Nutty and Fruity Sidamo Shakisso Coffee Flavor Profile Characteristics from Ethiopia

FrontStreet Coffee · Introduction to the Flavor and Taste Characteristics of Ethiopian Sidamo Shakisso Coffee

Sidamo grows at altitudes between 4,600-7,200 feet on the southern Ethiopian plateau (Sidamo Province). It is a renowned specialty coffee region in southern Ethiopia, bordering Kenya to the southeast and directly south of the capital. It typically exhibits pronounced sweetness and is widely favored by many people. The annual production is approximately 225,000 bags (60kg each), with beans slightly smaller than Longberry varieties, appearing greenish-gray. In Sidamo's natural drying fields, coffee is placed on wooden racks with hemp nets, where workers manually turn the coffee under sunlight. Natural-processed Sidamo is commonly exported as Grade 4 (G4), while washed Sidamo, due to more refined processing, is mostly exported as Grade 2 (G2).

Sidamo's coffee flavors are incredibly diverse. Different soil types, microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties create distinct characteristics. The region features towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys, and plains, with diverse topography. The local geology consists of nutrient-rich, well-drained volcanic soil, with depths reaching nearly two meters, and surface soil showing dark brown or brown colors. The region's greatest advantage lies in maintaining soil fertility through organic matter recycling, using fallen leaves from surrounding trees or plant residues as fertilizer. This results in distinctly different and characteristic coffees from various towns. From 2010-2012, it consistently achieved high scores of 92-94 points from the authoritative American coffee evaluation website Coffee Review, demonstrating the exceptional quality of green beans from this region.

Sidamo green beans are slightly grayish, with some areas being coarse and others fine. They possess both gentle and bright acidity, moderate body, and sweet, spicy aromas. It is one of the garden coffees from the southern Ethiopian highlands. Unlike typical African coffees, FrontStreet Coffee's Sidamo coffee beans, when brewed, reveal clear fruit acidity, smooth mouthfeel, and delicate floral and herbal aromas.

FrontStreet Coffee's natural-processed Sidamo offers floral notes with slight earthy undertones. Meanwhile, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Sidamo displays nutty fruit aromas with subtle cocoa notes. However, both share common characteristics of smooth mouthfeel and viscosity, comfortable and pleasant acidity, and aromatic qualities. Light to medium roasts are suitable for single-origin brewing, while medium to dark roasts are ideal for blended coffee and serve as an excellent base for espresso.

The washed FrontStreet Coffee Sidamo beans appear light green, with small oval-shaped beans that are full and of consistently good quality. They possess a rich, mellow aroma with endless aftertaste, exhibiting a wild beauty. Elegant yet playful, it offers a gentle and pleasant entry experience, followed by bright lemon acidity that creates a strong taste contrast. The mouthfeel is unique and rich, with distinctive and appealing sweetness in the aftertaste. The slowly rising finish contains exceptional sweetness.

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