How Does Sidama Coffee Bean Processing Shape Flavor?

Sidama, also spelled Sidamo, is one of Ethiopia's official producing regions and sits in the highlands of the East African Rift Valley. Rainfall there runs about 1,550 to 2,220 millimeters a year, and the combination of fertile soil and high altitude supports the region's bright acidity, syrupy body, and layered floral, spice, and fruit notes.

The name Sidamo comes from the indigenous Sidama people. Invaders from the late 18th to early 19th century pronounced Sidama as Sidamo, and that spelling stuck in the coffee trade. Bensa town's microclimate and its natural processing methods are central to how these beans develop their aromatics, and roasters such as Front Street Coffee source from the area for that profile.

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's most iconic specialty coffee regions, renowned worldwide for its rich floral aromas and abundant fruity notes. This article systematically explores the full picture of Sidamo coffee, from the region's geography and the origin of its name to variety classifications, as well as the microclimate and processing methods of Bensa town. It also provides a detailed introduction to Front Street Coffee's newly launched Ethiopian natural Alo coffee, covering everything from cupping flavors to V60 three-pour brewing parameters, taking you on a deep dive into the unique charm of this high-altitude region.

For those who favor coffee with floral and fruity notes, Sidamo is a name that cannot be avoided. Ethiopia is home to numerous specialty coffee regions, but Sidamo, with its intense floral aromas and fruity flavors, has won the favor of coffee enthusiasts around the world for years, becoming a region that many seasoned drinkers specifically seek out.

Sidamo is located in the highlands of the East African Rift Valley, with annual rainfall of approximately 1,550 to 2,220 millimeters. Abundant rain, suitable temperatures, fertile soil, and high altitude together have built Sidamo coffee's reputation. As one of Ethiopia's three official producing regions, it is known for its diverse flavors, outstanding quality, and complex layers. After cupping numerous excellent Sidamo single-origin coffees, Front Street Coffee concludes that these coffees typically exhibit bright acidity, a viscous and smooth mouthfeel, and rich layers interwoven with spice, floral, and fruity aromas. At Front Street Coffee alone, there are multiple Sidamo options available, such as Front Street Coffee Flower Queen 8.0, Front Street Coffee Santa Vini, and Front Street Coffee ALO Natural, demonstrating just how popular this region's coffees are.

When researching this producing region, you may come across two different spellings: Sidamo and Sidama.

The pronunciation "Sidamo" originates from the indigenous Sidama people. Like other ethnic groups in Ethiopia, the Sidama have their own traditions and culture, and even a New Year recognized by UNESCO — Fiche Chambalala, during which over five million people gather in the capital Hawassa to celebrate each year. From the late 18th to early 19th century, the region was invaded and annexed, and the invaders pronounced Sidama as Sidamo. Therefore, for the Sidama people, this name carries a humiliating connotation. By the 1990s, the Ethiopian government implemented a federal system, redrawing administrative boundaries based on major ethnic residential areas and languages, and the Sidama accordingly restored their historical original name: Sidama.

However, before the administrative boundary redrawing, Sidamo Coffee had already gained worldwide fame for its unique aroma. Therefore, compared to Sidama, people are more accustomed to calling it Sidamo. In addition, when the Ethiopian government applied for trademark protection for Sidama coffee at the time, it also chose the old name Sidamo® as the official registered trademark. To this day, domestic consumers are still more used to calling the coffee from here "Sidamo."

The 2020 and 2021 COE events were both held in Ethiopia. Among the Sidamo micro-regions that made the COE list, there are mainly four towns: Arbegona, Bensa, Bura, and Bona Zuria. These four towns are geographically close, all located in the Sidamo highland area. Among the Sidamo micro-regions that made the 2021 COE list, all five champion farms came from Bensa town.

Ethiopia's coffee varieties are rich and diverse, and can be categorized into two types: one is traditional regional landraces, and the other is the numbered coffee lines selected and bred by the JARC Jimma Agricultural Research Center. Common regional varieties in Sidamo include Dega, Wolisho, and Kurume. In the 2020 and 2021 COE, the coffee varieties representing Sidama State on the list were numbered coffees from JARC. Among them, the 2020 COE champion variety from Bura town, Sidama, was 74158, and the 2021 COE champion variety from Bensa town, Sidama, was 74165.

Bensa is located in the Sidamo region of southern Ethiopia, at an altitude between 1,800 and 2,300 meters. The high altitude makes the coffee flavors more complex. In Bensa, you can taste typical and intense fruity flavors, sometimes with strawberry-like aromas.

For Bensa coffee beans, washed, natural, and red honey processing methods are all possible. Among them, washed Bensa has a bright aroma and pleasant acidity. During harvest season, farmers deliver ripe coffee cherries to the processing station, where they undergo sorting and grading, removal of skin and pulp, fermentation, then washing with clean water, and drying on raised beds. It should be noted that during the first few days of drying, the beans need to be turned every 2 to 3 hours. Depending on weather conditions, the coffee beans need 12 to 15 days of drying until the moisture content drops to 11.5%.

Bensa sounds similar to a Guangdong herbal tea called "Banxia liangcha," but it is not a herbal tea. Bensa coffee beans have a unique and delicate mouthfeel — mild yet rich, with fruity aromas, smooth and with a long-lasting finish. By this point, I believe many friends have developed a longing for coffee from this small producing region. To let everyone taste the exquisite Bensa flavor, Front Street Coffee recently launched a Front Street Ethiopian Natural Alo coffee from a high-altitude area, using the natural process.

Before the formal natural processing begins, farmers hand-pick fully ripe coffee cherries and transport them to the Hatessa processing station for a first round of sorting. Then, before washing, they are sorted again by skin color to remove overripe or underripe cherries, ensuring consistent ripeness before sun-drying.

For natural coffee, the farmers responsible for post-processing need to turn the fruit on the drying beds very diligently during the first three days. This is because at this stage the coffee cherries have a very high moisture content. If not turned promptly, they not only easily develop mold but also produce unpleasant sour or rotten fruit flavors due to uneven heating. Throughout the process, the coffee cherries are spread in only a thin layer to ensure better ventilation and drying conditions. After 14 to 18 days, when the moisture content drops to the target level, they can be bagged and sent to the warehouse.

Through cupping, Front Street Coffee perceived the sweet floral and fruity aromas of this Front Street Ethiopian Natural Alo. The dry fragrance has distinct notes of magnolia, pineapple, yellow peach, and small Taiwan mango, accompanied by a sweet fermented aroma — very pleasant.

When Front Street Coffee slurps, the entry is full of tropical fruit sweetness and acidity, with ripe pineapple, passion fruit, and bergamot particularly prominent, accompanied by a hint of black tea character. The gentle fermentation feel plus light floral notes make you want to take another sip. As the temperature drops slightly, the coffee begins to trend toward stone fruit characteristics like yellow peach and dried apricot. The fruit acidity is clear and bright without losing complexity — very special.

Brewing recommendations for Front Street Coffee Ethiopian Alo Natural:

Dripper: V60 Water temperature: 92-93°C Dose: 15g Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15 Grind size: fine granulated sugar (78% passing rate on No. 20 standard sieve)

Pouring technique: three-pour method

Three-pour method: First, wet the coffee bed with twice the coffee's weight in water, wait for it to form a dome and bloom for 30 seconds. Then, pour in a slow spiral from the center outward until reaching 125g, pause, and wait for the bed to drop to halfway down the dripper. Continue with the same slow pour for the third stage until reaching 225g. Wait until all the coffee liquid has filtered through, then remove the dripper. Total time is approximately 2 minutes.

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