THE ORIGIN REPORT
Ethiopia Sidama Guji Shakiso
Region: Guji
Elevation: 1800 MASL
Varietal: 74-110, 74-112
Process: Natural
About Ethiopia Sidama Guji Shakiso
Some Ethiopian coffees immediately remind us why we keep returning to this origin year after year. Ethiopia Sidama Guji Shakiso is one of those coffees: vibrant, fruit-forward, naturally sweet, and full of the character we love in a great natural-process Ethiopian coffee.
Our newest light roast comes from Shakiso in Ethiopia’s Guji region, a remote and heavily forested coffee-growing area within Oromia. Grown at approximately 1,800 meters above sea level, this coffee combines ideal high-elevation growing conditions with traditional Ethiopian coffee varieties and natural processing to create a cup that’s bright, tropical, and remarkably sweet.
What Makes This Ethiopia Coffee Unique
Guji has become one of Ethiopia’s most celebrated coffee-producing regions, known for coffees with expressive fruit character, vibrant acidity, and plenty of sweetness. The landscape itself plays an important role in that reputation: the region is heavily forested, and the Guji people have worked for generations to protect its natural environment from mining and logging.
That remoteness also presents challenges for coffee producers bringing their harvest to market. According to our importer, approximately 137 farmers delivered coffee cherries to the Shakiso washing station during the 2022–23 season, with each farmer cultivating an average of roughly two hectares of land.
This lot includes the Ethiopian varieties 74-110 and 74-112 and is naturally processed. After harvest, the coffee cherries are dried with the fruit intact on raised beds, allowing the fruit to slowly dry around the seed before being removed.
Natural processing is especially well suited to coffees like this one, emphasizing the ripe fruit and sweetness already present in the coffee while creating a fuller, more expressive cup.
Tasting Notes: Yellow Peach, Mango, and Caramel
Ethiopia Sidama Guji Shakiso delivers the kind of fruit-forward profile we love from naturally processed Ethiopian coffees, but with an approachable sweetness that keeps the cup beautifully balanced.
Yellow peach brings a soft, juicy stone-fruit character, while ripe mango adds a sweeter tropical quality. Underneath all that fruit is a rich caramel sweetness that rounds everything out, giving the coffee enough depth to keep it from feeling overly bright or delicate.
Together, those flavors create a cup that’s vibrant without being sharp, fruit-forward without becoming overwhelming, and sweet enough to keep you coming back for another sip.
Our importer found similarly fruit-driven characteristics in the green coffee, identifying tangerine, pomegranate, and blackberry alongside high acidity and above-average sweetness and body. For us, roasting the coffee brings that fruit character into a softer, tropical direction, with yellow peach and mango complemented by a lingering caramel sweetness.
Whether brewed as a pour-over, drip coffee, or another filter method, Ethiopia Sidama Guji Shakiso is a great choice for anyone who gravitates toward bright, expressive coffees with plenty of natural fruit character.
Why We Love This Ethiopian Coffee
Ethiopian coffees have long been some of our favorites because they can deliver an incredible amount of flavor while still feeling balanced and easy to drink. Ethiopia Sidama Guji Shakiso is a perfect example.
There’s plenty here for someone who loves adventurous specialty coffee: high-elevation growing conditions, natural processing, and a distinctly fruit-forward profile. But what really makes this coffee work for us is how approachable it remains. The caramel sweetness grounds all of that peach and mango, creating a cup that’s exciting without being challenging.
If you’re already a fan of naturally processed Ethiopian coffees, this one should feel right at home. And if you’re looking to explore fruitier light roasts, Ethiopia Sidama Guji Shakiso is an excellent place to start.
