Category: Green Beans > African & Arabia

Email A Friend      Print This Page

Click to enlarge

Ethiopian Wet-Processed Sidamo

Sweet Maria's Coffee

Wet-processed Sidamo is a coffee we usually don't stock: it is similar in the cup to Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, another wet-process coffee, and often cups out as a lesser cousin. The irony is this: Sidamo is a major coffee growing region in southern Ethiopia and Yirgacheffe is a small sub-region centered around a village of the same name. So in fact, Yirgacheffe coffees are Sidamos. How's that for confusing? What I find when evaluating the wet-processsed Sidamo coffees is that every so often a unique lot comes along that, in a way, out-Yirgacheffes the Yirgacheffes. The fact is, wet-processed Sidamo is a pain, and simply confuses people used to the dry-processed Sidamo (totally different in the cup) and the Yirgs. It better be good if I am going to buy: What I am looking for is intense aromatics, a clean cup without taints, fruited and floral flavors, complexity, and good finish. This is it. This lot came in, I got the sample, called back to buy, and by the next morning the full lot (250 bags) was gone! That's how it is with a good lot. Anyway, I probably over-roasted the first sample I prepared of this lot (it was Full City+, having gone a few snaps into 2nd crack). I like wet-processed Ethiopia coffees lighter. But it had great, sweet aromatics, good acidity, fruity and floral, with plum and raisin in the cup, black pepper in the finish, pungent spicey, and nice mouthfeel (more than Yirgacheffes). I was impressed, and thought I must of switched samples with a Yirg. I re-roasted to a more appropriate City+ (completly through first crack, no sign of 2nd crack) and the coffee just soared. The lively brightness in the cup held a perfect high note, while citrus accents came through in the fruited cup flavors. Oddly though, I found myself liking that Full City roast more, having this great complexity between sweet fruited notes, bright acidity and pungent spice, dark fruit, and roastiness.

Average Rating: Rate it:  Poor Excellent Add to Favorites

For more information on this product, visit Sweet Maria's Coffee's website.