Ethiopia Sidamo Guji G1 Natural Process Coffee Flavor Characteristics - Guji's Special Natural Processing

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Sidamo Guji G1 Natural Introduction

Ethiopia Natural Sidamo G1 GUJI

Ethiopia Sidamo Guji G1 Natural

Region: Sidamo Guji

Coffee Growers: Local small farmers

Variety: Heirloom

Grade: G1

Harvest Season: October-March

Altitude: 1850-1950m

Processing Method: Natural

Flavor: Floral, blueberry, grape, cocoa, excellent aftertaste.

Sidamo Guji lies in southern Ethiopia and is one of the country's few renowned specialty coffee regions. These coffee trees rely entirely on natural organic matter from their surroundings to sustain their cycle, feeding on fallen leaves and withered flowers and grass as fertiliser. This completely natural approach to cultivation has won several awards, including East Africa's "Taste of the Harvest," and it was through that recognition that the region became widely known.

Local farmers harvest ripe red cherries and send them to the Guji processing plant, which is located in Sidamo Guji and operated by Girma Adema. The ripe cherries are sorted first, and during this stage skilled workers must remove any unripe fruit. That sorting has a major effect on the final roasting and cupping quality. Qualified cherries are placed on raised beds for natural drying over 15-21 days, during which they must be turned every two hours to prevent damage.

What makes these beans special is that only fully ripe cherries are used, and they must be sorted and placed on the raised beds on the same day they are picked.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Guji's natural-process profile lines up closely with FrontStreet Coffee's Huakui, which comes from the Hambella area of Sidamo Guji. The entire farm covers 200 hectares and uses the traditional natural method: ripe cherries are dried on raised beds for 21 days, turned constantly for even drying, and hand-sorted every three to five days to remove defective and moldy beans before the dried skin is hulled away. Roasted medium-light, it shows a light fermented wine note with florals, citrus and mango, a rich and layered body, honey sweetness, a cocoa finish and a touch of spice, with a thick body and a long aftertaste.

For a washed counterpart, FrontStreet Coffee's Gedingding Cooperative, from the Worka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe, delivers citrus and lemon character with elegant white florals in a bright, refined cup. FrontStreet Coffee's Hamasho is another Sidamo option, a natural from the Hamasho washing station built mainly on JARC 74-series disease-resistant varieties; the 74158 selection has small beans and a striking floral and fruit aroma of perfume lemon, strawberry and star fruit, followed by a gentle floral lift in the cup.

FrontStreet Coffee suggests brewing these medium-light Ethiopian coffees with a V60 dripper at 90-91C, 15g of coffee and a 1:15 ratio, ground to a fine-sugar texture (80% passing a No. 20 sieve). Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, pour to about 125g, then finish at about 225g, for a total drawdown of roughly 2:00 to 2:10.