Ethiopia Guji Shakiso Samana G2 Natural 2024

Ethiopia Guji Shakiso Green Coffee

Guji is a unique coffee region that sets itself apart from neighboring areas like Yirgacheffe and Sidama with distinct coffee varieties native to the landscape and a balanced, complex flavor profile that comes with them. It’s a rural location, but despite its accessibility challenges, woredas (districts) in Guji like Shakiso have still made names for themselves in the global market with a reputation for fantastic coffees.

The Sawana Washing Station, at 1,800 to 2,200masl, is a prominent hub for processing Shakiso green coffee, whether it’s with the natural or washed process. The coffee cherries for this lot were sourced from smallholders in the community.

How is coffee graded in Ethiopia?

In Ethiopia, coffee is graded based on both its physical quality and cup profile, using a system from Grades 1 to 9, with Grades 1 and 2 representing the highest-quality specialty coffee. Physical grading assesses bean size, shape, color, and defects, while cup quality focuses on sensory attributes like aroma, flavor, acidity, and body.

Coffee is also classified by its region of origin, such as Sidama, Guji or Yirgacheffe. The unique terroir of these regions can strongly influence the coffee’s flavor profile. Additionally, coffees are distinguished by processing methods (eg - washed and natural processes) which yield different cup characteristics.

Natural Process Green Coffee from Ethiopia

Ethiopian green coffee is renowned for its vibrant fruit and floral flavors, characterized by exceptional acidity and sweetness. Among the many coffee-growing districts in the country, Yirgacheffe, Sidama, and Guji are particularly noted for their unique cup profiles.

The majority of coffee from Ethiopia is natural processed, which requires fewer resources and minimal infrastructure. Only the ripest coffee cherries are harvested and dried whole, usually on patios or raised beds in the sun. At Sawana, cherries are dried on 200 raised beds in layers that are four to seven centimeters thick and turned every 30 minutes for three to four weeks. That’s a lot of raking!

After achieving optimal moisture levels, the cherries are hulled to separate the fruit from the beans. The natural process results in sweet, intense flavors with a strong fruit-forward profile like the sweet mango, berry, lychee, brown sugar, and tea rose notes found in this Shakiso green coffee.

Ethiopian Coffee History

Ethiopian coffee goes way back—so far, it predates written history! Arabica coffee plants are native to Ethiopia, and coffee consumption has played a symbolic role in local culture for centuries before coffee was adopted as the global go-to beverage. Most Ethiopian coffee producers are smallholders who use traditional cultivation, harvesting, and processing methods, often without chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

Although the historical infrastructure of bringing Ethiopian coffee to market made full traceability difficult, new regulations have allowed farmers to apply for export licenses and sell their coffee directly. The new system, introduced in 2017, empowers Ethiopian coffee farmers to have more control over their part in the supply chain and be fairly compensated for their efforts in quality coffee production. Read more in our Ethiopian Coffee Origin Report.