Differences, Distinctions, and Awards of Single-Origin Beans from Ethiopia's Guji Shakiso Region

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Differences, Distinctions, and Award Status of Single-Origin Beans from Ethiopia's Guji Shakisso Region

Manufacturer: Dazhen Coffee FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Address: No. 10, Bao'an Qianjie, Guangzhou Manufacturer Contact: 020-38364473 Ingredients: Self-roasted Shelf Life: 90 days Net Weight: 227g Packaging: Bulk coffee beans Raw/Roasted: Roasted coffee beans Sugar Content: Sugar-free Origin: Ethiopia Coffee Type: Other Roast Level: Light roast

Ethiopian Sidamo Shakisso Washed

Country: Ethiopia Grade: G1 Region: Guji Zone, Shakisso Roast Level: Light roast Processing Method: Washed

Washed-processed coffees are less likely to have wild flavors, possessing pure and refreshing characteristics, suitable for City to Full City roast levels. Some exceptionally high-quality Ethiopian washed coffee beans sometimes exhibit distinct uplifting lemon, citrus essential oils, jasmine fragrance, honey notes, with more prominent acidity and a thinner body.

For pour-over Sidamo: 15g of coffee, ground to medium-fine (Komatsu Fuji ghost tooth blade 3.5 grind), V60 dripper, 91-93°C water temperature. First pour with 30g water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops to half, then slowly pour until reaching 225g total. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

"Ethiopian Sidamo" is a single-origin type, Arabica coffee grown in Ethiopia's Sidamo province. Like most African coffees, Ethiopian Sidamo features small gray-green beans, but is characterized by its rich, spicy, wine-like or chocolate flavors and floral aromas. The most distinctive flavors found in all Sidamo coffees are lemon and citrus, with bright, crisp acidity. Sidamo coffee includes Yirgachefe and Guji coffees, both of excellent quality.

Variety: Local Heirloom Producer: Local small farmers Flavor Notes: White grape juice, citrus, Earl Grey tea sensation

Sidamo

Sidamo's coffee flavors are very diverse because different soil compositions, regional microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties create significant differences and characteristics in coffee produced by each town area. The Sidamo region is located in southern Ethiopia. Agriculture dominates the local economy, with coffee growing areas situated around the Great Rift Valley.

Region Introduction

Shakisso is located in the Guji region of Sidamo, in the southern part of the Oromia region, bordering Sidamo and Gedeo. This area has many mining pits, originally used for gold mining, so there are many holes in this coffee growing area. This makes walking through coffee growing areas dangerous. Shakisso is a unique region within Guji/Sidamo, even within Sidamo it's a remote area far from most coffee-producing regions, and the area's other famous product is gold mines. Factors such as miners, land, and ethnicity also made the region unstable in 2006. Therefore, the biggest problem facing this area now is the need for manpower to maintain growing areas and harvest coffee.

Local small farmers began growing organic coffee here in 2001, working closely with medium-sized coffee producers who know how to grow forest coffee in highland areas. This is one of the micro-regions with strong regional characteristics within the Sidamo region. Coffee from this area has considerable uniqueness, and the coffee produced has repeatedly gained market attention. The origin of Ninety Plus's legendary bean (nekisse) means "nectar from Shakisso," and its region and naming both come from Shakisso.

Flavor Description: Lemon and citrus, bright crisp acidity, lemon, citrus, white grape juice, blackcurrant, Earl Grey tea sensation in the finish

Indonesian and African coffee beans use this grading method based on defective bean ratios. Indonesian beans are mainly divided into 6 levels, namely G1-G6. The highest grades for washed beans are G1 and G2; for natural beans, the highest grades are G1 and G3.

What does this mean? As follows:

Washed: Grade-1; Grade-2 (G1 > G2) Natural: Grade-1 and Grade-3-Grade-5 (G1 > G3 > G4 > G5)

Several points to note:

a) Both washed and natural beans can be Gr-1, with the condition of "zero" defects and Premium Cup. Whether washed or natural, Gr-1 is a rating for the best of the best or Cup of Excellence coffees.

b) The lowest grade for natural Yirgacheffe and Sidamo is Gr-4.

c) Beans of the same grade, such as Limu Gr-2, can be good or bad, depending on the exporter's sorting level and investment.

d) Given the current "zero" defect requirement, Gr-1 beans (both washed and natural) are extremely rare because processing costs are very high, and very few suppliers produce them.

The Guji region is located southeast of the famous Yirgacheffe region and is the highest altitude area in all Ethiopia, with an average altitude exceeding 1800 meters. Significant day-night temperature differences allow coffee beans to grow more completely with more obvious sweetness; fewer pests allow coffee farmers to use fully organic cultivation methods, coupled with fertile black soil, giving Guji all the terroir conditions to produce high-quality specialty coffee. During harvest season, small farmers pick fully ripe red berries from nearby areas and send them to processing stations, placing them on well-ventilated African raised beds to control temperature and fermentation levels. After removing pulp, moisture content is reduced to between 11.5%-12%. This truly represents perfect timing, location, and people—and under the past ECX trading system, Guji was just a small region under Sidamo's A flavor profile (Figure 1), an unknown player, but because its flavor was too unique and eye-catching, ECX had to separate Guji to become an independent flavor profile (Figure 2).

Due to the shortcomings of traditional natural processing, the washed method emerged. Harvested berries have most of their pulp separated from coffee beans using a depulper, then the parchment beans are guided to a clean water tank and soaked in water for fermentation to completely remove residual pulp layers. In the past (about five years ago), the washed method was often the preferred choice for high-quality coffee bean processing. Through water processing, underripe and defective beans are selected out due to buoyancy, and the fermentation process is easier to control, so the flavor doesn't have the mixed flavors of natural beans but presents distinct fruit acidity, slightly stronger complexity, and cleaner cup characteristics (without any negative flavors like astringency or sharpness). But because it's too "clean," flavor richness is also slightly weaker.

The reason Guji region can stand out and become a new highlight in specialty coffee enthusiasts' eyes, besides its inherent geographical advantages, quality farmers, and ECX classification changes, the Shakisso micro-region also deserves significant credit! Shakisso coffee belongs to the Guji region, and its flavor is also quite unique. In April 2014, it received an impressive 95 points from Coffee Review, further enhancing the market potential of the already market-noticed Guji region. It's no exaggeration to say that Guji is the rising star of Ethiopian coffee!

Ethiopia

Population: 93,877,000

Ethiopia's regional names have the highest recognition in the coffee world and currently have the most regional names used as coffee names. This is true today and will remain predictable in the future. Additionally, the potential of original species, wild Arabica genes will also be a major advantage for Ethiopian coffee.

SIDAMO

Sidamo, along with two other regions—Harar and Yirgacheffe—had their trademarks registered and recognized by the Ethiopian government in 2004, increasing the recognition of the region's reputation along with its distinctly characteristic coffee beans. Sidamo uses both washed and natural processing methods and is popular among consumers who prefer fruity, intense aromas. After Italy withdrew from Ethiopia in 1942, locals began calling themselves Sidama. Therefore, both Sidamo and Sidama are common names for coffee beans from this region. This region also grows some of Ethiopia's highest-quality coffee beans.

Altitude: 1400-2200m Harvest: October-January Variety: Heirloom

LIMU

Even without the fame of Sidamo and Yirgacheffe, Limu still produces amazing coffee. Most of this region consists of small farmers, but there are also some large government-owned estates.

Altitude: 1400-2200m Harvest: November-January Variety: Heirloom

HARRAR

This region consists of small towns surrounding Harar and is the oldest production area. Coffee from this region is extremely special and not in an environment requiring additional irrigation. Harar has long enjoyed an excellent reputation, and although natural processing can adjust the original earthy, woody flavors to bright blueberry notes. The coffee beans are so special and memorable that those who have worked in this coffee industry have broadened their horizons due to the flavor diversity of the beans.

Altitude: 1500-2100m Harvest: November-February Variety: Heirloom

Ethiopia Natural Guji Shakisso G1

Ethiopia Natural Guji Shakisso G1

Country: Ethiopia Region: Guji Zone, Shakisso woreda Producer: Local regional small farmers Processing: Natural Variety: Ethiopian Heirloom Altitude: 1,800-2,000 meters Soil: Dark and red clay Packaging: Bulk 5KG vacuum packaging, full gunny sack 30KG packaging Flavor Briefing: Passion fruit and blueberry jam, mature tropical fruits, cherry chocolate cake, full body, rich sweetness.

Ethiopia's administrative divisions are classified into four levels, arranged from large to small as Region, Zone, woreda, kebele. Most green coffee bean names follow this rule for naming. The Guji-Shakisso launched this time is located southeast of the famous Yirgacheffe region, administratively belonging to Oromia Region → Guji Zone → Shakisso woreda, belonging to regional source green coffee beans.

Just as Yirgacheffe became widely known after becoming famous and thus became an independent region, Guji became an independent region separated by ECX in 2010 due to its excellent geographical location and cup flavor. Shakisso is the most attention-grabbing micro-region within the Guji region, geographically located southeast of Yirgacheffe, with average altitude above 1800 meters, fertile black soil (Vertisol), and significant day-night temperature differences, giving the area all the terroir conditions to produce high-quality specialty coffee. Local coffee production sources almost all belong to individual small farmers. During harvest season, they pick fully ripe red berries from nearby areas and send them to processing stations, placing them on well-ventilated African raised beds to control temperature and fermentation levels. After removing pulp, moisture content is reduced to between 11.5%-12%. When post-processing and resting operations are completed, export is done through ECX Ethiopia Commodity Exchange's bidding system, with local exporters or international buyers following this system to compete for desired green coffee beans.

In recent years, the most eye-catching region in Ethiopia has been Yirgacheffe. Guji-Shakisso is less known than Yirgacheffe, but under the trend of Yirgacheffe's overall price surge in 2015, international specialty buyers turned to find other neighboring regions, such as Sidamo, Limu, Jimma, etc. Many potential regions and producers were discovered one after another, such as the previously launched Limu-Gera, Jimma-Agaro Yukro, etc., all high-quality specialty bean varieties.

Guji-Shakisso coffee actually has considerable uniqueness, and the coffee produced has repeatedly gained market attention. Ninety Plus's legendary bean "Zhen Xinhua" (Nekisse) launched at the end of 2009, originally meaning "nectar from Shakisso," with its origin region and naming both coming from Shakisso. Another variety, "Flower Language" (Derar Ela) launched by Level Up, also from the Shakisso region, repeatedly received good reviews from Taiwanese industry professionals last year and won an excellent score of 95 points from Coffee Review in April 2014.

Sidamo (Sidama) is located in southern Ethiopia. The diverse landscape of this region creates distinctive and diverse coffee flavors produced by each town. Shakisso is located in the Guji region of Sidamo, southeast of Yirgacheffe, with average altitude above 1800 meters, fertile black soil, and significant day-night temperature differences, giving the area all the terroir conditions to produce high-quality specialty coffee. Guji-Shakisso coffee has considerable uniqueness, and the coffee produced has repeatedly gained market attention, receiving a high score of 94 points from Coffee Review in 2016.

Region: Sidamo/Guji/Shakisso □ Altitude: 1850-2000 meters □ Variety: Local Heirloom □ Processing: Traditional washed □ Grade: ECX G1 □ Flavor Description: Melon, cocoa, lemon, citrus, balanced Earl Grey tea sensation, light floral aroma.

□ Ethiopia's administrative divisions are classified into four levels, arranged from large to small as Region, Zone, woreda, kebele. Most green coffee bean names follow this rule for naming. This Guji/Shakisso is located southeast of the famous Yirgacheffe region, administratively belonging to Oromia Region/Guji Zone/Shakisso woreda, belonging to regional coffee production areas. Just as Yirgacheffe became an independent region after becoming famous, Guji became an independent region separated by ECX in 2010 due to its excellent geographical location and measured cup flavors. Shakisso is the micro-region within Guji that receives the most attention from the international coffee market, with average altitude above 1800 meters, fertile black soil (Vertisol), and significant day-night temperature differences, giving the area all the terroir conditions to produce high-quality specialty coffee. Local coffee production sources almost all belong to individual small farmers. During harvest season, they pick fully ripe red berries from their own areas and send them to local regional processing stations. After completing post-processing operations, export is done through ECX Ethiopia Commodity Exchange's bidding system.

In recent years, besides the long-favored Yirgacheffe, many potential regions have been discovered one after another. International specialty coffee buyers have turned to find regions other than Yirgacheffe, such as Sidamo, Limu, Jimma, etc. Because coffee produced by Guji/Shakisso确实 has significant uniqueness, it naturally gains market attention. Particularly noteworthy is that the famous coffee brand Ninety Plus's legendary bean "Zhen Xinhua" (Nekisse) launched at the end of 2009 originally means "nectar from Shakisso," with the green bean source and naming both coming from Shakisso.

Africa Ethiopia Yirgacheffe is adjacent to the famous Kaffa forest, with the entire area being wild coffee forest. Coffee varieties are numerous and complex, at least over 1000 types. Currently recognized by scholars and experts as the origin of Arabica varieties, it's also a treasure trove of global coffee genes. Generally, coffee varieties from Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe region are called Heirloom, which actually doesn't refer to a single specific variety. The Chinese translation of Heirloom is "family heirloom," meaning native varieties from the origin of coffee, a treasure given to people by heaven. The green beans' size, appearance, and shape vary considerably, unseen in other regions, which is also a unique characteristic of Africa Ethiopia Yirgacheffe region's coffee. Shakisso is located southeast of the famous Yirgacheffe region, administratively belonging to Oromia Region → Guji Zone → Shakisso woreda, belonging to regional source green coffee beans. Just as Yirgacheffe became widely known after becoming famous and thus became an independent region, Guji became an independent region separated by ECX in 2010 due to its excellent geographical location and cup flavors. Shakisso is the most attention-grabbing micro-region within the Guji region, geographically located southeast of Yirgacheffe, with average altitude above 1800 meters, fertile black soil (Vertisol), and significant day-night temperature differences, giving the area all the terroir conditions to produce high-quality specialty coffee. Local coffee production sources almost all belong to individual small farmers. During harvest season, they pick fully ripe red berries from nearby areas and send them to processing stations, placing them on well-ventilated African raised beds to control temperature and fermentation levels. After removing pulp, moisture content is reduced to between 11.5%-12%. When post-processing and resting operations are completed, export is done through ECX Ethiopia Commodity Exchange's bidding system.

Previously, we introduced Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe, which became a target for international specialty coffee enthusiasts due to its special floral aromas and lemon-citrus tones, thus driving the growth of Ethiopia's domestic market. With everyone rushing to get it, Yirgacheffe's price became increasingly expensive (how can we small bourgeoisie afford this!). Therefore, in response, everyone began looking for slightly less famous but equally high-quality hidden gem coffees, and the Guji region was discovered this way—today let's talk about the Guji region!

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