright, refined cup. If you enjoy the natural sweetness that this article describes, FrontStreet Natural Red Cherry (Yirgacheffe, sun-dried) brings peach, cocoa, honey and lemon, while FrontStreet Natural Huakui — from Hambella in Guji, Sidamo, medium-light roasted — delivers light fermented wine, florals, citrus and mango with honeyed sweetness, cocoa and spice, a full body and a long finish. For a single-region Sidamo natural, FrontStreet Sidamo Natural Hamasho (74158) shows strawberry, carambola and green grape sweetness with delicate florals emerging behind.