How Does Coffee Beans Grow at Ethiopia's Guji Altitudes?

The Mormora farm in the Guji region of southern Ethiopia is family-run and has cultivated native heirloom varieties at 1,850 to 2,000 meters since 2012, using natural sun-drying to reach Grade 1. The cup leads with red wine aroma and ripe fruit, and spice and pepper notes appear in the middle and late palate.

Altitude and processing together explain how does coffee beans grow into this profile: cooler air at 1,850 to 2,000 meters slows cherry ripening, and natural drying concentrates fruit sugars. Roast level then changes the result. At City Roast the bean shows plum wine, jasmine, and lemon, while Full City brings Belgian dark chocolate, raspberry syrup, and a thicker body.

Located in the Shakiso Mormora farm in the Guji region of southern Ethiopia, this family-run operation has been cultivating native coffee varieties at altitudes between 1,850 and 2,000 meters since 2012, using natural sun-drying processing and achieving Grade 1 status. This bean displays a dominant profile of red wine aroma and ripe fruit, with spices and pepper notes emerging in the mid to late palate. This article will provide a detailed introduction to the background of this region, the cultivation philosophy of Mormora farm, and, combined with Front Street Coffee's roasting experience, explore the distinctly different flavor expressions under light and medium-dark roasts, from the plum wine notes of City Roast to the Belgian dark chocolate and raspberry syrup texture of Full City, offering coffee enthusiasts a comprehensive roasting and tasting reference.

Eulomiya Ethiopian Coffee Natural Sidamo

Region: Sidamo region, southern Ethiopia

Grade: Grade 1

Altitude: 1,850-2,000 meters

Processing: Natural

Taste: Red wine aroma, dominant ripe fruit flavor. Pronounced spice and pepper notes in the mid to late palate

The currently highly praised light-roasted Ethiopian coffee—I remain skeptical of this. Especially for naturally processed Ethiopian beans, their rich layering and full body simply cannot be fully expressed if dropped before the end of first crack. At minimum, it should be roasted to City Roast, which is around the end of first crack.

As a naturally processed Ethiopian coffee, what one anticipates beforehand is its bold, unrestrained flavor. And indeed, that is the case—it presents layered fruit tones, alluring acidity, and demonstrates an extremely wide roasting adaptability. At the City Roast stage, it carries plum wine notes, jasmine aromas, and fruit spice dryness, and for a natural bean, the mouthfeel is surprisingly clean. Lemon aromatics emerge through the acidity, supporting the layers of various fruit flavors. Melon, rhubarb-like tartness, strawberry milk, and chocolate wine can all be captured in this cup. Moving into Full City, the flavors become more intense, presenting a profile of Belgian dark chocolate paired with raspberry syrup, with an unbelievable thickness, and one can also taste fruit beer, cocoa powder, and durian notes.

Green bean supplier: CoffeeShrub - Sweet Maria's

Variety: Ethiopian native heirloom

Grade: Grade 1

Defect rate: .8 d/300gr, 15-17 Screen

Production region: Guji Zone, Shakiso

Processing method: Natural

Arrival date: June 2017 Arrival

Origin: Guji Zone, Shakiso

Roasting recommendation: City to Full City; the darker the roast, the more it leans toward chocolate and fruit wine notes

Organic certification: No

Farm partnership: Yes

Espresso: Yes

Mormora farm is located in the Guji Zone of the Oromia region in Ethiopia. The name Guji derives from the local ethnic group, and this area is the geographic and cultural core of the coffee-growing highlands. This is a coffee that embodies characteristics of both Yirgacheffe and Sidamo. (Translator's note: In earlier years, coffee produced in southern Ethiopia was collectively referred to as Sidamo, because the administrative division at the time was called Sidamo. Later, with the establishment of the coffee grading and auction system, Yirgacheffe gradually became a commercial name, and the administrative divisions were subsequently redrawn—the Yirgacheffe town to the west was assigned to the Gedeo province of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, while the Guji province in the Oromia region to the east was considered a newly developed coffee-producing area, much like what Yirgacheffe was to Sidamo back then.)

Shakiso Mormora farm was founded in 2012 and is family-operated. The cultivation area is approximately 250 hectares, with altitudes ranging between 2,000 and 2,300 meters. The coffee is grown in a mixed-planting system with natural forest. (Translator's note: Coffee cultivation requires shade, and farmers typically plant crops such as bananas in coffee plantations, but here they are planted directly in the forest. This approach, on the one hand, maintains ecological diversity and avoids damage to the natural environment from a single coffee variety; on the other hand, it preserves the nutrients produced by the natural ecosystem in the soil, representing an organic cultivation method that does not use pesticides or artificial fertilizers. Avoiding a single variety also helps resist natural disasters and various pests and diseases.) Ethiopia is the native origin of numerous coffee varieties, and farmers select and isolate suitable varieties from the forest to continue growing in the natural environment. In addition to its own cultivation, Mormora farm also purchases coffee from surrounding smallholder farmers and provides guidance on cultivation techniques and harvesting and processing methods. Currently, Guji Highland has only a natural processing station, with plans to add a washed processing station in the future.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.