Which African Coffee Brand is Best? Ethiopia Guji Kaiyong Mountain Wild Cherry Natural Process with Rich Floral and Fruity Aroma

FrontStreet Coffee - Ethiopia Guji Kayon Mountain Wild Cherry Natural Process Introduction

Guji was made an independent producing zone by the ECX, the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, in 2010, on the strength of its excellent location and its cup profile. Shakiso is the most compelling micro-region within Guji, lying southeast of Yirgacheffe at an average altitude above 1,800 meters.

This natural-processed coffee is handled as a micro-batch. A hand-picked team of experienced post-harvest specialists at the processing station selects only fire-red cherries and deeper for natural processing, sorting out underripe and defective beans with great care. The cherries that remain are juicy and full, and the farmers behind them, known as the "Little Red Army," control quality at origin day after day.

The altitude and the particular microclimate produce an explosive tropical-fruit flavor in this natural coffee. Dried on African raised beds at 2,000-2,200 meters in dry, cool conditions under intense ultraviolet light, the beans come out with a full-bodied aroma. Having grown and been processed under demanding conditions, they show a rich and complete flavor.

Ethiopia Guji Kayon Mountain Wild Cherry Natural Process

Region: Guji

Altitude: 2000-2200m

Variety: Ethiopia Heirloom

Processing Method: Natural Process (slow fermentation, 20-30 days of natural drying)

Flavor Profile: Intense floral notes, passion fruit, sweet peach, tropical fruits, fruit wine

Knowledge Point: Arabica is one of the two most important varieties in the commercial coffee industry, the other being Robusta.

FrontStreet Coffee Philosophy

In short, FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research house dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation simply to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month we hold three heavily discounted coffee promotions, because FrontStreet Coffee wants to offer the best coffee at the lowest possible price to more people. That has been our mission for the past 6 years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the wild-cherry intensity of a Guji natural is what you are after, the FrontStreet natural Red Cherry is the closest thing in the lineup. It is made only from fully ripe, sound cherries, turned every 2-3 hours during the first days and dried on raised beds for 3-5 weeks before the dried fruit is stripped away. That long contact with the fruit gives it the classic Yirgacheffe character plus a tropical lift: citrus-like acidity, a juicy berry quality, honeyed sweetness and a creamy, smooth body.

For a washed counterpart from the same region, the FrontStreet Gotiti Cooperative coffee is a good comparison. In the words of the local trade, it comes from what is often called the last untouched corner of Yirgacheffe. Traditional washed processing leaves it without the bitter notes people sometimes expect, and instead it brings fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity with jasmine fragrance, giving you the clean side of Yirgacheffe beside the fruit-driven natural.

It is also worth setting these naturals next to a washed Ethiopian coffee to see what processing does. The FrontStreet washed Yirgacheffe daily drinker and the FrontStreet Gotiti Cooperative, a washed G1 lot, both bring white jasmine, citrus and lemon acidity with a clean, tea-like finish, the bright and transparent counterpoint to the deep fruit of a natural.