Where is Ethiopia's COE Specialty Coffee Sidamo Region Arsi Area Located? Natural Process Sidamo Coffee Bean Flavor Notes.

In the 2020 COE (Cup of Excellence) coffee competition, nine farms from the West Arsi region reached the international finals, with four of them making it into the top ten. Compared to previous data, typically fewer than 30 coffees reach the finals, making the West Arsi region a major winner in the 2020 COE.

West Arsi is a secondary administrative region in the western part of Ethiopia's Oromia province, located approximately 300 kilometers northeast of the famous coffee region Yirgacheffe, bordering Sidamo. The altitude spans vertically between 1900-2200 meters, with temperature variations between 15°C-25°C. Such significant temperature differences slow down the growth process of coffee beans. The growing soil consists of natural humus from decaying leaves of surrounding vegetation, allowing coffee cherries to synthesize more sugars during their growth process.

The Dominance of Typica Variety

All the coffee beans from the West Arsi region in this competition were of the Typica variety. Typica was the first coffee variety to spread from Ethiopia to plantations worldwide. It is known for its high disease resistance, low yield, and flavor profile characterized by purple floral notes and acidity similar to wine.

Marketing Strategy and Regional Recognition

Looking at FrontStreet Coffee's COE22 coffee bean packaging, one might wonder why the Sidamo region is mentioned. Geographically, they are merely neighboring regions. This is actually a marketing strategy. Historically, coffee beans from the Sidamo region have enjoyed a good reputation worldwide, while West Arsi remained relatively unknown. To promote West Arsi beans, merchants often sold them under the Sidamo name, which further contributed to West Arsi's obscurity. Had it not been for the spectacular success in the 2020 COE, many might still believe that West Arsi is located within Sidamo province.