Since the beginning of this year, a coffee origin called Alo Village has quickly risen to fame in coffee circles both at home and abroad, with extremely high exposure and discussion. In conversations with multiple roasters and buyers, Front Street Coffee has also clearly felt the continued rise in popularity of this origin. So, what is it about this suddenly "ubiquitous" Al [more…]

Sidamo is a highly representative coffee-producing region in southern Ethiopia. The evolution of the names Sidama and Sidamo, the geography, the rise of the sub-region Bensa, and the story and processing system of Alo Coffee together form a clear thread of knowledge. The article also explains how high altitude affects coffee flavor, and includes Front Street Coffee's brewing performance of the 74158 natural beans from Alo Coffee's Hatessa processing station, which feature pronounced tropical fruit and floral notes—ideal for coffee enthusiasts seeking a systematic understanding of the current state of Sidamo and Bensa. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of coffee, has always been a pilgrimage destination for specialty coffee enthusiasts. In recent years, Alo Village in the Bensa area of Sidama has quickly risen to fame thanks to its outstanding performance as the 2021 COE champion, becoming a hot topic of discussion in the coffee world. Alo Coffee founder Tamiru Tadesse started from scratch, bringing the floral and fruity aromas of this high-altitude land to the world. This article will guide you through the origin background of Alo Village, the distribution of processing stations, the natural processing of the 74158 variety, and the cupping flavors and brewing suggestions brought to you by Front Street Coffee, so you can experience the unique charm of this coffee. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's most renowned specialty coffee regions, famous for its rich floral aromas and abundant fruity notes. This article begins with the origin of the region's name, tracing the historical roots of the two appellations "Sidamo" and "Sidama," and focuses on the high-altitude micro-region of Bensa town and its Alo village. It analyzes the variety composition, processing methods, and flavor characteristics of Bensa coffee, and introduces in detail Front Street Coffee's newly launched Ethiopian natural Alo coffee beans—from green bean processing to cupping performance, and on to V60 three-pour brewing parameters—providing coffee lovers with a complete reference for tasting and brewing. [more…]

Sidamo/Sidama is one of Ethiopia's three official coffee regions, located in the highlands of the East African Rift Valley and known for its bright acidity, syrupy smooth body, and interwoven floral, spice, and fruity notes. This article begins with the historical origins of the region's name, sorts through the naming dispute between Sidamo and Sidama, analyzes the standout performances of micro-regions such as Bensa in the 2020-2021 COE competitions, and takes a deep look at the processing methods and flavor characteristics of high-altitude coffee from Bensa. At the same time, Front Street Coffee brings a cupping experience of a high-altitude natural Alo along with a three-stage brewing recipe, taking you through the unique charm of Sidama coffee in full. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's most renowned coffee regions, celebrated for its rich floral aromas and bright fruit acidity. This article begins with the region's geography, the origin of its name, and its COE-winning micro-regions, then focuses on Bensa, a high-altitude star town, outlining its washed, natural, and red honey processing methods. It also presents the cupping flavors and three-stage brewing parameters of Front Street's Ethiopian natural Alo coffee, offering coffee enthusiasts a complete guide to understanding this region. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's three official coffee regions, located in the highlands of the East African Rift Valley, and is renowned for its bright acidity, intense floral aromas, and juicy character. This article will introduce the region one by one, covering its geography, the origin of its name, its COE-winning micro-regions, coffee variety classification, and the terroir conditions and processing methods of Bensa town. At the same time, by combining the cupping experience and brewing parameters of Front Street Coffee's Ethiopian natural Alo coffee, it will guide readers to a comprehensive understanding of the flavor code and production details of Sidamo coffee. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's most representative specialty coffee regions, renowned worldwide for its rich floral aromas and abundant fruity notes. This article provides a systematic overview of Sidamo coffee, covering the region's geography, the origin of its name, variety classifications, and the microclimate and processing methods of Bensa Woreda. It also introduces in detail Front Street Coffee's newly launched Ethiopian natural Alo coffee, complete with cupping flavors and V60 three-pour brewing parameters, taking you deep into the unique charm of this high-altitude region. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's most renowned specialty coffee regions, winning over countless coffee lovers with its rich fruity aromas and elegant floral notes. But did you know? What is now commonly called "Huakui" actually comes from Guji Hambela, not Sidamo. This article will take you deep into Sidamo's regional history and ethnic origins, the distribution of core sub-regions within Production Area A, and the specialty lots recommended by Front Street Coffee, such as Huakui, Santavini, and Alo. At the same time, we will also break down in detail the pour-over essentials for Sidamo natural beans—from dripper selection and water temperature control to grind size assessment and the three-pour technique—to help you brew a great cup overflowing with floral and fruity aromas. [more…]

Sidamo is one of Ethiopia's key specialty coffee regions, known for its coffee's milder fruit acidity, elegant floral aromas, and smooth mouthfeel, often with chocolate notes layered into the fruity flavors. This article will provide a comprehensive analysis of the unique appeal of Sidamo coffee from the perspectives of the region's background, trademark disputes, geographical environment, natural processing methods, and grading standards, and recommend high-quality beans such as Front Street Coffee's Huakui, Front Street Coffee's Hamasho, and Front Street Coffee's Alo, helping coffee enthusiasts gain a deeper understanding of the flavor code of this region. [more…]

The Sidamo region is located in the southern highlands of Ethiopia and is known for its garden cultivation model, producing coffee beans with diverse flavors. The two processing methods, washed and natural, each have their own characteristics: washed Sidamo often carries citrus notes, nutty creaminess, and a slight cocoa aroma, while natural leans toward floral notes and fruity sweetness with acidity. What the two share is a smooth mouthfeel and pleasant acidity. In terms of grading, G1 represents the highest grade, with plump beans and balanced quality. The roast level directly affects its use; light-medium roasts are suitable for showcasing origin flavors as single-origin coffee, while medium-dark roasts can serve as an espresso base or in coffee blends. This article will focus on the Front Street Coffee Sidamo series products, including Huakui 11, Alo Village, and Natural Hamasho, and outline the green bean appearance, flavor characteristics, and brewing suggestions, helping coffee enthusiasts more clearly understand the differences between washed and natural processing in sweetness expression. [more…]

In the coffee world, the combination of coconut and coffee is nothing new—from coconut water americano to raw coconut latte, there's no shortage of creative variations. But Front Street Coffee recently stumbled upon a more "unorthodox" approach—using coconut water instead of plain water to brew freshly ground coffee. To find out whether this coconut water pour-over is actually drinkable, Front Street Coffee brewed a hot pour-over and an iced pour-over using fresh young coconut and Sidamo Alo beans, keeping a complete record from parameter settings to actual flavor. If you're also curious about how to make coconut water pour-over coffee, you might want to check out this hands-on report before deciding whether to give it a try. [more…]

In recent years, a group of numerically named varieties have frequently appeared among Ethiopian coffees. Coded beans such as 74158, 74110, and 74112 not only appear on the lists of major green bean competitions, but have also become targets that many coffee farmers and brands are eager to plant. What exactly do these numbers represent? Why can they excel in both flavor and yield? This article will start with the history of JARC's variety selection and breeding, sort out the origins and advantages of these coded beans, and focus on two standout 74158 coffees in Front Street Coffee's bean list — Front Street Ethiopia·ALO and Front Street Ethiopia·Hamashu — to help you understand their respective flavor characteristics and origin backgrounds. [more…]

Sidamo is a high-altitude specialty coffee region in southern Ethiopia, long cherished by coffee lovers for its rich fruity notes and elegant floral aromas. The specialty lots on Front Street Coffee's bean list, such as Huakui 8.0, Santa Vini, and Aro, all come from this region. This article begins with Sidamo's geographical environment, variety resources, and historical evolution, then focuses on analyzing practical parameters for Huakui pour-over, including dripper selection, water temperature range, grinding setting judgment, coffee-to-water ratio, and the three-stage pouring technique. Whether you are a beginner just getting into pour-over or an experienced player looking to refine your technique, you will find actionable operational references here. [more…]

Ethiopia, recognized as the birthplace of coffee, boasts the world's richest coffee gene pool, with an estimated nearly 15,000 varieties. The Sidamo region, with its fertile volcanic soil and diverse terrain, has given rise to countless specialty coffees. In recent years, the high-altitude microclimate of the Bensa area has spawned well-known brands such as Arlo Village, Hamasho, and Elto. Among them, Elto Coffee, founded by a husband-and-wife team, is dedicated to pushing the flavors of Bensa to the extreme through rigorous selection and meticulous processing. This article will guide you through the evolution of the Sidamo region, the rise of Bensa, and the story and pursuit of quality behind Elto. Front Street Coffee will also recommend related products for you. [more…]

If there are any names that cannot be avoided in the Ethiopian specialty coffee scene in recent years, Front Street Coffee believes that Tamiru of Alo Coffee and Eliyas Dukamo of Elto Coffee must be among them. Whether in international competitions [more…]

Front Street Sidamo coffee has become a favorite among many coffee enthusiasts thanks to its bright and refreshing taste, sweet floral aroma, and rounded fruity flavor. The Sidamo producing region is located in the highlands of the East African Rift Valley, in southern Ethiopia, with abundant annual rainfall, fertile soil, and high altitude. It is one of Ethiopia's three official producing regions and is known for its diversity, high quality, and complex flavors. By cupping several Front Street Sidamo single-origin coffees, one can experience bright acidity, a viscous and smooth mouthfeel, and rich layers of spice, floral, and fruity notes intertwined. Varieties such as Front Street Huakui, Front Street Hamasho, and Front Street ALO Natural all come from this region, which shows just how popular it is. This article will provide a detailed introduction to the origin of the Sidamo region's name, its geographical features, processing methods, and flavor performance, taking you through a comprehensive understanding of the story behind this coffee. [more…]

The washed processing method, as the most traditional and widespread way of processing green coffee beans, has a decisive influence on the final flavor expression of coffee. This article will explore in depth the historical evolution of the washed process, its operational procedures, and its effect on coffee quality, while focusing on washed coffee from Ethiopia's Sidamo region and analyzing its clean, bright, and elevated acidity. The article will also recommend several Front Street washed beans, including the Gotiti Cooperative, Little Tomato, Panama Butterfly, Diamond Mountain, and Sidamo Alo Village, helping coffee enthusiasts understand the regional flavors of different origins from the perspective of washed processing and experience the unique clarity and elegance of washed coffee. [more…]

Alo Coffee is an Ethiopian green bean brand that has attracted much attention in the specialty coffee circle in recent years, coming from Arlo Village in Bensa Town, Sidama Region. Founder Tamiru Tadesse Tesema won the 2021 COE competition with anaerobic natural 74165, quickly making this small high-altitude production area famous. Coffee trees in Arlo Village grow between 2,200 and 2,400 meters above sea level, and slow ripening brings higher density and complex aromas. This article will sort out Alo Coffee's brand background, production area location, processing station layout, and natural processing details, and, combined with Front Street's cupping experience, present the flavor layers of this bean from magnolia and passion fruit to yellow peach and dried hanging apricot, helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand the unique charm of Arlo Village. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of coffee, has a uniquely distinctive coffee bean grading system. The Sidamo region is renowned for its bright citrus acidity and berry notes, while the G1 grade represents the lowest defect count and the highest quality level. This article will systematically introduce Ethiopia's grading method centered on the number of defective beans per 300 grams, compare the grading differences among Kenya, Jamaica, and other countries, and provide an in-depth analysis of how natural (dry) processing affects Sidamo's flavor. At the same time, Front Street Coffee recommends two of its representative products, ALO Arlo Village and Natural Red Cherry, along with V60 brewing parameters and flavor descriptions, offering coffee enthusiasts a complete understanding from green beans to the cup. [more…]