Sidra Coffee

Sidra’s pedigree is still a matter of trade lore rather than record. Roaster listings describe it as believed native to Ecuador and possibly an experimental cross developed by Nestle, and it is commonly sold as a Bourbon and Typica hybrid. More recent genetic testing, the same listing says, suggests samples are closer to Ethiopian landrace varietals, so the parentage you read on a bag may not survive further testing. It is also absent from most formal variety catalogs, which makes the cup, not the paperwork, the case for it.

The cup is a consistent one. A washed lot from Finca Cruz Loma in Pichincha scored 94 on pineapple, cocoa nib, bay leaf, tangerine, and lavender, while an anaerobic natural from the same farm reached 95 with roses, wisteria, nectarine, and sandalwood. Processing shifts the register more than the score: washing leans herbal and citric, fermentation pushes it toward perfumed florals.

The southern lots tell the same story in a different key. A natural from Loja that placed second in Ecuador’s 2018 Taza Dorada competition scored 93 on honeydew melon, orange zest, and clover blossom, with a satiny body. Across all three, body and acidity score a steady 9 while aroma and aftertaste vary the most, which is where individual farms and ferments seem to separate themselves.