Sidamo Lion King Natural Sidamo Lion King Sidamo Lion King Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee - Ethiopia Sidamo Guji Natural Process Lion King G1

Lion King comes from the familiar Sidamo Guji growing region. Sidama Province sits in southern Ethiopia, bordered by Arsi Province to the north, reaching east to connect with Bale Province, and touching the Gamu Gofa administrative region to the west.

Sidamo grows in the highlands of southern Ethiopia at elevations between 4,600 and 7,200 feet. It is a famous specialty coffee region in southern Ethiopia, bordering Kenya to the south, southeast of Jimma, and directly south of the capital. The cup typically shows distinct sweetness, which is why so many drinkers favor it.

Sidamo's coffee flavors are extremely diverse, shaped by different soil types, microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties. The region features towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys, and plains, with varied topography, and its geology is built on nutrient-rich, well-drained volcanic soil. Such excellent growing conditions produce exceptional quality. The Guji region has attracted close attention in recent years, delivering impressive results in both flavor expression and quality.

Guji was formerly part of the Sidamo region but was established as an independent new growing region by the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) in 2010.

Sitting southeast of Yirgacheffe, the Guji region borders Sidamo and the Gedeo zone, with complex, shifting topography that takes in towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys, and plains.

The region's geology consists of nutrient-rich black soil (Vertisol), with soil depth reaching nearly two meters and an average elevation above 1,800 meters. This geography creates large day-to-night temperature swings, providing every terroir condition needed for high-quality specialty coffee.

Sidamo Lion King

This batch is produced by small-scale coffee farmers from the Shilcho Cooperative near the town of Dara Woreda in Sidama Province.

The cooperative was established in 1976 and is currently a member of the Sidama Coffee Farmer Cooperative Union (SCFCU) in Sidama Province.

SCFCU is a major coffee cooperative union in Ethiopia, currently made up of about 46 member cooperatives, making it the second-largest coffee cooperative in the country.

Processing Method

These coffee varieties are processed using the natural method.

Natural processing is the oldest and most traditional way to handle coffee. The harvested cherries are dried directly in the sun for about two to four weeks. During drying they must be turned regularly to prevent excessive fermentation and spoilage.

Naturally processed coffee has higher sweetness and a fuller body, with the only real drawback being a slightly higher defect rate.

Ethiopia Sidamo Guji Natural Process Lion King G1

Region: Guji, Sidamo

Variety: Heirloom

Altitude: 1800m-2000m

Processing: Natural Process

Cupping Notes: Intense fruit character, with prominent cantaloupe, honey peach, and berry flavors. Clean, smooth, and balanced, with lively, complex layers and a rich, sweet aroma.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this Guji lot's intense fruit and full natural sweetness are what you enjoy, FrontStreet Coffee's naturally processed Ethiopian beans are a close match. The FrontStreet Huakui is a natural Sidamo whose heirloom beans layer cream strawberry, mango, jackfruit, citrus, and blueberry over a ripe tropical-fruit core. For a different side of natural processing, the FrontStreet Natural Yirgacheffe Red Cherry is dried whole on raised beds and brings citrus acidity, berry juice, honeyed sweetness, and a creamy body. Both show how much fruit a well-handled natural lot can carry, just as the Lion King does in the cup.