Flavor Characteristics, Origin, and Brewing Parameters for Single-Origin Coffee Beans from Ethiopia's Guji Shakiso Region

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Ethiopia Guji Shakisso Single Origin Coffee: Flavor Profile, Region and Brewing Parameters

Africa's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe region is adjacent to the famous Kaffa forest, where the entire area consists of wild coffee forests. The coffee varieties are numerous and complex, with at least 1,000 types. Currently, scholars and experts widely recognize this as the birthplace of Arabica varieties and a treasure trove of global coffee genetics. Generally, coffee varieties from Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe region are referred to as Heirloom. In fact, this doesn't refer to a single specific variety. Heirloom translates to "family heirloom" in Chinese, meaning native varieties from the birthplace of coffee - a treasure bestowed by heaven. The green beans vary significantly in size, appearance, and shape, which is unseen in other producing regions. This is also a unique characteristic of coffee from Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe region.

Shakisso is located southeast of the renowned Yirgacheffe region. Administratively, it belongs to Oromia Region → Guji Zone → Shakisso woreda, representing regionally-sourced coffee beans. Just as Yirgacheffe became widely known after gaining fame and subsequently became an independent producing region, Guji was established as an independent region by ECX in 2010 due to its superior geographical location and cup profile. Shakisso is the most attention-grabbing micro-region within the Guji region, geographically situated southeast of Yirgacheffe, with an average altitude above 1,800 meters. Fertile black soil (Vertisol) and significant day-night temperature differences provide all the terroir conditions for producing high-quality specialty coffee. Local coffee production almost entirely comes from individual small-scale farmers. During harvest season, they pick fully ripe red berries from nearby areas and send them to processing plants, where they are placed on well-ventilated African raised beds to control temperature and fermentation. After removing the pulp, moisture content is reduced to between 11.5%-12%. Once post-processing and resting are complete, exports are conducted through ECX's bidding system.

Previously, we introduced Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe, which has become a target for international specialty coffee enthusiasts due to its special floral aroma and lemon-citrus notes, consequently driving increased demand in Ethiopia's domestic market. With everyone rushing to purchase them, Yirgacheffe prices have predictably become increasingly expensive (how can ordinary people afford this!). Therefore, in response, everyone has been searching for lesser-known but equally flavorful and high-quality hidden gems, and the Guji region was discovered this way. Today, let's discuss the Guji region!

Factory Name: Dazhen Coffee FrontStreet Coffee
Factory Address: No. 10 Baoan Front Street, Guangzhou
Manufacturer Contact: 020-38364473
Ingredients: House-roasted
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Content: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Ethiopia
Coffee Type: Other
Roast Degree: Light roast

Ethiopian Sidamo Shakisso Washed

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

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

Hand-pour Sidamo. 15g of coffee, medium-fine grind (Fuji Royal grinder 3.5 setting), V60 dripper, water temperature 91-93°C. First pour 30g water, bloom for 27 seconds, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level drops to halfway before continuing to pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total, discarding the tail end. 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 is characterized by small gray-green beans, but its distinguishing features are rich, spicy, wine-like or chocolate-like flavors and floral aromas. The most distinctive flavors found in all Sidamo coffee are lemon and citrus, with bright, crisp acidity. Sidamo coffee includes Yirgacheffe and Guji coffees, both of which are exceptionally high quality.

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

Sidamo

Sidamo's coffee flavors are extremely diverse due to different soil compositions, regional microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties, resulting in 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 East African Rift Valley.

Region Introduction

Shakisso is located in the Guji region of Sidamo, in the southern part of the Oromia region, bordering Sidama and Gedeo. This area has many mining pits that were previously used for gold extraction, so this coffee growing area has numerous holes. This creates dangers when walking between coffee planting areas. Shakisso is a unique region within Guji/Sidamo - even within Sidamo, it's a remote area far from most coffee-producing locations, with gold mining being another famous local product. Factors like miners, land, and ethnicity also caused instability in this region in 2006. Therefore, the biggest challenge 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 are knowledgeable about growing forest coffee in highland areas. It's 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. Ninety Plus's legendary bean (nekisse) originally means "nectar from Shakisso" - its region and name 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 defect bean ratio grading method. Indonesian beans are mainly divided into 6 levels: G1-G6. The highest grades for washed beans are G1 and G2; the highest grades for natural beans are G1 and G3.

What does this represent? 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 have Grade-1, with the condition being "zero" defects and Premium Cup. Whether washed or natural, Grade-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 Grade-4.

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

d) Given the existing "zero defect" requirement, Grade-1 beans (both washed and natural) are extremely rare due to high processing costs and very few suppliers who will do it.

The Guji region is located southeast of the renowned Yirgacheffe region and is the highest altitude area in all of Ethiopia, with an average altitude exceeding 1,800 meters. Significant day-night temperature differences allow coffee beans to develop more completely with more pronounced sweetness; fewer pests enable coffee farmers to adopt completely organic cultivation methods, plus the fertile black soil provides all the terroir conditions for producing high-quality specialty coffee. During harvest season, small farmers pick fully ripe red berries from nearby areas and send them to processing plants, placing them on well-ventilated African raised beds to control temperature and fermentation. After removing the pulp, moisture content is reduced to between 11.5%-12%. This truly represents perfect timing, geography, and human effort. Under the past ECX trading system, Guji was just a subordinate region under Sidamo's A flavor profile (Figure 1), an unknown small player, but because its flavor was too unique and eye-catching, ECX had to separate Guji to become a standalone flavor profile (Figure 2).

In response to the drawbacks of traditional natural processing, the washed method emerged. The harvested cherries are passed through a depulper to separate most of the pulp from the coffee beans, 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 processing high-quality coffee beans. Through water processing, underripe and defective beans are selected out due to buoyancy, and the fermentation process is easier to control. Therefore, unlike natural beans which may have impurity flavors, washed coffee presents distinct fruit acidity, slightly stronger complexity, and cleaner cup characteristics (without any negative flavors like astringency or sharpness). However, because it's too "clean," the richness of flavor is also slightly weaker.

The reason the Guji region can stand out and become a new highlight in the eyes of specialty coffee enthusiasts, besides its inherent geographical advantages, quality farmers, and ECX classification changes, the Shakisso micro-region has also made indispensable contributions! Shakisso's coffee belongs to the Guji region, and its flavor is naturally quite unique, achieving an impressive 95-point score in Coffee Review in April 2014, which further enhanced the market potential of the already market-attentioned Guji region. It's not an exaggeration to call Guji the rising star of Ethiopian coffee!

Ethiopia

Population: 93,877,000

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

SIDAMO

Sidamo, along with two other regions - Harar and Yirgacheffe - registered trademarks through the Ethiopian government in 2004, increasing the recognition of the region's reputation and its distinctly characteristic coffee beans. Sidamo uses both washed and natural processing methods and is welcomed by consumers who prefer fruity, intense aromas. After Italy withdrew from Ethiopia in 1942, locals referred to themselves as Sidama. Therefore, both Sidamo and Sidama are common names for coffee beans from this region. This area 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 area 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 producing area. Coffee from this region is extremely special and grows in environments that don't require additional irrigation. Harar has long enjoyed an excellent reputation, and although natural processing can adjust its original turbid, woody earthy flavors to bright blueberry notes. The coffee beans are so special and endlessly memorable that those who have worked in this coffee industry have had their horizons broadened by the diversity of bean flavors.

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 Method: Natural processing
Variety: Ethiopian native Heirloom
Altitude: 1,800 - 2,000 meters
Soil: Dark and red clay
Packaging: Bulk 5KG vacuum packaging, whole jute bags 30KG packaging
Flavor Brief: Passion fruit and blueberry jam, ripe 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 coffee green bean names follow this rule for naming. The Guji-Shakisso we're launching today is located southeast of the renowned Yirgacheffe region. Administratively, it belongs to Oromia Region → Guji Zone → Shakisso woreda, representing regionally-sourced coffee green beans.

Just as Yirgacheffe became widely known after gaining fame and subsequently became an independent producing region, Guji was established as an independent region by ECX in 2010 due to its superior geographical location and cup profile. Shakisso is the most attention-grabbing micro-region within the Guji region, geographically situated southeast of Yirgacheffe, with an average altitude above 1,800 meters. Fertile black soil (Vertisol) and significant day-night temperature differences provide all the terroir conditions for producing high-quality specialty coffee. Local coffee production almost entirely comes from individual small-scale farmers. During harvest season, they pick fully ripe red berries from nearby areas and send them to processing plants, where they are placed on well-ventilated African raised beds to control temperature and fermentation. After removing the pulp, moisture content is reduced to between 11.5%-12%. Once post-processing and resting are complete, exports are conducted through ECX's bidding system, with local exporters or international buyers following this system to compete for desired coffee green beans.

In recent years, the most attention-grabbing region in Ethiopia has undoubtedly been Yirgacheffe. Guji-Shakisso is less well-known compared to Yirgacheffe, but under the trend of soaring overall Yirgacheffe prices in 2015, international specialty buyers turned to search for other neighboring regions, such as Sidamo, Limu, Jimma, etc. Many potential regions and producers have been discovered one after another, such as the Limu Gera and Jimma Agaro Yukro launched recently - all high-quality specialty bean varieties.

Guji-Shakisso's coffee is actually quite unique, and the coffee produced has repeatedly gained market attention. Ninety Plus's legendary bean "Zhenxinhua" (Nekisse) launched at the end of 2009 originally meant "nectar from Shakisso" - both its origin region and name come from Shakisso. Another variety "Flower Language" (Derar Ela) launched by Level Up, also from the Shakisso region, received repeated praise from Taiwanese industry professionals last year and achieved an excellent 95-point score in Coffee Review's April 2014 evaluation.

Sidamo is located in southern Ethiopia. The diverse landscape of this region results in each town's coffee having unique and diverse flavor characteristics. Shakisso is located in the Guji region within Sidamo, southeast of Yirgacheffe, with an average altitude above 1,800 meters. It possesses fertile black soil and significant day-night temperature differences, providing all the terroir conditions for producing high-quality specialty coffee. Guji-Shakisso's coffee is quite unique, and the coffee produced has repeatedly gained market attention, achieving a high score of 94 points in Coffee Review's 2016 coffee evaluation.

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

□ Ethiopia's administrative divisions are classified into four levels, arranged from large to small as Region, Zone, woreda, kebele. Most coffee green bean names follow this rule for naming. This Guji/Shakisso is located southeast of the renowned Yirgacheffe region. Administratively, it belongs to Oromia Region/Guji Zone/Shakisso woreda, representing a regional coffee-producing area. Just as Yirgacheffe became an independent region after gaining fame, Guji was established as an independent region by ECX in 2010 due to its superior geographical location and measured cup profile. Shakisso is the micro-region within Guji that receives the most attention in the international coffee market, with an average altitude above 1,800 meters. Fertile black soil (Vertisol) and significant day-night temperature differences provide all the terroir conditions for producing high-quality specialty coffee. Local coffee production almost entirely comes from individual small-scale farmers. During harvest season, they pick fully ripe red berries from their own farms and send them to local regional processing plants. After completing post-processing, exports are conducted through ECX'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 search for regions beyond Yirgacheffe, such as Sidamo, Limu, Jimma, etc. Since the coffee produced by Guji/Shakisso does have significant uniqueness, it naturally gains market attention. It's particularly worth mentioning that the renowned coffee brand Ninety Plus's legendary bean "Zhenxinhua" (Nekisse) launched at the end of 2009 originally meant "nectar from Shakisso" - both the green bean source and naming come from Shakisso.

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473