Selecting Speciality coffee
Speciality coffees differ from one another for a variety of reasons, including the way in which they are grown, the area where they are grown, the altitude, the soil, even the way in which the farmer cares for his crop, for example whether the are organically grown etc.
Like fine wines, speciality coffees will vary from country to country, region to region, and year to year. The way the roaster treats the coffee to will also have a big impact on the final taste.
Arabica
Arabica coffee beans are the most sought after beans in the speciality market. They receive special care and attention throughout the process of growing, milling and roasting. Arabica coffee usually grows at high altitudes (above 3,000 feet). This type of bean provides us with the best tasting coffee.
Robusta
Robusta coffee is a cheaper variety of coffee which is grown below 3,000 feet altitude. It is also a poorer quality bean. Traditionally this has bean used to produce cheaper blends and is used to “cut” a blend containing arabica. Drunk on its own it tastes poor, with a slight taste of rubber. This is not to say we should dismiss robusta out of hand; many roasters use Robusta to perk up a blend. Indeed for the masters of the espresso the Italians this is a very common practice and used correctly it can add to the crema (crema is the silky froth on top on an espresso) and indeed the taste. But used incorrectly it can ruin a good coffee and spoil the taste in the cup.
What's in a Name?
The trend of late is to name a coffee after the farm or region it comes from A coffee will be sold not just as a Kenya AA for example (AA is simply the grade of the bean) but it will be named after the farm it has come from, or after something particular to the region where it is grown. This is important, as we have already noted that region, soil and altitude are important to the final taste. Naming the farm allows us to trace the history of the bean. The name can also give an insight to the process the coffee has gone through during milling and the variety of coffee plant it has come from.
There are also maragotype and peaberry coffees. Maragogype is a “giant bean” that is much larger in size than normal grade coffee. It is a commonly held view that this coffee can be more flavoursome and produce a better tasting brew. Peaberries are coffee cherries that have produced one rather than two beans. Peaberries are smaller and rounder than typical beans, and they too may have a more flavoursome taste.
Coffee Blends
A common practice is to blend coffees to produce a more complex taste than a single origin can provide on its own. A roaster will often have signature blends, normally at least one for espresso and one for the filter machine or french press. Has Bean has a selection of blends for every occasion. These blends use of the roaster’s knowledge to produce a more rounded cup to suit a specific purpose or occasion. Don’t be afraid to try blending yourself once you have an understanding of a region’s coffee. It can be very rewarding and an easy introduction to the world of speciality coffee.
Beware: blending can also be used to make a quality bean go further. An example of this can be found with Jamaican Blue Mountain. This is a very expensive coffee on its own, but blended with cheaper beans it can be sold for a lower price. Often the result is called something like “Jamaica Blue Mountain Blend”. “Kona Style” is another example of this approach. These should be avoided, as they rarely provide the drinker with a quality cup. They are not really speciality coffee. Has Bean only ever sells coffee that is 100% the produce of the origin in question, or we sell blends that do not borrow from the name of a famous or expensive coffee in order to add perceived cachet. This avoids confusion and allows the customer to have confidence in what they are buying.
The Roasting Process.
The roasting process has a massive bearing on the final quality of the cup. The highest quality coffee will taste poor if over- or under-roasted. Most coffee roasters when offering you a particular bean will tell you the degree of roast that they have employed or recommend. When roasting for one’s self it is best to follow the roaster’s guide as they again are using their knowledge of the bean to tell you how this bean is best presented.
Delicate coffees normally prefer a light to medium roast, so their flavours don’t get lost in an over-roasted taste. A more full-bodied coffee with strong flavours will be enhanced by a darker (“Full City” or perhaps even “Vienna”) roast. Don ‘t be afraid to try coffees that you think you wouldn’t normally like. Even though you like full bodied after dinner drinks, a delicate Kenyan or Costa Rican may open your eyes to a whole new world of coffee flavours.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the world of speciality coffee can be quite daunting for the newcomer. However by buying from a quality supplier like Has Bean and taking for the right advice from the many sources available via the Internet, it can be a very rewarding journey around the continents, experiencing the many and varied tastes that speciality coffee has to offer. The jargon and complexity used by some of the industry should
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