With specialty coffee, it can be easy to get confused looking at labels, packaging and information about the coffee. What is a Honey processed coffee? Why does the altitude at which the coffee was grown at matter? This guide will break down all the components of coffee information and help you decide what to look for when looking at coffee labels and packaging, and how that information can help you choose the perfect coffee. Lets look at one of our coffees, a Pepe Jijon Wave Natural Sidra as an example.
Producer: This connects you to the hands that produced your coffee. Coffee production is far more intricate, complex and artistic that most realize. Connecting you with that person honors them and the hard work they put into this coffee. Additionally, this mean this coffee has full traceability, allowing the roaster to know as much about the production of this coffee as possible, using that information to increase the quality of the final product.
Origin: Within the coffee industry the term terroir is used to describe the organic environment the coffee is grow in, I.e soil, climate, altitude. These factors all contribute to the coffees flavors. Generally speaking, the terroir of different origin countries develop characteristics those countries are known for. African coffees: berries and florals, Central American: citrus fruits and chocolate, South American: nuts, caramels & chocolates, Asian coffees: earthy herbs and spices. These are general guidelines and regional terroir, coffee variety and processing can alter these dramatically. Please see our guide to Coffee Origins "--------Insert Link---------".
Varietal: There are thousands of varieties of coffee, you don’t need to be familiar with them because only a few dozen are prevalent in specialty coffee. Understanding a few basic common specialty varieties can help you identify outstanding coffees. Overview of some of the most common specialty varieties:         Â
- Gesha: Mostly viewed as being the best and rarest coffee varietal. Known for vibrant florals and citrus fruits.                                         Â
- Bourbon: Parent of many sub-varieties. Known for brown sugar sweetness and fruity peach notes.
- Typica: Known for its spicy, nutty and chocolaty flavor profile.
- Caturra: Stemming from Bourbon as a genetic mutation, known for flavors of bright acidity with balanced chocolates.
This is just a generalization, as stated previously, terroir and processing can change these characteristics dramatically.
Processing: This is one of the most important factors in coffee flavor, primarily because of fermentation. All coffee is fermented and how micro bacteria interact with the coffee post harvest and how long they interact has a substantial impact on the coffees flavor. Its important to understand coffee anatomy first. coffee isnt a bean, its the seed of a fruit. So there are many layers to this fruit, seed, silver skin, parchment, mucilage, pulp and skin. The way the coffee is processed determines when and to what degree these layers are removed.
- Washed: (1) The cherries pulp is removed, (2) coffee seeds are left to ferment for 18-24 hours in a water tank where microorganisms in the seeds break down mucilage, (3) coffee is dried with various methods down to 10-12% moisture. Â
- Natural: (1) Coffee is left in cherry out to sun-dry on patios or raised beds for 3-6 weeks and raked regularly, (2) now the coffee is hulled where the coffee seed is removed from the cherry and shipped to roasters.
- Honey: Considered a hybrid between the washed and natural. (1) As with washed coffees cherries are de-pulped however, the de-pulping machine is set to leave varying layers of mucilage on the seed instead of completely removing it as in washed coffee. (2) Now the coffee is left out to dry like natural coffee with varying lengths of fermentation.
- Anaerobic Fermentation: "Anaerobic" meaning absence of oxygen. This coffee is is fermented typically in cherry, inside sealed & pressurized fermentation tanks. Because no oxygen is present during the fermentation process, the lack of oxygen changes the way acids, microorganisms and organic materials interact with each other creating power and unique flavors, typically fruity. After fermentation can be processed using the other three previous methods of coffee processing, washed, natural or honey.Â
Roast Level: This may sound self explanatory but there is so much variance between roasters that its worth noting that depending on your definition of light and dark this may vary from roaster to roaster. It may require a trial of their coffee to gauge where they fall on the roast spectrum. At Floreo we fall on the lightest end of the spectrum. Our medium roast is the darkest we do, and its a true medium, lacking the presence of any oils on the exterior surface of the bean.Â
Elevation: How does this impact your cup? Primarily, the higher the elevation the coffee is grown at, the more complex and bright the flavors will be. This is because, higher elevation equates to slower growth of the coffee plant and more concentrated level of sugars within the coffee. Floral, fruity and pleasant acidity are a byproduct of this slower maturation growing process. Â
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To fully enjoy your coffee, you need to know your coffee, how it was processed, the hard and tedious work put into by your farmer and roaster. And understanding what went into that coffee will additionally help you understand how to brew it. There are so many unique variates, cultivation techniques, processing methods and roasting methods. Understanding them will help you to better select your coffee and experiment with something new.Â