Introduction to the 2022 WBC Champion Sidra Coffee Bean - Characteristics of the Colombian Sidra Coffee Variety

The Rise of Sidra Coffee

At the 2022 World Barista Championship, champion barista Anthony Douglas selected Colombian Sidra coffee beans for his competition. Coincidentally, at the 2019 World Barista Championship, that year's champion Jooyeon Jeon also chose Sidra coffee (though from Ecuador). This has led people to start paying attention to what Sidra coffee is.

FrontStreet Coffee researched and found that Sidra coffee originally comes from Pichincha Province in Ecuador, where locals refer to this variety as Sydra. According to research, Sidra is a laboratory variety, cultivated from a hybrid of Typica and Red Bourbon. Later, through genetic comparison, it was discovered that Sidra coffee shares similar genes with Ethiopian native varieties, leading some scholars to speculate that Sidra was hybridized from experimental research varieties exported from Ethiopia with local Bourbon coffee varieties in Ecuador. Currently, the Sidra variety is mainly grown in producing countries like Ecuador and Colombia.

Finca El Diviso: The Champion's Choice

Following the exposure from Anthony Douglas's competition, people began seeking out the champion barista's coffee beans. The Sidra coffee beans used by Anthony come from Finca El Diviso in the Huila region of Colombia.

Where is Finca El Diviso?

Finca El Diviso is located in Huila, one of Colombia's most famous coffee regions; at an altitude of approximately 2,100 meters, covering an area of 14 hectares. This is a family-run coffee estate, founded by Jose Uribe Lasso in 1996, with over 25 years of coffee cultivation experience.

Currently, it is mainly operated by Nestor Lasso, who is young and full of motivation. His grandfather introduced him to the magnificent world of coffee, and his father inherited this farm with exceptional abilities in coffee cultivation; influenced by this family, Nestor continuously strives for excellence in coffee cultivation and processing, growing twelve varieties including Caturra, Colombia, Sidra, Castillo, Geisha, and Bourbon.

Nestor's family manages the estate together, continuously improving coffee bean quality, which has also brought better returns to Nestor. They have successfully established a new large farm, planting and producing even higher quality coffee beans, constantly striving to become a great family estate.

For Nestor, Finca El Diviso represents a fortunate new beginning. He believes that Huila's land is very fertile, and any diligent person can escape poverty by planting coffee crops on nutrient-rich soil.

Sidra's "Highlight Moments"

Sidra's rise to fame is largely credited to the two World Barista Champions who "endorsed" it. The 2019 World Barista Championship (WBC) champion—South Korean contestant Jooyeon Jeon's choice bean was Sidra coffee from La Palma y El Tucan in Colombia. In the same competition, third-place finisher Cole Torode also selected a Sidra batch from this estate.

Last year's newly crowned World Barista Championship winner, Anthony Douglas from Australia, claimed the top prize with an anaerobic fermented Sidra batch from Colombia's Finca El Diviso. With Anthony's victory, the popularity of Colombia's Finca El Diviso and the Sidra variety continues to rise in the specialty coffee community.

What are the Characteristics of Sidra Coffee?

Although genetic testing has shown that Sidra has genetic connections to Ethiopian coffee varieties, it is currently mainly grown in two countries, Colombia and Ecuador, distributed at altitudes between 1,650-1,800 meters. Additionally, some origins have small-scale plantings of Sidra varieties for experimental purposes.

Sidra plants have thick trunks, reaching up to 4 meters in height. They require appropriate shade when planted and are immune to multiple pests but susceptible to leaf rust and coffee berry disease. The leaves are slender and long, with five-petaled flowers during flowering. The fruit distribution is dense, resulting in high yields, and the fruit is larger and rounder than most Arabica varieties; the green beans appear slender and elongated, somewhat similar to Geisha.

Given that Sidra is currently still relatively scarce in cultivation and possesses floral and fruity characteristics comparable to Geisha, exhibiting flavors such as peach, citrus, grape, and honey, with moderate acidity and a rounded mouthfeel, its price is also relatively high.

FrontStreet Coffee has also introduced Sidra coffee beans from Finca El Diviso. This coffee bean uses double anaerobic washed processing, highlighting the coffee's rich acidity. FrontStreet Coffee employs a medium-light roast, with cupping notes revealing rich fruit flavors such as apricot, citrus, and grape.

Sidra Coffee Pour-Over Recommendations

Dose: 15g

Ratio: 1:15

Water Temperature: 91°C

Grind Size: Medium-fine (80% pass-through rate on #20 sieve)

Pouring Technique: Three-stage method

First stage: Pour 30ml and bloom for 30 seconds. Second stage: Use small water flow in circular motion to pour 120ml, and when the water level drops to 1/2, use small water flow in circular motion to pour 90ml for the third stage. Total extraction time is 2 minutes.

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