Flavor Characteristics of Sidamo Guaxia Coffee - Taste Differences Between Natural and Washed Ethiopian Coffee Beans

Has everyone been deceived by Ethiopia's washed Yirgacheffe coffee, thinking that Ethiopian coffee beans are exclusively processed using the washed method? FrontStreet Coffee reveals: in fact, the original processing method for Yirgacheffe coffee was the ancient natural processing method. However, early natural-processed coffee beans were often dried directly on the ground, inevitably absorbing earthy flavors, dust, and other impurities. Coupled with inadequate sorting, the quality of natural-processed beans was generally mediocre. In 1972, Ethiopia introduced washed processing techniques from Central and South America to enhance coffee quality, which made the jasmine fragrance and citrus-lemon freshness of Yirgacheffe clearer and more vibrant, quickly elevating it to become one of the world's representatives of specialty coffee. The representative coffee for washed processing is Yirgacheffe coffee, while the representative for natural processing is the Guji Horsemen coffee.

The name "Horsemen" sounds like the leader of all flowers—truly beautiful. How did it come by such a name? FrontStreet Coffee learned that in 2017, Ethiopia's DW green bean company sent their coffee beans to the TOH (the Taste Of Harvest) competition hosted by the African Fine Coffee Association, where their natural-processed batch won the championship for Ethiopian coffees. This batch of green beans, in honor of its champion status, was named "Horsemen." A Beijing-based green bean company—Hongshun Company—introduced Horsemen coffee to China and named it "Horsemen," expressing high expectations. Many people mistakenly believe that all coffee beans from the Hambella region are Horsemen coffee beans, but this is not the case. Only the natural-processed coffee beans from the Buku Abel estate are truly Horsemen coffee beans, and for this reason, Buku Abel has also earned the nickname "Horsemen Estate."

Guji Production Region in Sidamo

Coffee, being an agricultural product, has flavor variations that are closely related to climate and environment. Sidamo's coffee flavors are extremely diverse, with different soil types, microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties creating distinct differences and characteristics in the coffee produced by each town. Horsemen coffee beans come from the Guji production region in Sidamo. The Sidamo region is located in southern Ethiopia, extending eastward to the Arsi and Bale administrative regions and westward to the Gamogofa administrative region. Sidamo coffee is cultivated at altitudes between 1400m-2000m. The Guji production region was formerly part of the Sidamo region but was separated into a new production region by the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) in 2010. The Guji region is located southeast of Yirgacheffe and features complex topography with towering mountains, valleys, and plains. The region's geology consists of nutrient-rich black soil (Vertisol) with soil depth reaching nearly two meters, and an average altitude above 1800 meters. The significant temperature differences between day and night, created by these geographical characteristics, provide all the terroir conditions necessary for producing high-quality specialty coffee.

"Hambella" is located in Ethiopia's largest coffee production region, Guji (GUJI), and is administratively under the Oromia Regional State. Hambella's western side faces the Yirgacheffe Kochore region across mountainous terrain, with the two production areas separated by highlands reaching 3200 meters in altitude and about 30 kilometers in width. To the southeast, north, and south, it borders Guji's Shakiso, Uraga, and Kercha sub-regions, making it Ethiopia's highest altitude coffee sub-production region (Harrar is Ethiopia's highest altitude main production region).

As an agricultural product, coffee flavors vary each year. Therefore, the coffee beans introduced by Hongshun Company from the "Buku Abel" processing plant in the Hambella region—only coffee beans from the Hambella "Buku Abel" processing plant region are called Horsemen coffee.

Hongshun Company distinguishes between previous Horsemen coffees and different batches or production seasons by year, naming them Horsemen 2.0, Horsemen 3.0, Horsemen 3.1, Horsemen 4.0, and Horsemen 5.0. Since this year is 2022, should Horsemen be called Horsemen 6.0? Let's look forward to Horsemen 6.0!

Horsemen Coffee Natural Processing Method

The berry, citrus, lemon, and tea-like flavors of Horsemen coffee are closely related to its processing method. This Horsemen coffee from FrontStreet Coffee also uses the natural processing method. The natural processing method in the Sidamo region is very meticulous—only ripe coffee cherries are harvested during the coffee picking season. After picking, the coffee cherries are uniform in size, similar in ripeness, and free from other impurities. During processing, strict manual sorting is first performed to remove defective beans, then the red coffee cherries are spread evenly on raised wooden beds or entire drying racks for sun drying, preventing the coffee cherries from developing mold or absorbing earthy odors during the drying process. During sun exposure, the cherries are constantly turned to ensure even drying and uniform water loss from the coffee beans; every three to five days, farmers manually sort and remove defective or moldy beans. Once the fruit skin is dried and hardened, a hulling machine is used to remove the dry, hard fruit skin. After obtaining the green coffee beans, farmers perform one final sorting to pursue perfect flavor.

The most fundamental difference between natural processing and washed processing lies in whether the coffee bean's flavor has been influenced by the fruit pulp. In the washed processing method, after selecting high-quality fruits, the coffee cherries go through depulping before entering fermentation tanks, followed by drying to a moisture content of about 12%. The natural processing method involves direct drying to about 12% moisture content before removing the fruit pulp and skin. The processing methods clearly show the degree of pulp involvement—washed processing better reflects the original flavor of coffee beans, resulting in a cleaner, more vibrant taste, while natural processing adds aroma and sweetness to the original flavor profile.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

To fully extract the rich layers of Horsemen coffee, FrontStreet Coffee uses higher water temperature and finer grind size for extraction. However, to avoid over-extraction caused by high temperatures, we use faster-flowing drippers such as the V60. The V60 dripper has a 60° conical shape—this conical angle allows coffee grounds to concentrate, and when pouring water, it automatically channels water flow toward the center of the dripper, ensuring sufficient contact time between water and coffee grounds, thus extracting suitable coffee liquid. Additionally, the spiral ribs on the inside of the V60 dripper extend clockwise from bottom to top, creating adequate space between the filter paper and dripper, ensuring good water flow. Coupled with the large hole at the bottom, water flows relatively faster than many other drippers.

The specific brewing parameters used by FrontStreet Coffee are: V60 dripper, water temperature 90°C, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, coffee dose 15g, medium-fine grind size (80% pass-through rate on China #20 standard sieve).

FrontStreet Coffee's segmented extraction technique: First, use 30g of water to fully saturate the coffee grounds into a "hamburger" shape for a 30-second bloom. The second pour at the 1'00" mark brings water to 125g, then wait for the water level to drop to 2/3 of the coffee bed before the third pour. The third pour at 1'40" brings water to 225g, and after the coffee liquid has completely dripped through, the total extraction time is 1'59". The total brewing time is 2'00". After extraction is complete, gently swirl the coffee to ensure the liquid is fully mixed before tasting.

Flavor Description

Natural-processed Sidamo Horsemen coffee flavor: Light fermented wine aroma, with more pronounced caramel notes, richer and more complex mouthfeel, honey sweetness, cocoa undertones with subtle spice notes, full body with persistent aftertaste.

Washed Yirgacheffe flavor: Aromatic with jasmine flowers and citrus acidity, with lemon and grapefruit acidity notes upon entry, along with black tea characteristics, and some cocoa flavor in the finish with caramel aftertaste.

For coffee brewing, FrontStreet Coffee always recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans to better showcase the coffee's flavors. Therefore, all coffee beans sold by FrontStreet Coffee are roasted within 5 days. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Quality Coffee," ensuring that every customer receives the freshest coffee upon order. The coffee's resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at peak flavor.

Of course, some customers need FrontStreet Coffee to grind the beans for them, which is also fine. However, FrontStreet Coffee reminds everyone that once coffee beans are pre-ground, they need to be brewed promptly. If already ground into coffee powder, there's no need for a resting period, because during transportation, the pressure from carbon dioxide buildup in the packaging also helps round out the coffee flavor, so you can immediately brew a cup upon receiving the coffee powder.

However, coffee powder oxidizes relatively quickly when exposed to air, meaning the coffee flavor will dissipate more rapidly, resulting in diminished flavor quality. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends purchasing whole beans and grinding fresh before brewing to better appreciate the coffee's flavors.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of FrontStreet Coffee, WeChat ID: qjcoffeex.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473