Sidamo Guji Coffee Bean Flavor Profile & Origin Information: How to Make a Guji Flat White

Sidamo Horse Champion coffee is an heirloom variety from Ethiopia, renowned for its explosive aroma and sweetness, with a highly distinctive taste profile. It was honored with first place in the sun-dried category at the Ethiopia International Coffee Cupping 2017 harvest season, and this batch of green beans was named "Horse Champion" as the champion. During the harvest and processing season (December-January), its unique growing environment and natural climate create Horse Champion's distinctive flavors.

This Sidamo Horse Champion coffee selects only fully red, completely mature coffee cherries, all hand-picked, and dried on African raised beds. The cherries must reach a sugar content above 21 before sun-drying processing begins. The cherries are turned regularly 24 hours a day to ensure even sun exposure and ventilation, combined with low-temperature fermentation for 21 days (compared to the usual dozen or so days), allowing for more precise control of fermentation levels, resulting in exceptionally high sweetness. After cupping and pour-over testing, the wet aroma reveals distinct strong wine and floral notes, while the pour-over tastes like drinking a cup of strawberry fruit tea.

Through cupping and comparison, FrontStreet Coffee has determined that Horse Champion coffee beans present the following flavor profile: strawberry, red wine, peach, cherry, sweet and tart berry notes, rose fragrance, excellent aftertaste, red wine fermentation accompanied by tropical fruit sweetness.

Sidamo Origin Story

Sidamo, pronounced as such, derives its name from the indigenous Sidama people. Like other ethnic groups in Ethiopia, the Sidama have their own traditions and culture, and even their own New Year recognized by UNESCO—Fiche Chambalala, which attracts over 5 million people annually to gather in the capital Hawassa for celebration.

Once upon a time, Sidamo was the old provincial name in Ethiopia before the administrative division reorganization in 1995. Historically, the Sidama people settled in southern Ethiopia as early as the ninth century, possessing their own culture, religion, and language. At the end of the nineteenth century, due to the invasion by Emperor Menelik II of the Ethiopian Empire, Sidama was defeated and incorporated into the Ethiopian Empire. The name Sidamo was actually given to the Sidama people by the Ethiopian Empire rulers and thus carries somewhat derogatory connotations.

After 1995, Ethiopia adopted a federal system for governance and, out of respect for the various ethnic cultures within its borders, the local government also reorganized according to the main ethnic residential areas and languages. Consequently, Sidama was incorporated into the new Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR), and the area was officially renamed to its original historical name: Sidama.

However, it should be noted that before the administrative reorganization, Sidamo Coffee was already world-renowned for its unique aroma. Therefore, compared to "Sidama," people are more accustomed to calling it Sidamo. Additionally, when the Ethiopian government protected coffee from the region through trademark registration, it also chose the old name Sidamo® as the registered trademark for Sidama coffee. Until now, domestic consumers have consistently referred to coffee from this region as "Sidamo."

In the producing area maps drawn by renowned specialty green coffee bean trader Trabocca, the so-called Sidamo coffee region is not entirely within today's Sidama region but rather belongs to the Oromiya Region and the SNNPR Region. In other words, what people refer to as Sidamo coffee actually refers to a coffee with "Sidamo flavor characteristics." From a traditional definition perspective, Sidamo coffee flavor is characterized by bright citrus acidity, smooth mouthfeel, and a fuller body compared to Yirgacheffe.

Similar to other Ethiopian producing regions, Sidamo coffee is also predominantly cultivated by small-scale farmers. Coffee produced by these small farmers yields very little, and there are various coffee cooperatives and processing plants of different sizes locally, mainly responsible for processing the green coffee beans in the region. During the coffee cherry harvest season, surrounding farmers deliver their harvested coffee fruits to nearby processing plants (cooperatives) built near water sources for unified processing, and finally sell them under the processing plant's name. Nowadays, with the development of specialty coffee, many producers also purchase directly from farmers, strengthening the management and traceability of coffee micro-batches, thus further improving coffee quality and yielding more meticulously processed micro-batches.

Sidamo coffee is cultivated at altitudes between 1400m-2000m. The industry here is primarily agricultural, with the main coffee growing areas located around the Great Rift Valley. Sidamo has developed quite rapidly in recent years and is an important coffee export hub. Sidamo's coffee flavors are extremely diverse, with different soil types, microclimates, and countless heirloom coffee varieties creating obvious differences and characteristics in the coffee produced by each town. Coffee beans from the Sidamo region typically use the sun-dried processing method, which enhances the layered complexity of coffee bean flavors, making them richer in fruit aroma and smoother than typical beans.

In China, whenever Sidamo coffee is mentioned, most people probably think of the recently renowned Hambella Horse Champion—a strawberry-scented coffee bean processed using the natural method, suitable for various mainstream extraction methods such as pour-over, cold brew, ice drip, and SOE. The resulting coffee has a clean taste with pleasant acidity and sweetness.

Sidamo Green Bean Grading (Graded according to defect count per 300g of green beans)

Before the establishment of the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX), Ethiopia's coffee export grades were set by the CLU department (Cupping and Liquoring Unit) under the Ministry of Agriculture, primarily grading coffee green beans based on the number of defective beans in 300g. The grading standards are as shown in the table below. Generally, washed processed beans are G1-G2. Due to technical issues with natural processing at that time, natural processed green beans had more defects, typically G3-G5. With improvements in natural processing technology, natural beans can now also achieve G1-G2 grades. Among these, specialty and commercial grades are for export to the international market. The ECX divides coffee green beans into nine grades based on the total score of physical attributes and cupping flavor characteristics, with physical characteristics accounting for 40% and cupping quality score accounting for 60%.

Physical Characteristics (40%):

Washed processing: Defect count (20%), appearance size (10%), color (5%), odor (5%)
Non-washed processing: Defect count (30%), odor (10%)

Then, G1-G3 are cupped again according to SCAA standards to more meticulously evaluate their flavor attributes. G1 and G2 scoring no less than 85 points are classified as Q1 grade; G1, G2, and G3 scoring between 80 and 85 points are classified as Q2 grade; all G1, G2, and G3 scoring below 80 points are classified as G3 grade.

Q1 and Q2 are classified as specialty grade exports. G4-G9 maintain their original grading and, together with G3, are classified as commercial grade exports.

Sidamo Coffee Processing Methods

Washed Method

Washed coffee processing consists of the following steps: bean selection, pulp removal, fermentation, washing, drying, hulling, sorting, and grading. Mature coffee cherries are selected through soaking screening, and after mechanical depulping, they are either placed in fermentation tanks for static fermentation, utilizing bacterial decomposition capacity to remove mucilage; or more powerful machinery is used to brush off all mucilage from the surface of green coffee beans. After washing, the coffee beans are dried or dried with drying machines to reduce moisture content to about 12%. Coffee processed using the washed method has clear flavor, more prominent acidity, better cleanliness, medium mouthfeel, and the most consistent green bean quality.

Natural Method

The natural processing method is the oldest coffee processing method, also known as "natural drying." This method involves placing coffee beans directly in the sun for exposure, with drying periods lasting up to 27-30 days. During the coffee drying process, it's worth noting that excessive sun exposure can cause coffee beans to crack, leading to defective beans. Although the operational process is relatively simple, naturally processed coffee beans don't look appealing, making them less popular. Unlike the clean profile of washed coffee, naturally processed coffee beans have more complex fruit flavors and prominent integrated taste. The biggest difference between the two methods is that natural processing lacks two steps: using large water tanks to remove floating beans and pulp screeners to clear unripe fruits, resulting in a higher proportion of defective beans in natural processing.

Now let's explore the pour-over flavor profile of Sidamo Horse Champion 8.0 coffee beans!

FrontStreet Coffee: Ethiopia Sidamo Horse Champion 8.0 Coffee Beans

Region: Guji, Sidamo
Processing Station: Buku Abel
Altitude: 2250-2350m
Variety: Heirloom
Processing: Natural
Brewing Flavors: Jasmine fragrance, fermented wine aroma, creamy strawberry, jackfruit

What Other Coffee Can Be Made with Sidamo Horse Champion 8.0 Coffee Beans Besides Pour-Over?

For the fruit-forward Horse Champion 8.0 coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee believes that current mainstream extraction methods are all applicable, such as pour-over, cold brew, ice drip, mocha, and the increasingly popular SOE (Single Origin Espresso) Flat White in recent years. To express the unique aroma of Horse Champion 8.0, FrontStreet Coffee focuses on small cup size, thin milk foam, and concentrated espresso base when making Flat White coffee to present the unique taste of SOE.

For the coffee base, FrontStreet Coffee chooses double ristretto, extracting 30g of coffee liquid from 20g of coffee grounds, with an extraction time of 22-26 seconds. The extracted coffee liquid is poured into a prepared cup, while 150ml of milk is poured into a milk pitcher for frothing.

The milk needs less air incorporation than when making latte, resulting in a thinner, denser foam layer. The temperature should ideally be controlled between 50-60°C for better mouthfeel.

Finally, the frothed milk is evenly mixed with the coffee. Latte art is optional. Due to the thin milk foam not bringing the liquid level flush with the coffee cup rim, its appearance looks relatively flat, hence the name "Flat White."

After tasting this Sidamo Horse Champion SOE Flat White, FrontStreet Coffee experienced buttery cookies, plum, and almond flavors in the upper layer of coffee crema, accompanied by red berry aromas and rich chocolate cookie mouthfeel.

Important Notice :

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