Sidamo Guji Coffee Region Introduction and Brewing Guide

For hand-poured Flower Queen, use 15g of coffee grounds at a medium-fine grind (Fuji ghost tooth blade, setting 3.5), a V60 dripper and water at 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and stop. When the water level drops to halfway, continue pouring slowly to a total of 225g, discarding the tail section. Brew ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

At night, thick plastic covers are used to guard against sudden rain. This lets the red cherries ferment and dehydrate at relatively low temperatures. After 18 days of natural processing, once the moisture content of the green beans has dropped to about 13%, natural processing stops. The beans are packed in jute bags and stored at 12-22°C and 40-50% humidity for about 50 days of conditioning and further dehydration. When moisture reaches about 10%, they are taken to the processing plant for hulling, screening and sale.

Coffee Origin Information

Producing country: Ethiopia
Estate: Guji, Hambella Wamena region, Dimtu city, Buku Abel estate
Variety: Heirloom, Ethiopian native varieties
Production altitude: 2250-2350m
Quality grade: G1
Processing method: natural (African drying beds)

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Shelf life: 90 days
Net weight: 227g
Packaging: bulk coffee beans
Roast level: roasted coffee beans
Sugar content: sugar-free
Origin: Ethiopia
Roast degree: light roast

Ethiopian Sidamo Shakiso Natural

Country: Ethiopia
Region: Guji Zone
Altitude: 2250-2350m
Processing method: natural
Variety: local native Heirloom varieties
Producer: local small farmers
Flavor profile: passion fruit, rose floral aroma, strawberry jam

Sidamo Coffee Characteristics

Sidamo coffee is remarkably diverse. Different soil compositions, regional microclimates and countless native varieties create distinct characteristics in the coffee from each town area. The Sidamo growing region lies in southern Ethiopia, where agriculture dominates the economy, and its coffee areas surround the Great Rift Valley.

Hambella Region Overview

Hambella sits within Guji, Ethiopia's largest coffee-producing region, and belongs administratively to the Oromia Regional State. Its western side faces the Kochore area of Yirgacheffe across mountains, with the two areas separated by highland terrain at 3200m altitude and about 30km wide. It borders Guji's Shakiso, Uraga and Kercha sub-regions to the southeast, east and north respectively, making it Ethiopia's highest-altitude coffee sub-region. (Harrar is Ethiopia's highest-altitude main producing region.)

There are currently about 20 processing plants of various scales in Hambella. DW Company operates four estate processing plants in Hambella's core Dimtu area, "Buku Abel," "Buku Saysay," "Haro Soresa" and "Tirtiro Goye," with annual coffee production of about 1100 tons.

Among all of these estates and processing stations, only the natural processed coffee from the "Buku Abel" estate and processing plant is called "Flower Queen."

Awards and Recognition

Cupping notes: passion fruit, rose floral aroma, strawberry jam, berry sweetness and acidity, peach flesh, red tea aftertaste

2016/2017 Ethiopia National Taste of Harvest Competition: champion
2016/2017 harvest season Ethiopia coffee competition: champion
2017 Regional Africa Taste of Harvest Competition: second place
2017 Africa coffee competition: second place

Flower Queen Processing Details

The Flower Queen processing plant is located in Buku Abel village at an altitude of 2200 meters. From the outset the site was chosen for a privileged growing environment: rich, humus-filled reddish-brown soil shaded by "Enset" trees. This gives Flower Queen plenty of sunlight and allows it to develop rich flavors without burning through its nutrients, so more of the cherry's essence is retained. During the harvest and processing season (December-January), this distinctive environment and natural climate shape Flower Queen's signature flavors. Natural processing only begins once the harvested red cherries reach a sugar content above 30. During the first two days, moisture is carefully managed so the fructose can begin its fermentation reactions fully. The high altitude lets nighttime temperatures drop to around 12°C, preventing the over-fermentation aromas that excess heat can cause, and when noon temperatures rise, shade is provided promptly to keep the cherries from sun damage. Only fully red, completely ripe cherries are chosen, all hand-picked and dried on African raised beds, with a limited cherry layer thickness and scheduled turning around the clock to ensure even drying, good ventilation and more precise control of the fermentation.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The Hambella area produces some of Ethiopia's most aromatic natural coffee, and FrontStreet Coffee Flower Queen is the bean that best captures this Guji character. It comes from the coffee birthplace of Ethiopia and is sun-dried on raised beds, so the cherries absorb a great deal of sweetness from the fruit and skin. Steeped or brewed slowly, it shows magnolia, creamy strawberry, dried mango, guava and black tea notes. For pour-over, FrontStreet Coffee suggests a light-to-medium roast that keeps the floral and tropical fruit tones intact.

If Guji's fruit-forward profile appeals to you, it is worth exploring the wider Ethiopian range at FrontStreet Coffee. FrontStreet Coffee washed Yirgacheffe offers the region's clearer, tea-like side, with jasmine aroma and bright citrus acidity. FrontStreet Coffee Natural Red Cherry leans back toward the fruit, with peach, cocoa, honey and lemon from a two-week sun dry. And FrontStreet Coffee Gedeb Cooperative, an independent cooperative formed in 2012 with around 300 members, brings a transparent, citrus-and-white-floral cup that is closely related to the Hambella coffee above.

Natural Ethiopian coffee rewards a gentler hand. For the Flower Queen profile, use water at around 91°C and a 1:15 ratio with a medium-fine grind, pouring in three stages: a 30g bloom for about 30 seconds, then a slow circular pour to roughly 125g, waiting until the bed has drained partway, and a final slow pour to 225g, for a total of about 2 minutes. This keeps the rose and strawberry-jam sweetness bright without letting the ferment notes turn heavy.