Espresso Blending Techniques
Roast
A pretty important part of good espresso blending. There are two schools of thought on whether to roast as a blend or separately. For the commercial roaster it is easier to post blend (and indeed the most popular) as this cuts down on waste. If he has already roasted some Columbian up for an order, it is easy to add the rest of this to the blend. The thinking behind this too is you can treat each bean as an individual.
However I prefer to pre blend and roast it as a whole. All I can tell you is my experience has shown me that I get the best results this way. You get a more even cup, the blend tastes as if it belongs together. You can get very anal about every part of the process of creating espresso, but I go with what works for me.
I agree or at least can relate to David Schomer on most things in his Espresso Coffee Professional Techniques book (which is a "must read" for the espresso enthusiast) but on roast type we definitely agree. David Schomer calls it a Northern Italian Roast. I call it medium/dark roast. It’s just at the point where the beans look like they want to shine with oils but don’t. A deep mahogany brown. If you take it any further you get a bitter cup which contrary to what Starbucks are trying to tell us is not what good espresso is about. If you must vary the above roast then go a little lighter, but avoid the charcoal blend.
So come on then, give us your recipe!
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.
As a commercial Roaster I stopped stocking Yirgacheffe for a whole year. This was due to (in my opinion, not the industries) a poor Yirg crop that lacked the vibrancy I associate with it. I went to Sidamo (not bad, certainly better that 2002 crop Yirgacheffe), Djimma (a real mistake - it was a good cup, but the bean grade was very poor which meant 20 minutes before roasting were spent fishing out the pebbles). However nothing gives my espresso the lift it needs like a good Yirgacheffe. So now it’s back, its good and it’s in most of my blends for sure. It gives the cup citrus bursts and combines with the other smoother beans to balance the cup.
Ethiopian Longberry Harar
I’m a convert. For years I have refused to stock this bean. Why? Well I put it down to a bad experience and listening to others in the trade. I cupped this way back at the very start of Has Bean online. It was the most rancid cup of coffee I have ever drunk. It was acidic to the max and worse than some robustas I’d tried. So I stayed away, until 2 months or so ago. When I cupped it I decided to buy some there and then. A great addition to a blend, but only in small amounts; it adds some flavour but avoids overpowering your blend. It has a very distinctive taste similar to that of Yemen coffees.
Brazil Bourbon Fazenda Cachoeira.
Until only less than 12 months ago the best Brazilian I stocked was a generic Santos. Brazil’s coffee is boring (so I thought), flat and dull so why bother trying to find a single estate that’s going to taste the same as cheap old Santos? Well that was what I thought until I was convinced by a very good friend to try some of this. This sweet smooth little number is perfect in any espresso blend, and has definitely improved my blends beyond any other factor.
Columbian La Manuela
Smooth again but without fresh sweetness of F. Cachoeira. It has a more silky sweetness and gives the cup more body. A substantial bean that sits well in the blend.
Brazil Santa Terazina
Its smooth subtlety calms down an over-sweet blend and can add substance to one where otherwise you would have "citrus over kill". This is also great when you have a blend that you think is "there" but when in fact there is too much going on in the cup. A "calmer".
Bolivian Organic
A great bean that gives chocolate hints to the blend and roasts like a dream. Its a great quality bean that adds to any blend. This is what it's all about
ROBUSTA !!!!!!
I don’t care what any one says to me, I’ve never tasted a better espresso blend than one with Robusta. Now small amounts (less than 10%) are rules of thumb, and its got to be good quality robusta (there is some out there. In fact I’ve tasted robustas better than some arabica beans I’ve been sent). Don’t be a snob, it adds a little caffeine kick to a blend, and it gives you great crema and balances out the cup. I have blends without robusta in them that are great, but none are better than those blends which do contain Robusta. Don’t let pre-conceptions stop you trying this; with amounts as low as 10% you can’t even taste it, but it gives the cup so much more.
Conclusion
This is a brief guide to espresso blending and roasting. I could write a book with recipes and alike in, but I’m wondering how many of you are still awake reading a few pages. It’s all about opinions and taste and of course: mine are right and if you disagree you’re wrong, unless of course you become a customer and then it’s "Sorry sir/madam I am a fool".
For me the blend is the most important part of good espresso. I can get around a useless machine or no tamp, and I can go buy some bottled water. I can buy a stove-top moka pot for just over a tenner and I’ve used some unusual tamps in the past. But if the blend is bad: well, you can’t make a doppio out of a sow’s ear!
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