Introduction:The sun-dried coffees from Ethiopia’s Sidamo region are renowned for their rich fruitiness and high quality, among which the 90+ series Candlestick is an exceptionally representative top-tier product. This article delves into the origins of the 90+ brand, the meaning behind the name Candlestick, and its unique natural processing method. It provides a detailed introduction to its flavor profile, a practical comparison with the Guji Hambella Huaca coffee from the same region, and offers professional pour over recommendations and parameters to help coffee enthusiasts fully grasp the brewing potential and sensory characteristics of this popular bean.
The Sidamo region of Ethiopia has long been an important birthplace of specialty coffee, with its sun-dried beans celebrated worldwide for their intense fruit aroma and layered complexity. Among the many high-quality offerings, the 90+ series Candlestick coffee beans stand out with their rigorous bean selection process and refined sun-drying technique, delivering an exceptionally transparent and dynamic cup profile—especially fascinating is the nuanced flavor transition between hot and cold servings.
The term “90+” actually refers to an American specialty coffee trading brand—Ninety Plus Coffee. This brand specializes in offering green coffee beans with cupping scores of 90 points or above, a highly stringent standard that is almost equivalent to achieving near-perfect scores in professional cupping systems. The 90+ series currently includes thirteen distinct flavors, each representing an exploration of flavor excellence.
The name Candlestick (Drima Zede) means “the best path” or “the most ideal approach” in the local language. This coffee is a collaboration between 90+ and local producers in Sidamo. Through years of accumulated processing expertise, the finest and blemish-free coffee cherries are selected and undergo a lengthy, frequently turned sun-drying process to ensure the even infusion of pulp sugars into the seeds. This technique results in a high level of purity in the Candlestick’s flavor profile, along with delicate fruit aromas, subtle floral notes, and a mild oak-like lingering finish.
In terms of variety, like most Ethiopian coffees, Candlestick belongs to the so-called Heirloom variety. Due to the region’s extremely rich coffee gene pool, detailed varietal information is not publicly disclosed by authorities, so the market generally refers to it as Heirloom. Such beans often possess unique regional flavor characteristics but also increase the difficulty of identification and classification.
If we compare a certain coffee with another well-known sun-dried bean from the same region, several interesting differences can be observed. In appearance, the well-known coffee bean is usually shorter and rounder, with a yellowish hue; whereas this coffee bean is slender in shape, with a greener color and a slight gray tint. In cupping, both beans exhibit the distinctive fruity characteristics of Ethiopian sun-dried beans, but the well-known coffee bean presents a cleaner, more vibrant acidity with pronounced citrus notes and juice-like qualities, a sweetness reminiscent of sugarcane, and a finish that carries passion fruit and slight fermentation undertones.
In contrast, Candlestick offers a smoother mouthfeel with a well-balanced acidity and sweetness. Its flavor profile is anchored by nectarine and berry notes, with a hint of creamy texture. The tropical fruit aromas become even more pronounced as it cools, presenting an overall more layered fruit spectrum. This characteristic makes Candlestick not only suitable for hot brewing but also recommended for cold brew or iced drip to experience the captivating transformation of flavors between hot and cold.
In terms of brewing recommendations, both beans are well-suited to light to medium roasts to preserve their inherent fruity characteristics. For pour over, it is suggested to use a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, with water temperature controlled at around 90°C, and a filter such as the Hario V60 #01 to enhance aroma expression. In practice, a three-stage pouring method can be employed: start with a 30-second bloom using 30 grams of water, then pour in small circles up to 125 grams, wait for the bed to settle, and then continue pouring to a total of 225 grams, with the total extraction time kept around 2 minutes. These parameters help balance acidity and sweetness while highlighting delicate fruit and floral notes.
In summary, the 90+ Candlestick coffee beans from Ethiopia’s Sidamo region are not only an excellent choice for specialty coffee enthusiasts exploring high-quality sun-dried beans, but their unique processing technique and flavor expression also offer deeper insight into Ethiopia’s diverse potential as the birthplace of coffee. Whether you are a cupping enthusiast focused on flavor details or a barista seeking daily brewing inspiration, there is much to gain from this exceptional bean.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
