Sidra emerged from Ecuador and has spread rapidly among quality-focused producers in Colombia and beyond.
The disputed lineage
Commonly described as a Bourbon–Typica cross developed on an Ecuadorian estate. Genetic work has not fully settled it, and some analyses suggest a closer relationship to Ethiopian material.
The uncertainty is worth mentioning because Sidra is sold at prices that assume it is something special.
The profile
Intensely floral and tropical: jasmine, bergamot, passion fruit, lychee, with a silky body and a very long finish. At its best it is genuinely in Geisha territory.
It needs very high altitude to express that. Grown lower, it is pleasant and unremarkable — which is the same story as Geisha.
Where it grows
Ecuador principally, with significant and growing plantings in Colombia, particularly among producers who process experimentally.
The competition circuit
Sidra lots have placed very highly in international competitions, often processed anaerobically, which raises the perennial question of how much of the cup is the variety and how much the fermentation.
Price
High and climbing, driven by the same dynamics that pushed Geisha up.
Brewing it
Filter, very light roast, clean brewer, good water. At this price it is worth removing every other variable.