Guji

Guji is a zone in the Oromia region of southern Ethiopia. Until recently its coffee was traded as Sidamo; now it is sought out by name, and prices have followed.

Why it emerged

Ethiopia’s coffee trading system historically pooled lots by region, which made traceability to a specific washing station difficult. Reforms allowing more direct trade let individual stations and co-operatives sell under their own names.

Buyers tasting Guji lots separately found them distinctive enough to want them separately.

The profile

Intensely sweet and fruit-driven. Peach, apricot, tropical fruit and berry appear frequently, with floral notes underneath and a syrupy body that sets it apart from Yirgacheffe’s lighter frame.

Altitudes reach 2,300 metres, among the highest commercially farmed coffee anywhere, and the density that produces is part of the intensity.

Naturals

Guji naturals in particular have become highly sought after — clean, intense, unmistakably fruity, and often at the top of competition tables. The region has invested heavily in raised drying beds and careful sorting, which is what separates a good natural from a fermented one.

Brewing it

Light roast, filter, clean brewer. Because the beans are dense and the roasts light, grind finer than you expect and brew at the hot end — 94 to 96 °C.

Under-extracted Guji tastes sharp and thin, which is a shame given what these lots cost. If yours is disappointing, grind finer before blaming the coffee.