Ethiopia Sidama Natural

This month we are featuring our natural processed coffee from the Sidama region of Ethiopia. This isn’t one of our newest offerings. It’s certainly not unique to Heine Brothers’.  It’s not even a “seasonal”; we are usually able to stock this coffee year round.  But these facts and the general ubiquity of the name Sidama (aka Sidamo) among specialty coffee roasters make this coffee no less remarkable.

In fact, among Heine Brothers’ offerings, Ethiopia Sidama is always atop my list of favorites.  It speaks volumes to the expertise and ingenuity of the farmers (nearly 80,000 of them) organized under the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (SCFCU) that they are so well known in the coffee world, and produce such a unique and interesting cup profile season after season.

This natural, or dry processed, coffee is handled with the fruit on for the drying stage of processing.  The whole cherries dry in the sun for weeks until the desiccated skin resembles fruit leather.  Processing with the fruit on can be tricky, but when done carefully creates one of my favorite flavor profiles for coffee: big bodied, strong notes of candied fruit, wine, dark chocolate and other wonderful things, with a soft citrus acidity that makes the whole cup sparkle.

The farmers of Sidama Union have been processing this way for countless generations, and have it down to a science.  The coffees they produce are known for distinct blueberry, watermelon, or strawberry up front, followed by a soft wave of semi-sweet dark chocolate in the finish and aftertaste.  My favorite way to enjoy this coffee is in a Chemex, but its incredible complexity means it will be delicious by any brew method.  I make it nearly every day.

The rest of the HB Roastery crew is tired of this grinning idiot waltzing around the roastery exclaiming, “This coffee is sooo good!  So good.”  But, you know what?  I don’t care.  It’s my fave.  I tell them so, and now I’m telling you.  Hope you enjoy.

Available in-store and online.

heinebroscoffee.com