Coffee A Journey Through Time

Coffee A Journey Through Time 1

COFFEE A Journey Through Time

Coffea Arabica Coffee Beans

Although many varietals of Coffea Arabica exist, C. arabica varietal Arabica (includes var. typica) and C. arabica
var. bourbon (named from the island of Bourbon where it was first cultivated) are considered to be the first coffee
varietals. Other varietals are believed to be a product of these two cultivars.
Production and resistance generally governs the types of coffee beans that a farm will choose to plant. Coffee
quality is a secondary factor most of the time.

Coffee Bean Types

Typica - This is the base from which many coffee varietals have been developed. Like the other Coffea Arabica
varietals that have been developed from it, Typica coffee plants have a conical shape with a main vertical trunk and
secondary verticals that grow at a slight slant. Typica is a tall plant reaching 3.5-4 m in height. The lateral branches
form 50-70° angles with the vertical stem. Typica coffee has a very low production, but has an excellent cup quality.
Bourbon - Bourbon coffee plants produce 20-30% more coffee than Typica, but have a smaller harvest than less
most coffee varietals. Bourbon has less of a conical shape than Typica coffee plants, but has more secondary
branches. The angles between the secondary branches and the main stem are smaller, and the branch points on the
main stem are closely spaced. The leaves are broad and wavy on the edges. The fruit is relatively small and dense.
The cherries mature quickly and are at a risk of falling off during high winds or rains. The best results for Bourbon
coffee are realized between 3,500-6,500 feet. Cup quality is excellent and similar to Typica.

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Caturra - Caturra is a mutation of Coffee Bourbon discovered in Brazil. It is a mutation with high production and
good quality, but requires extensive care and fertilization. It is short with a thick core and has many secondary
branches. It has large leaves with wavy borders similar to Coffee Bourbon.It adapts well to almost any
environment, but does best between 1,500-5,500 feet with annual precipitation between 2,500-3,500 mm. At
higher altitudes quality increases, but production decreases.

Catuai - Catuai is a high yielding coffee plant resulting from a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra. The plant
is relatively short, and the lateral branches form close angles with the primary branches. The fruit does not fall off
the branch easily, which is favorable with areas with strong winds or rain. Catuai also needs sufficient fertilization
and care.

Pache comum - Pache comum is a mutation of Typica coffee first observed on the farm El Brito, Santa Cruz
Naranjo, Santa Rosa, Guatemala. Many consider the cup to be smooth or flat. This coffee varietal adapts well
between 3,500-5,500 feet.

Pache colis - Pache colis was found in Mataquescuintla, Guatemala in a farm consisting of Caturra and Pache
comum. The coffee fruits are very large and the leaves are roughly textured. Pache colis provides some resistance
to phoma. It has secondary and tertiary branching, and typically grows to 0.8-1.25 m. It adapts well to altitudes of
3,000-6,000 feet withtemperatures between 20-21°C.

Catimor - Catimor is a cross between Timor coffee (resistant to rust) and Caturra coffee. It was created in
Portugal in 1959. Maturation is early and production is very high with yields equal to or greater than the yield of
other commercial coffee varietals. For this reason the method of fertilization and shade must be monitored very
closely. The Catimor T-8667 descendants are relatively small in stature, but have large coffee fruits and seeds. The
Catimor line T-5269 is strong and adapts well to lower regions between 2,000-3,000 feet with annual rainfall over
3,000 mm. T-5175 is very productive and robust, but can have problems at either very high or very low altitudes. At
low altitudes there is almost no difference in cup quality between Catimor and the other commercial coffee
varietals, but at elevations greater than 4,000 feet Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai have a better cup quality.

Kent - Kent is used for its high yield and resistance to coffee rust.

Mundo Novo - Natural hybrid between Typica coffee and Bourbon coffee. The plant was first found in Brazil.
The plant is strong and resistant to disease. Mundo Novo has a high production, but matures slightly later than
other kinds of coffee. It does well between 3,500-5,500 feet with an annual rainfall of 1,200-1,800 mm.

Maragogype - This coffee varietal is a mutation of Typica coffee and was discovered in Brazil. The Maragogype
coffee plant is large and is taller than either Bourbon or Typica. Production is low, but the seeds are very large.
Maragogype adapts best between 2,000-2,500 feet. The cup characteristicsare highly appreciated in certain coffee
markets.

Amarello - This coffee varietal, as its name indicates, produces a yellow fruit. It is not widely planted.

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Blue mountain - Blue mountain is a famous coffee varietal favored for its resistance to the coffee berry disease and
ability to thrive in high altitudes. It was first grown in Jamaica and is now grown in Kona, Hawaii. Blue mountain
coffee, however, cannot adapt to all climates and maintain its high quality flavor profile.

Arabica

Arabica coffee is considered superior to Robusta coffee for several reasons. It has a much more delicate, rounded
flavor than Robusta and many other varieties of coffee. Although there are many types of Arabica coffee available
from many different parts of the world (each exhibiting its own terroir), Arabica coffee beans can generally be
described as sweet and soft, with notes of berries, other fruits and sugar.

Many have a "winey" note (akin to a bold red wine, with plenty of acid and tannins). Some are sharp and tangy,
while some have a distinctive blueberry note after roasting, and some are floral, light and highly fragrant.

Arabica coffee is generally much more expensive than Robusta coffee because it is harder and costlier to grow, it
produces a lower yield and it is in higher demand. Many of the world's more expensive coffee blends are produced
with only Arabica blends, while cheaper coffee blends tend to contain more Robusta. Whereas most specialty
coffees will be Arabica-only, Robusta is more likely to be found in instant coffees.

To create a truly great cup of coffee or shot of espresso you need two things: high quality equipment and high
quality coffee beans. The type of bean you use combined with your chosen equipment is the determining factor to
the taste, flavor, and satisfaction you get out of your cup of coffee or shot of espresso. We know that the key to
getting the most out of your coffee brewing equipment is buying the coffee beans that fit your palate. Maybe you
are a little unclear when it comes to dark roasts, light roasts, Kenyan or Sumatran.

No worries, my friend, we will explain it all and have you picking out the flavor nuances in your daily brew in no
time!

There are 3 keys to unlocking the flavor of your chosen bean: first is knowing what type of bean species you are
purchasing, second is understanding your beans origins and its effect on flavor, and third is learning about the
different roasts and their effects on the overall taste of your brew.

First thing to know about coffee beans is that there are two of them. What I mean by this is that there are two
distinct species of coffee beans:

Arabica and Robusta. These two bean varieties are harvested differently, used differently, and taste
differently. Where Robusta beans are more function over style, Arabica beans are all about style and substance.
Knowing the differences between the two beans, will help you purchase coffee beans whose characteristics meet
your taste expectations.

Arabica vs Robusta

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In general, Arabica coffee beans are grown at high altitudes, cultivated with the care that a vintner may show his
grapes. They carry twice the number of chromosomes that a Robusta bean carries and tend to even look different
before roasting. Where Robusta beans are pale green with a brown tint, Arabica beans are deep green and slightly
larger in size to boot.

While Robusta beans are definitely the hardier crop, Arabica beans produce a much superior brew whose flavors
will be milder, more aromatic, and overall less bitter than those produced by Robusta beans. This is what makes
Arabica blends richer in every sense of the word.

As I said earlier, Robusta beans are really all about function. Since they are a hearty and economical crop, the beans
they produce are oftentimes used for blends. Sometimes the combination of Arabica and Robusta is just right for
lighter roasts. Like those who grow up in The Bronx may find themselves with a distinct accent the rest of their lives,
where a coffee bean "grows up" will determine their flavor characteristics upon brewing no matter how darkly they
are roasted or how they are brewed. Generally there are 3 world regions were the finest coffee beans originate and
each region produces coffee with unique and distinct flavors.

Region 1: Latin America

You can expect beans originating from Central and South America, the Caribbean, Columbia, Costa Rica, Panama,
and Mexico to posses the following flavor characteristics:

Light body, sweet, balanced and with high acidity to preserve the brightness and downplay bitterness, these
beans should have a mild to medium roast. Beans from Latin America are easily enjoyed with all breakfast foods,
toasts, and muffins

Region 2: Africa/Arabia

Coffee Beans grown on the continent of Africa, in the middle-east, and Arabia regions tend towards the below
flavors: Medium body and acidity with an almost syrupy feel. Recommended roast for coffee from this region is
dark, to balance the complex flavors that can range from spicy to chocolaty, from wine-like to citrus-like. Enjoy
beans from Region 2 with milk chocolate or cheese tarts

Region 3: Indonesia and the Pacific Island Region

Beans from Asia, Indonesia, and surrounding Pacific Islands will have the following flavor characteristics:

Heavy body with low acidity. Hearty and earthy flavors

This robust blend should be roasted dark to very dark for a hearty brew that preserves the beans smooth and
flowery undertones

Brews of Region 3 beans are truly enjoyable with dark chocolate, caramel, and other rich deserts. Or enjoy a cup on
its own; after all, it is an independent brew!

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Familiarizing yourself with the different types of roasts and their characteristics is the fastest and easiest way to
predict the flavor of the coffee beans you are about to brew. Along with the bean species and bean origin, the roast
is heavily responsible for determining the aroma, acidity, body, and flavor of your chosen bean. Familiarize yourself
with the following Roasting Rules, and you will be on your way to becoming a true coffee connoisseur!

Rule 1: Light Roasts = light brown cinnamon color with low body and low acidity (usually low in flavor too)

Rule 2: Medium Roasts = medium brown color with medium acidity and increases body

Rule 3: Dark Roasts = Deep brownish/black color with oil. Flavor may decrease while body increases

Rule 4: Dark roasts do not produce a stronger cup, but rather produce a more consistent cup.

Rule 5: Any type of bean from any region can be roasted light, medium, or dark.

The roast you choose, will depend on both the flavors or the feel of the coffee you prefer and what kind of coffee
you are brewing. For example, dark roasts work very well with espresso. Within the general light, medium, and dark
categories there are sub-categories of roasting and the roast type is usually associated with the region. So who ever
thought each little coffee bean could be so complicated? Hopefully this brief introduction clarified a few things
about coffee for you and helped you understand what the terminology of the bean means or more importantly how
it effects your cup of coffee. After all, the goal has been and always will be delicious home brewed coffee and
espresso. Understanding all you can about your coffee beans is one of the most important keys to succeeding in
your coffee quest.

Blending Basics

Blending is done for several reasons. Presumably, the goal is to make a coffee that is higher in cup quality than any
of the ingredients individually. But high quality arabica coffee should be able to stand alone; it should have good
clean flavor, good aromatics, body and aftertaste. So one reason coffees are blended in the commercial world
might be the use of lowerquality coffee in the blend. Another reason might be to create a proprietary or signature
blend that leads consumers to equate a particular coffee profile with a particular brand image; consumers don't
often call Starbucks by the origin names used in the coffee but simply as "a cup of Starbucks" as if the dark carbony
roast tastes were somehow exclusive to that brand. Coffees are also blended to attain consistency from month to
month and crop year to year. This is done with major brands that do not want to be dependent on any specific
origin flavor so they can source coffee from various (or the least expensive) sources and attain a consistent flavor.
Such blends generally reduce all the coffees included to the lowest common denominator. But let's put aside the
less-than-noble reasons that coffee is blended and focus on details that concern the quality-oriented roaster. Before
blending any high-quality coffees you should know the flavors of the individual coffees and have some goal for an
ideal cup that cannot be attained by a single origin or single degree of roast. It would be a shame to blend a
fantastic Estate coffee ...after all, you are supposedly trying to attain a cup that exceeds the components and it's
not likely you can do this with top coffees. Given that you have both a reason to a blend and a logical process for
doing it, there will be little need for more than say 5 coffees in the blend. Blends with more than 5 coffees I consider
fanciful, or indulgent.

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Blending Before or After Roasting

The case for roasting coffees individually is strong with the Melange type blend (see below) and with a handful of
particular coffees, such as Robusta on Monsooned coffees in espresso blends. Some coffees are more dense, or
have extreme size variations; these will roast differently than standard wet-processed arabicas. All dry-processed
arabicas require roasting to a slightly higher temperature. If you have an established blend it certainly is easier to
blend the coffee green and roast it together. If you are experimenting with blend ingredients and percentages you
will want to pre-roast each separately so you can experiment with variations. But in most cases the coffees can be
roasted together and I would advise this: roast the coffee together until you encounter a situation where the results
are disappointing and for success you must roast them separately. Every coffee roasts a bit differently but there is a
great deal of averaging that occurs between coffees in the roast chamber, especially in drum roast systems. And
then there's the coffees that do not roast evenly as single origins either: Yemeni, Ethiopian DP coffees, etc. Uneven
roast color is not a defect, and only when it occurs in a wet-processed arabica that should roast to an even color
(and sometimes not even in this case) is it of any consequence.

Blending for Filter-Drip Brewing: the Melange

One of the most compelling reasons to blend coffee is the Melange, a blend of coffees roasted to different degrees.
A good reason for a Melange may be perhaps that you want the carbony flavors of a dark roast but also want the
acidy snap of a lighter roasted Kenya or Central American coffee.

Here's an idea for a blend that has dark roast flavors, good body, and an acidy snap to it:

40% Colombian, Nicaraguan or Brazilian roasted Full City to preserve body

30% Mexican (or other mild Central American) roasted French for sharp, carbony flavors

30% Kenya Estate roasted City for bright acidy snap (var. bright Costa Rican or other Central American)

If you want a Melange that has good body, good bittersweet flavors, but still has acidity, without the carbony
flavors:

60% Colombian roasted Full City

40% Kenya or bright Central American roasted City

With a really good Central American that has nice balance, acidity and body, you can even blend two roasts of the
same coffee with each other:

60% Colombian or Nicaraguan roasted Full City +

40% of the same coffee roasted City, just past the finish of first crack.

I have found that our association trade show is a great place to taste popular blends that are showcased by bigger
roasters (they pay to serve their coffee between seminars) and taste what some roasters consider as benchmark
quality blends. At the 1998 SCAA trade show in Philadelphia it was amazing how many Melange blends feature

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30%-40% Kenya for acidy snap. It's an easy way to create dimension in the cup, and highlight acidity against the
depth of bittersweet roast tastes and better mouthfeel (body) than Kenyas normally exhibit.

Blending for Filter-Drip Brewing: the Mokha-Java Blend

It is provocative to contemplate the fact that blending is as old as domesticated coffee production itself. The full
body, low-toned Java from Dutch estates was combined with the medium-bodied, enzymatic (floral-fruity), more
acidic Mokha coffees from day one it seems. Was it only done by habit? Or was it done to improve taste, the fact
that the two complimented each other and resulted in a more complex cup than either provided by itself? With the
crude roasting and brewing devices of the time, isn't it amazing that they could taste the improved complexity of
the Mokha-Java blend!

Mocha-Java can be interpreted literally, with Yemen Mokha and estate Java as the constituents. Or, as is usually
the case, it is a blend of some Indonesian coffee (Sumatra or Sulawesi) with either a (dry-processed) Ethiopian or
Yemeni coffee. They are commonly blended in equal parts 50-50, or with a little bias like 40-45 African, 60-55
Indonesian. Harar (or other Dry Processed Ethiopian) 50%, Java 50% brought to a City Roast: Excellent delicate
version of the Mokha-Java blend, with a wonderful floral aroma, fruity acidity, and a medium-full body. Java is the
cleanest Indonesian coffee typically, and the most nuanced. This is a superbly complex cup, that alternates between
its low tones and the fragrant high notes.

Harar (or other Dry Processed Ethiopian) 50%, Sumatra 50% brought to a deep Full City roast: A more aggressive
Mokha-Java, with a deeper, fuller body, and more earthiness in the bass notes. The roast's bittersweet adds to the
complexity, and reduces the lovely Harar acidity somewhat. Harar (or other Dry Processed Ethiopian) 50%, Sulawesi
Toraja 50% : The cleaner taste of the Sulawesi vs. The more aggressive Mandheling results in a better, more
focused blend. Sulawesi provides a better backdrop to the Harar's enzymatic flowery aromatics. Yemen 25%,
Sulawesi Toraja 75%: By far the best Mokha-Java blend, the Mattari is a great coffee to use almost as a spice ...it is
so powerful that straight roasts of it can be a little "too much" for me. The Sulawesi provides a syrupy body and
deep tones, the Yemen just sits atop that and adds berry-like fruitiness and intense aromatics. Ethiopian Djimma
15%/Harar 35% (basically two dry-processed Ethiopians blended), Sumatra 50%: Less acidy and bright and more
chocolate and earth. It swings the blend in that direction...

In early 2009 we retired our Puro Scuro blend - and short of giving away the recipe - the Puro Scuro was essentially
a modified Mocha Java blend. Follow the comments above for the Harar/Sumatra approach to Mocha Java.

Espresso Blends

Traditionally, most espresso blends are based on one or several high quality Brazil arabicas, some washed, some
dry processed (or pulped natural). African coffees are added for winey acidity or enzymatic flowery /fruitiness, or a
high grown Central American for a cleaner acidity. The past few years have seen a shift in the approach to espresso
blends and even espresso roasts, with brighter coffees and lighter roasts. The Espresso Workshop blends reflect this
new thinking (more on this below).

Dry processed coffees are responsible for the attractive crema on the cup (crema is a result of other mechanical
factors in the extraction process as well). Wet-processed Central Americans add positive aromatic qualities.

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Robustas, or coffea canephora, are used in some blends to increase body, produce crema and add a particular bite
to the cup. The notion that true "continental"espresso blends have Robusta is nonsense! In fact the coffee samples
from small Italian roasters I have (in green form) appear to be very mild, sweet blends with about 40% Brazil Dry-
process, 40% Colombian and 20%+ Centrals, like Guatemalan. For bite and earthiness you can use a DP Ethiopian
like Sidamo or Djimma. It's fun to play with Robusta but I personally don't like it too much beyond experimentation.
A Colombian-based espresso blend offers a sharper, sweeter flavor but won't result in as much crema production.
You can blend by the seat of your pants (not recommended) or make your process of establishing the coffees and
the percentages logical. Start by developing the base, the backdrop in terms of flavor and a coffee that provides the
kind of body, roast flavor and crema you like. I suggest Brazils, although Colombian or Mexican are viable options.
Practice roasting this base coffee to different degrees, and pulling straight shots of espresso. Get familiar with this
cup and imagine what you would like to improve in it (if you find it just fine as is, then you have no need to
continue!)

Do you want it to be sharper and sweeter, with more aromatics? Perhaps you will want to add Central American
coffees. Watch out with percentages above 25%, particularly if you like a lighter espresso roast. You will be losing
some crema and body.

Do you want more body and sweetness? Use a clean Indonesian like a Sulawesi or a premium Sumatra. You will be
losing some sharpness. You can go up to 50% with one of these ...heck, they are nice at 100%!

Do you want an earthy aggressive bite and more pungency? Try a dry-processed Ethiopian. Harar is brighter and
more aromatic with fruitiness and ferment. Sidamo has great pungency in the darker roasts, fruitier in the lighter
roasts. Djimma is not so fruity and less bright but adds earthiness. These produce great crema. I often enjoy
straight shots of these coffees, but keep it to 25% or so in most blends.

Do you want spicy pungency? Try a Yemeni coffee. These add ferment too, and great crema. I keep this to 50% or
less (normally 25% or so) in blends.

Do you want extreme bite? Try an Aged coffee, a Monsooned coffee or Robusta. Aged and Monsooned coffees add
certain funky tastes that you will love, or perhaps hate. Give them a try to find out. Robusta --- I would not go there
unless you have too. I personally do not like the added caffeine they bring. They increase crema, but you also need
to keep them below 20% in the blend, I personally never go above 15% with them. The Monsooned Robusta can get
up to 25% it seems...

Workshop limited edition blends. I liked Classic Italian blend, but don't get excited about it the way I do

about the new blends. After all, it's a rather didactic premise; to demonstrate what Italian espresso would be like if
it was local and freshly roasted. But espresso has changed a lot in the last 5 years, and there are new flavor models
for great espresso rather than constantly referring to Italian types. Anyway, this is a very simple blend, as it should
be. It is dominated by Brazilian coffee. We chose 50% of a clean dry-process coffee (not fruity, not a Poco Fundo
type natural) and 50% of a pulp natural (avoiding ones with too much acidity, like our fine Carmo de Minas
coffees). Then there is a Central America component to add structure and some articulation; we greatly prefer a
balanced El Salvador coffee of Bourbon cultivar here, such as the Matalapa Estate. Again, avoid acidity and chose a
coffee that is balanced. There are balanced Guatemalas that work well too. Finally, there is the Robusta! It MUST

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be a clean washed type robusta that cups well on it's own. These are NOT easy to find, and are often more
expensive than arabicas. We relied on India parchment robustas for this.

The recipe:

70% Brazil (a blend of a clean dry-processed coffee and a pulped natural one)
15% Central America (El Salvador bourbon or balanced Guatemala for instance)
15% Robusta (clean, washed)

There you have it, the "Open Source" code for Classic Italian. Not that complicated, eh? Well, it comes down to a lot
of work selecting the right coffees to optimize the cup quality and maintain consistency. That is the hard part my
friends. If you want to build this blend yourself, just avoid sharp acidic coffees, avoid fruity coffees, and look for
restrained, balanced flavor profiles. It will turn out well if you do ... –

More Blend Recipes:

What coffees won't I use in espresso? A lot of this is changing too and sometimes now it seems that anything goes;
people are using just about every origin either in espresso blends or as single origin (SO) espresso. Now it is not
uncommon to see Hawaiian Kona as SO espresso, and a few years ago a competitor won the World Barista
Championship with a SO Kenya.

There's a lot of ways to achieve great espresso. It's fun to experiment and I don't know if there is some terminal
point where you achieve the perfect trans-subjective espresso. These recommendations reflect my biases, of course.
For benchmarks, I would recommend you try our Sweet Maria's Espresso Monkey Blend to see what you think. It
will definitely give you a basis for comparison; it is a straight-forward sweet espresso blend. The Malabar Gold
blend is a exotic pre-blended espresso, and if that's what you like, you might want to look into Aged coffees and
Robustas for your own blends, and obviously you would want to be using Indian Monsooned Malabar. The Moka
Kadir is a very fruity-winey North African and Yemen blend. So these three span the gamut of blends and can give
you a good idea what direction to take with your own blend. Many people also buy my Espresso Monkey blend and
modify it by, for example, adding 15% robusta or adding 25% Aged coffee.

Here's a great starter blend for a sweeter, cleaner espresso. The absence of North African or Yemeni coffee takes
out a little bite from the cup and possibly some lurking fruity ferment flavor. This is, as noted above, a sweet blend
used at a street level roasterie/caffe in Rome. They use a Guatemala Antigua for the Central:

50% Brazil Dry-process
25% Colombian Wet-process
25% Guatemala or other brighter Central American

I don't think Colombians really pull their weight in a blend (though many people use them as a base or part of their
blends), and like using some Sumatra better:

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50% Brazil Dry-process
25% Guatemala or other bright Central American
25% Sumatra -Premium like Triple-Pick, Lintong ...,

Some sharp sweetness (Central American) hides behind the nutty Brazil flavors and the wonderful Yemeni
aromatics. Mandheling adds body and depth. Yemeni coffees are fun for espresso blends, where they can be used
like spice to give zest to aromatically or enzymatically flat blends. Roast to Agtron 40 to 35. Good crema production
from this blend due to the many dry-processed coffees

40% Brazil Dry-process
20% Panama or other bright Central American
20% Yemen
20% Sumatra Mandheling

Ah, too sweet, too boring. You want something more aggressive, chocolatey? Drop the Centrals:

50% Brazil Dry-process
25% Ethiopian Sidamo or Yemen
25% Sumatra Mandheling Dry-Process

You can certainly keep going along this route by adding other coffees (monsooned, aged, robusta) to discover what
they add and what they subtract from the blend.

For an potent Indian Monsooned-type blend you could do something like this:

60% Indian Monsooned Malabar -this high percentage will cup very musty
20% High Quality Robusta: Wet-processed Indonesian or Indian
20% Wet-processed Arabica, for aroma and balance: perhaps Indian, Timor, Java or Sulawesi.

For an potent Aged coffee blend you could do something like this:

40% Aged Sumatra
30% Sumatra, or Sulawesi
30% Guatemala or other bright Central American for aroma and balance

Decaf Espresso? Low-caffeine espresso? It is good to use the same regions in decaf form if possible - we do try to
stock Brazil decaf for this reason (when possible). Use this as 50% of your blend to cut the caffeine in half, then add
your main "character" coffees as usual. Decaf Ethiopian is excellent in espresso. Try 50% Sumatra Decaf and 50%
Ethiopian Decaf for a fantastic decaf espresso blend! If you wanted an all-decaf blend I would do one of these:

50% Brazil Decaf
50% Sumatra Decaf

Or this:

50% Brazil Decaf

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25% Mexican or other Central American Decaf
25% Sumatra Decaf

For a half and half blend - just make one part decaf and the rest regular. Decaf coffees can lack some of the
potency of their regular counterparts - so you may need to make adjustments to compensate. We also offer our
own Sweet Maria's Decaf Espresso Blend ready to roast. A New Approach to Blends (from January-February 2009
Tiny Joy) Something has been bugging me for a long time, something about the way we do things here.

It comes down to this; we hammer on the point over and over that "coffee is a crop, not a can of pop", that it is
variable, that each producing region has a peak harvest time, which is variable, that quality is ... you guessed it, ...
variable, and that small lots come and go, so it's not like a can of pop on the shelf, always there and unchanging ...
availability is variable. Besides being one of the worst run-on sentences ever, you get my point. And we treat each
and every lot we offer as a singular moment in this undulating and variable flow of coffee production. So, why have
we made one great exception to this approach? Why have we maintained espresso blends that do not vary, that
are always on the shelf, modifying their ingredients as the crop cycle rotates along? Good question. Part of it can be
chalked up to "received wisdom." Everyone else does it, they always have. It's not a great answer.

To rewind and explain the logic of invariable blend offerings, I do feel that we have taken the best possible
approach. If you kept the same blend ingredients year round, if you bought a year's supply of each lot for a blend,
the cup quality would suffer. As the coffees age, baggy flavors would emerge. Coffee does not last that long, and
we are very sensitive about the age of our green coffee. We know that once we sell it, someone may have it for 6
months, or even a year, before roasting it. If we haven't vacuum packed or "cellared" it here in our Grainpro bags,
we make sure we sell it rapidly. So, the alternative is to be consistently changing the blend, using newer arrivals
that are good subsititutes. That means the blend is never exactly what you intended ... Instead one maintains the
"spirit of the blend," its flavor theme, using new coffees to express that spirit. In this way, the blend is the best it
can be, and is always high quality. Still, it is never precisely the blend you intended. And these flavor themes can get
old, unexciting, rote to the palate. After a lot of consideration I have decided to take two approaches
simultaneously. I decided to change our blend offerings into Standards, blends with the same name we maintain
and are consistently offered, and new Espresso Workshop editions. The latter are blends that are only offered for as
long as we have the specific lots of coffee we used to design the blend, and then it's gone. It's a coffee-centric idea,
and allows for the exploration of newer espresso styles. In a sense, Espresso Workshop editions are pure and
uncompromising: specific coffees are found that inspire testing, and a new blend idea is born. Instead of
maintaining the blend and making ingredient substitutions down the line, the Workshop editions follow the crop
cycle of the coffee; they come and go. The current Espresso Workshop and Standard blends are both listed on the
current offerings and the discontinued the Classic Italian and Puro Scuro blends which are now listed in the review
archive. (Notes on how to mix these blends yourself appear above)

Coffee Aroma

Aroma is the smell of freshly-brewed coffee.

Coffee’s Volatile Components and their Effect on Aroma

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A coffee’s aroma, which may range from herbal to fruity, is created by the coffee’s volatile components – vapors
and gases – which are released from the brewed coffee and then inhaled through the nose where they come in
contact with the olfactory membranes.

Primary Coffee Qualities

Aroma is one of the primary coffee qualities denoting a coffee’s flavor along with body, acidity, sweetness,
bitterness, and aftertaste. A coffee’s aroma is one of the main categories used by professional coffee tasters
(cuppers) to judge the quality of a coffee.

Coffee Aroma Descriptions

The aroma may be described as, for example, complex, smoky, nutty, herbal, or fruity. Many fine coffees reveal
subtle floral notes in the aroma – the notes are often best experienced at the moment the crust of grounds is
broken during a proper coffee cupping.
For example, Yemen Mocha coffee is known for its fresh floral aroma. Also known for nice floral notes are the finer
Kona coffees and the best Columbian coffees. A coffee’s freshness and its roast are important factors in preserving
and enhancing the coffee’s desirable floral aroma.

Coffee Aroma and its Relation to Coffee Taste and Acidity

A coffee’s aroma is also related to the coffee’s flavor and acidity. For example, if a coffee is very rich-flavored, then
the aroma will also reflect that richness, and if a coffee is acidic it will smell acidy. Some of the more subtle flavor
notes (e.g., high, fleeting notes) of a gourmet coffee appear most clearly in the aroma. Since human senses tend to
work in concert, the aroma may also affect the coffee flavor characteristics/taste sensations, which may be very
subtle.

The Nose, or Bouquet of Coffee

A coffee’s aroma is also referred to as its Bouquet or Nose, and is distinguished from a coffee’s fragrance, which in
gourmet coffee terms refers to the smell created by the coffee’s vapors and gases – the volatile organic compounds
– which are released from the coffee beans during grinding and then inhaled as aromatic compounds through the
nose, contacting the nasal membrane.

Coffee Beans

Where Does the Coffee Bean Come From?

A coffee bean comes from the center of the coffee plant’s cherry (fruit), and is the seed of the plant.

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Beneath the coffee cherry’s outer skin is the fruity pulp, beneath which is the silverskin, a fine, extremely thin layer
of skin that surrounds and adheres tightly to the coffee bean.

Coffee Harvesting and Processing – Dry and Wet Processing

After the coffee cherry is harvested, the coffee bean is processed by either dry processing, wet processing, pulped
natural processing, or semi-washed processing. Dry processing involves drying the coffee cherry (fruit) in the sun for
a period of time and then raking and turning the coffee cherry repeatedly until it is generally free of any dried fruit.
Wet processing is a method of getting the parchment off by first removing the pulp from the coffee bean in the
process called pulping. Then the mucilage is removed through fermentation and finally the beans are dried, either
in the sunlight or using forced-air drying.

Green Coffee Beans

Each method of coffee processing has its own taste and aroma implications, yet in both cases the end result is
green coffee beans with a moisture content of about 10.5%. After processing, and before the coffee beans are
roasted they are known as green coffee beans, though the color is typically more of a bluish-green.

Peaberry Coffee Beans

About 93 to 99% of all coffee cherry encase two half-beans. When there is just one whole coffee bean in the coffee
cherry it is known as peaberry. Valued for their robust flavor, peaberry are the rarest type of coffee beans and have
a higher density than non-peaberry coffee beans. Coffee brewed from peaberry is known to have a smooth
consistency and rich aroma.

Coffee Bean Varietals

Coffee plant varieties are derived either through natural selection or through selective breeding for specific genetic
traits, resulting in distinct genetic subspecies of the main coffee species (e.g., Arabica, Canephora, and Liberica).
Different varietals (cultivars) have distinct flavors, body (mouthfeel), and other basic coffee characteristics (e.g.,
acidity, sweetness/bitterness, and aftertaste/finish) as well as varying amounts of caffeine.
Variations in cultivars likely reflect the particular region where the coffee was grown, including its climate, soil, and
other regional factors (e.g. average amount of sunlight; altitude, etc.), and also how the coffee was harvested and
processed, producing distinctive characteristics.

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Coffee Chemistry: Coffee Aroma

Coffee aroma is responsible for all coffee flavor attributes other than the mouthfeel and sweet, salt, bitter, and sour
taste attributes that are perceived by the tongue. Therefore, it might be said that coffee aroma is the most
important attribute to specialty coffee. Even instant coffee has the components responsible for stimulation of our
taste buds. The difference, however, is that instant coffee lacks most of the aromatic volatile compounds causing a
dramatic decrease in the overall coffee flavor.

Perception of Coffee Aroma

Coffee aroma is perceived by two different mechanisms. It can either be sensed nasally via smelling the coffee
through the nose or retronasally. Retronasal perception occurs when the coffee is either present in the mouth or
has been swallowed and aromatic volatile compounds drift upward into the nasal passage. The number of aromatic
compounds found in coffee increases every year. Today the number is well over 800, and as our analytical methods
become more precise, more will be uncovered. Yet, the perception of coffee aroma is dependent upon both the
concentration of the compound and its odor threshold. With that said, understanding coffee aroma is not as
difficult as understanding how over 800 coffee elements interact with the olfactory epithelium. It is probable that a
relatively small group of compounds that share both a high concentration and a low odor threshold make up the
fragrance we know as coffee aroma. This article will discuss the recent research that has narrowed in on these
aroma impact compounds.

The following chemical processses that affect the development of volatile compounds in coffee:

1) Maillard or non-enzymatic browning reaction between nitrogen containing
substances, amino acids, proteins, as well as trigonelline, serotonine, and
carbohydrates, hydroxy-acids and phenols on the other.
2) Strecker degradation.
3) Degradation of individual amino acids, particularly, sulfur amino acids,
hydroxy amino acids, and proline.
4) Degradation of trigonelline.
5) Degradation of sugar.
6) Degradation of phenolic acids, particularly the quinic acid moiety.
7) Minor lipid degradation.
8) Interaction between intermediate decomposition products.

In a review article published by Clarke, he asserts that various research groups have identified 150 aliphatic
compounds including 56 carbonyl compounds ketones; 60 aromatic benzenoid compounds, including 16 phenols;

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300 heterocyclic compounds, including 74 furans, 10 hydrofurans, 37 pyrroles, 9 pyridines, 2 quinolines, 70
pyrazines, 10 quinoxalines, 3 indoles, 23 thiophens, 3 thiophenones, 28 thiazoles, and 28 oxazoles.

Table 1 shows the compounds that are likely to be the most influential in coffee aroma This data was compiled

from the work of both Grosch and Blank and is by no means exhaustive. It should be noted that the OAV alone does
not dictate which compounds are the most important compounds present in coffee, but rather suggests compounds
that are likely to have a large impact on the aroma of coffee. The furans are found to be the most predominant
group of compounds amongst the coffee aromatics. They typically have caramel-like odors since they result from
the pyrolysis of sugars. Shibamoto claims that furans produce key aroma notes when secondary reactions take
place with sulfur containing compounds.

Table 1. Important aromatic compounds in coffee as summarized by Grosch.

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These components contribute to the roasted, walnut, cereal, cracker, or toast-like flavors in
coffee. Along with thiazoles, the pyrazines have the lowest odor threshold and
therefore significantly contribute to the coffee aroma. Next, the pyrroles are
responsible for some of the sweet, caramel-like, and mushroom-like aromas in
coffee. Conversely, the thiophens are known to have a meaty aroma and are
thought to be produced from Maillard reactions between sulfur containing
amino acids and sugars. Thiazoles have an even smaller presence in the

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overall aroma and are said to be formed via sugar degradation.

Coffee tasting / cupping terms

Aroma – Though inherent in the bean, Aroma intensifies as the Roast reaches medium dark,
then tapers off to become a singular Roast note. There are two distinct points to note your
coffee's aroma: When the beans are just ground (known as Dry aroma) and when just
completing the brew (called Wet aroma or at Break).
Flavor / Taste – The variety of discernable tastes, such as chocolate, berry, citrus, caramel,
sweet, used in describing coffee. Some become more evident as the coffee cools. Be open
minded. Let your coffee roll around your mouth, front, back, and sides.
Body – The substance of a coffee, a sense of heaviness or thickness in your mouth. Sometimes
referred to as Mouth Feel.
Acidity – Does not specifically refer to the coffees pH level. Note however that fruit juice and
soft drinks are generally far more acidic than coffee.
Instead think of coffee with Good acidity as being bright or brisk (perhaps even refreshing) as
opposed to bland or flat. Acidity is affected by roasting and will noticeably decrease as coffee
reaches the darker roasts.
Finish – The final impression (includes aftertaste) the coffee imparts during or shortly after
swallowing. Considered good if; sweet, clean, and reminiscent of the coffee's flavors.

Characteristics associated with the Coffee Bean

Balance – No single characteristic or taste overpowers the others. The acidity of a coffee is
balanced by its sweetness, too much or too little of either is undesirable.
Clean – Ability to taste the fruit itself with little interference from its processing. Wet
processed coffees generally present cleaner profiles than Dry process coffees
Complexity – Ability to clearly identify numerous different tastes and sensations.
Earthy – Processing of the beans may include drying on the ground which imparts an earthy
sometimes mushroom or malty taste to the beans. Most evident in Indonesian coffees (Sumatra
Mandheling), when balanced by good acidity, heavy Body and sweetness, the earthy element
can be a pleasant part of an exceptional coffee.
Fruity – Can come naturally from the coffee or as a result of the processing.
Sweetness – Sweetness is very important in balancing acidity and smoothing the Finish of any
great coffee.

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Characteristics associated with Roasting

Bittersweet – A result of the roast, associated with dark roasts having caramelized the sugars
in the bean to the point of producing a Bittersweet taste
that overpowers or replaces the delicate flavors of the bean.

Bready or Baked – A roast taste that results when the beans are roasted, at too low a
temperature, over too much time, or not cooled to room temperature expediently.

Cupping Coffee

Cupping coffee is the process used by coffee Professionals to determine quality and describe
flavor characteristics of a coffee. Cupper's NOTES allow us to comparatively discuss the widely
varying characteristics of the coffees we love. The following section attempts to make clear
some of the terms you may see used to describe Specialty coffee at your local coffee shop and
on Specialty Green coffee websites like ours here.
Specific tastes and flavors mentioned in any Coffee description are based on the taster's
experience and impressions at the roast level (generally fairly light unless noted otherwise) and
time of cupping. You may not be able to distinctly taste all of the particular flavors mentioned
(this comes with practice), but you should be able use the descriptions of each coffee to easily
distinguish between them.

Cupping – Tasting and recording process carried out in a specific and repeatable manner.
Roast 2 Coffee samples to the same Roast Level at least 17gr each
Eight hours later prepare 4 large mouth cups about 6 fl oz each
Label cups (A, B, C…), for the 4 samples of 8 grams each
Grind medium course each 8 gram sample, clean grinder between each sample
Put each sample in a cup with a note under each cup to identify the sample
Smell aroma and record Dry aroma notes for each sample
Bring at least 24 fl oz filtered water to a boil, pour seconds after boil stops
Pour 5 fl oz water in each cup, identical volume of water in each cup quickly
Wait 4 minutes, have at least 1 glass of water and a soup spoon for each taster
Each Taster uses a spoon to push aside grounds now forming a crust on top
Put face near cup as you Break the crust, smell the Wet Aroma, breath it in
Write down your impression whatever it is, do the same for each sample
When the sample is cool enough to drink without burning you
Hold your soup spoon of coffee in front of your lips and forcefully slurp in

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The idea is to cover your tongue, sides, and back of mouth with coffee, taste all
Write impression down whatever it is, swallow or spit, rinse off your spoon,
Repeat this process for each sample, and again for each at equal time intervals
You should notice different tastes as the coffee cools.

Coffee Flavor

Components of Coffee Taste – What is a Well-Balanced Coffee?

A coffee’s flavor describes the overall and combined sensations/perceptions of the coffee’s distinctive aromatic and
taste characteristics, the fusion of body, acidity, aroma, bitterness, sweetness, and aftertaste. A well-balanced
coffee is one in which no single flavor characteristic dominates and/or overpowers/overwhelms the others.

Discerning the Finer Qualities of Coffee

The water-soluble taste and aromatic compounds of coffee are perceived primarily through smell (the olfactory
membranes) and taste buds (nerve endings on the tongue).
Coffee cuppers (professional coffee tasters) often distinguish the coffee’s taste (flavor) from its acidity, aroma, and
body, or describe the flavor as the quality that remains after those qualities are considered. More commonly the
flavor is inclusive of these qualities.

Coffee Taste Descriptions

Some general coffee flavor descriptions include complex (multi-flavored) and rich (describes a full-bodied coffee).
Some coffees have a flavor reminiscent of red wine and are referred to as winy. Other coffees have a fruity essence
that suggests berries or citrus.

Premium Coffee – Gourmet Coffee – Specialty Coffee

More great coffee information can be found in All About Coffee which covers all aspects of coffee from soil to sip
including the world’s top gourmet coffees.

Coffee History The Discovery of Coffee

The origins of the coffee plant, and the first human consumption of the plant’s berries including the coffee beans,
remains somewhat of a mystery.

The Oromo People of Abyssinia

Most historians agree that human coffee consumption first took place in the mountainous areas of Ethiopia, then
known as Abyssinia, likely among the region’s Oromo people.

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However, there is no direct evidence of anyone growing or using coffee before the 1600s, so the earlier dates that
follow are based upon indirect evidence.

Kaldi the Goat Herder

A story passed down through time, and which many believe to apocryphal since it did not appear in print until 1671,
involves the goat herder named Kaldi who lived in the countryside of the Kaffa region of southwestern Ethiopia in
the Horn of Africa.
When Kaldi discovered his goats were suddenly energized after eating some red berries, he then tried the coffee
berries himself and found them to have a very stimulating effect.
Soon some local monks were also trying the coffee berries and appreciated the ability to pray and meditate longer
after consuming the berries. The use of the coffee berries soon spread among other monasteries and began its trek
across the globe.
Significant amounts of coffee are grown in the region today, and many people consider the coffee plants of this
area to be the only truly native (indigenous) coffee trees.

The Galla Tribe of Ethiopia

There are also stories of Ethiopia’s Galla tribe who noticed the energy the felt after eating the berries which they
ground up along with animal fat.
The coffee was considered a food and was consumed by these Ethiopian tribesmen who crushed up the complete
ripe berry including the hulls and the beans, and then mixed it with animal fat and shaped into round food balls
that were carried on journeys for nutrition as well as stimulation.
The coffee berries were also placed in cold water and left to soak much like sun tea is made today.

Omar the Arabian Mystic

Yet another traditional legend describes a man named Omar who was an Arabian mystic whose enemies exiled him
to the desert. There he would have died of starvation were it not for consuming broth made from coffee berries he
found, thus saving his life. In the nearby town of Mocha they interpreted these events of Omar as a religious sign.

Coffee Packaging

Packaging coffee is the process of enclosing roasted coffee (whole bean or ground) to protect it from sunlight,
moisture, and oxygen, with the goal of preserving the coffee’s taste and aromatic characteristics, and also to
contain the coffee in controlled portions for ease of sale.

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Valve-Sealed Bags and Vacuum-Sealed Bags

Whole bean coffee or freshly-ground coffee is typically packaged in valve-sealed bags or vacuum-sealed bags,
instant coffee is often packaged in vacuumized sealed jars, cans, or other airtight packaging.

Vacuum-sealed bags are generally considered an inferior method of shipping freshly-roasted coffee beans because
carbon dioxide and other gases emit from coffee beans for several days after roasting (this is called degassing) and
if these gases are not allowed to escape they will harm the delicate flavors of the coffee.

Neither is it good to leave the coffee unpackaged after roasting because it will cause the coffee flavors to degrade
due to exposure to moisture, sunlight, and oxygen. Thus a valve-sealed bag, which allows gases to escape, is the
preferred method of shipping freshly-roasted coffee.

Pod Coffee Packaging

Pods are roasted, ground coffee that is self-contained, usually with perforated filter paper, and pre-pressed into a
puck shape that fits into a pod portafilter for brewing an espresso. Pods are often individually packaged to help
preserve each pod’s freshness.

Pros and Cons of Pod Coffee

The advantages of the pod system include faster and more convenient preparation of the espresso as well as less of
a mess, less waste, and a more consistent espresso taste.

Disadvantages of the pod system include a higher cost per serving, and also questions about quality as compared to freshly ground
and tamped coffee. Another problem is the waste associated with the extensive packaging (e.g., mylar film pouches used to
individually wrap each pod).

What is Coffee?

Coffee is a brewed beverage made from the roasted seeds, or “beans,” of the coffee plant.
The coffee plant is a shrub native to subtropical regions of Africa and Asia, although the plant is
now cultivated throughout Central and South America as well.
Once the berries of the coffee plant are harvested, the flesh is removed and discarded,
leaving only the seed. Prior to roasting the beans have a grey-green color and are referred
to as green coffee.
Because the beans are very shelf stable at this point, they are sold and shipped green.

Coffee Bean Varieties

Coffee beans vary in their size, shape, color and flavor depending on the region and
conditions in which they were grown. The range of unique flavors and aromas between
regional varietals is as expansive as the variety of wine available from different vineyards.

Types Of Coffee Roasts

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It is well worth experimenting with different varietals to discover a bean perfect for your
palate. Most regional varietals will also fall within two main categories, Robusta or Arabica.

Arabica: Arabica coffee is considered superior to Robusta because of its delicate flavor

and low acidity. This variety is grown at higher altitudes and can be more difficult and
costly to grow. These labor intensive, low yield plants produce a high demand bean that
sells for a higher price.

Robusta: Robusta coffee tends to have a more acidic and harsh flavor than Arabica as

well as higher levels of caffeine. Robusta can be grown at lower altitudes, in hotter
climates, and with less moisture.

Coffee Roasts
To prepare the green coffee bean for brewing, it must first be roasted. Coffee beans are
roasted with dry heat and with constant agitation to ensure even heating. The range of
roasts varies from light golden brown all the way to a dark, almost black appearance.
Varying the roasting time has a significant effect on the flavor, aroma, and color of the
brewed coffee.
Although there are several levels of roasting, they can be grouped into three main categories:
light, medium, and dark.

Caffeine and Decaffeination

Coffee is perhaps most prized for its caffeine content. The caffeine content in a cup of
coffee varies widely depending on the type of bean used and the brewing method. While
most of the caffeine is removed during the decaffeination process, trace amounts may still
remain. The international standard for decaffeination requires that 97% of the caffeine be
removed from decaffeinated coffee while the European Union’s standards require no less
than 99.9% to be removed.
Most methods of decaffeination follow the same basic principle: soak the beans in water,
which allows the caffeine (and other chemicals responsible for flavor) to leach out of the
beans. The extracted liquid is then either passed through a filter or mixed with a solvent to
remove only the caffeine and leave the other beneficial compounds. The flavor rich,
caffeine deficient solution is then re-introduced to the beans to allow the flavor to be
reabsorbed.
The Swiss Water Method has gained popularity in recent years because it uses only water
to remove caffeine but the process is long and laborious. Other solvents used in the
decaffeinating process include CO2, ethyl acetate, or triglycerides. Each method has its
own advantages and disadvantages including cost, time, labor, and effect on the final
flavor.
Research is being conducted to produce coffee plants that are deficient of the caffeine

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synthase gene and therefore do not produce caffeine. This would eliminate the need for
the decaffeination process and would not only reduce costs but it would also keep the
original flavor of the bean completely intact.

Storing Coffee

Proper storage of coffee has a great impact on the flavor of the brewed cup. Enemies to
coffee’s flavor include heat, oxygen, light, and moisture. Most commercial coffee today is
sold in vacuum-sealed bags with one-way valves to gases to escape while keeping
oxygen out. Once the seal on the bag is broken, extra care must be taken to keep the
beans fresh.

Light: Light roasts provide the lightest, most delicate flavors and can often be more acidic.
Because there is less of a “roasted” flavor, the original flavor of the bean is allowed to shine
through. High quality beans or varietals with very distinct flavors are often roasted light to allow
the original flavor to remain prominent. These beans will appear dry, as the bean has not been
heated to the point where the oil is extracted. Light roasts include: Cinnamon, American, Half-
City, and New England Roasts.
Medium: Medium roasted beans will have a chocolate brown color, dry surface and a full
flavor. These beans will have less acidity than light roasted beans and a slightly sweet,
toasty flavor. Because of the balanced flavor and acidity, this is the most popular roast
within the major commercial coffee market. Medium roast are also known as Full City,
Breakfast, or Regular Roast.
Dark: Dark roasted coffee is roasted until the sugars begin to caramelize and the oils
begin to rise to the surface of the bean. Depending on the darkness of the roast, the bean
may have a slight sheen or a very oily appearance. The flavor of dark roasted beans is
strong, smoky, and sometimes spicy. The original flavor of the bean is over powered by
the roasted flavor and therefore lower quality beans are often used for darker roasts.
Although these roasts have a very low acidity, they are often described as bitter. Roasts
that fall within the dark category include French, Viennese, Italian, and Espresso.
Blends: To achieve unique flavor profiles, many roasters will create custom blends of
beans with two or more roasting levels. This provides a depth of flavor and complexity that
cannot be achieved with a single roast.

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Coffee Varieties

Bourbon
So sweet, so complex and so delicate, this is the pinot noir of coffee. The plants are fragile and
don’t produce as much cherry as some other varieties, but they’re worth the effort. A cup of
Bourbon-type variety is lush and classic. It’s the coffee of coffee. It charms the snob and the
rookie alike. And no, it has nothing to do with the delicious brown adult beverage, though we
are big fans of that kind of bourbon, too.
Catimor
This can be a problematic coffee bean—there’s Robusta influence in the Timor family, which
often leads to low acidity and high bitterness. We love the Indonesian types though, which
(when processed correctly) delivers piquant herbal and fruit-rind flavors.
Catuai
Ripe Catuai cherry are red or yellow, and while they both have big acidity, the yellow beans,
when cool, lead to an unclean, petroleum-like mouthfeel. These days, all our Catuai cherry are
the red ones, found all over Latin America.
Caturra
Caturra is distinguished by its bright acidity and low-to-medium body. It has less clarity and
sweetness than its parent, Bourbon. First developed in Brazil, these small trees are found
throughout Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Colombia
Also known as Variedad Colombia, you’ll taste the classic caramel and chocolate with hints of
cherry in the sweet, bright, full-bodied bean. This hybrid of the Caturra was developed in
Colombia. It produces lots of cherry and resists disease well, making it very popular on small
farms.
Ethiopian Heirloom
The beauty of these is in their mystery. They are the wildflower varieties, descended from the
natural coffee forests of southwestern Ethiopia. Each village has its own variety, handed down
over centuries and shaped by the soil, elevation and weather.
Gesha
Think of Gesha as coffee from an alternate dimension. It’s like a Szechuan peppercorn, or the
Sun Ra Arkestra, complex and otherworldly. It’s as far as can be from diner coffee, a delicate,
black-tea body, with a zest of bergamot. Gesha is picky—it will only grow when, where and how
it wants, in tiny microclimates. But whether you grow it in Indonesia or the Americas, it is
always thoroughly itself.
Jember
We’ve found lovely sugar-browning notes of caramel, maple syrup and brown sugar itself in this
Typica variety. It is now grown in Indonesia, having traveled through India, Yemen and Ethiopia.
Pacamara

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The flavor profile is outstanding, with sweet citrus notes, wonderful balance and hints of floral
aromas. We like to source Pacamara from the highest possible elevations, which leads to the
highest cup quality.
SL28
Scott Laboratories (SL) was hired by the Kenyan government in the 1930s to develop stronger,
drought-resistant varieties. With SL-28, they failed in their mission to create a high-yield tree,
but succeeded in creating delicious beans, with an intensely citric, sweet, balanced and complex
flavor.
SL34
Also from Scott Laboratories, this plant truly shines at medium-to-high altitudes. SL34’s flavor is
characterized by its complex citric acidity, heavy mouthfeel and clean, sweet finish.
Tekisic
An offshoot of Bourbon, Tekisic produces exceptional flavor with layered acidity and a distinctly
heavy mouthfeel. The sweetness of this coffee is intense, leaning towards flavors like caramel
and brown sugar.

Typica
One of the grandaddies of all the varieties, Coffee Arabica Typica has been grown, hybridized
and perfected for centuries. Cup quality is generally excellent, demonstrating outstanding
sweetness, cleanliness and body.
Villa Sarchi
This Bourbon mutation has elegant acidity, intense fruit tones and excellent sweetness. First
grown in the Costa Rican town of Sarchi, this tree is sturdy, healthy and a top choice for organic
farming.
Villalobos
This is an offshoot of of the Typica family, which is delicate, floral, at times even citrusy. This
variety was brought to Indonesia in the late 1600s by Dutch traders. We love it for its nuances
and high, fine acidity. Villalobos in particular brings strong flavors of stone fruits like apricots,
peaches and plums.

Flavor Characteristics Due to Coffee Processing

Dry-Process:
The dry-process (also known as the natural method) produces coffee that is heavy in
body, sweet, smooth, and complex.The dry-process is often used in
countries where rainfall is scarce and long periods of sunshine are
available to dry the coffee properly. Most coffees from Indonesia,
Ethiopia, Brazil, and Yemen are dry-processed.
Wet-Process: Wet-processing coffees is a relatively new method of

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removing the four layers surrounding the coffee bean. This process
results in a coffee that is cleaner, brighter, and fruitier. Most
countries with coffee valued for its perceived acidity, will process
their coffee using the wet-process.
Pulped Natural: The pulped natural method consists of pulping a coffee, but
emitting the fermentation stage to remove the silverskin. This results in a beverage that
has characteristics of both a dry- and wet-processed coffee. It is often sweeter than wet-
processed coffees, has some of the body of a dry-processed coffee, but also retains
some of the acidity of a wet-processed coffee. This type of processing can only occur in
countries where the humidity is low and the coffee covered in the sweet mucilage can
be dried rapidly without fermenting. Brazil has made this method famous and produces
some of the best pulped natural coffees in the world. All twenty winners of the Gourmet
Cup competition in Brazil in 2000 processed their coffees using the pulped natural
method.
Re-passed: There is another type of coffee that has emerged on the market called re-
passed or raisins. These coffees are floaters and are usually discarded with the rest of
the floaters. However, they have a flavor profile that some of the world's best experts
find to be much sweeter than traditional pulped coffees. The cherries float because
they have dried too long on the tree before being collected. This, however, allows the
bean to interact with the mucilage for a longer amount of time before the start of
fermentation. The beans are removed from the rest of the floaters using a barrel system
developed by Eduardo Sampio in Brazil. The coffees are then re-passed and pulped.
They can then be washed or used as pulped naturals. The availability of the curiously
sweet re-passed coffees is very limited since it is mainly experimental at this time. Ask
your Brazilian supplier if they separate out this type of coffee and what flavor
characteristics this coffee possesses. It may be another option for espresso blending
and is likely to become the fourth category of coffee processing.
Comparison: The vast majority of coffee producers will claim the virtue of their
processing method. In Guatemala, for example, dry processing is a bad word and rightly
so. Due to their high humidity a dry processed coffee will almost definitely be fermented,
which is why only their lowest grade coffees are dried without pulping. However, in
Brazil, dry processing results in a sweet, complex, and heavy-bodied coffee that is
almost essential in any good espresso blend. The only conclusion that one can make is
that every region has its own proper processing technique and that the processing
technique should help attain the flavor profile that is desired by the producer and
consumer.
Other Flavor Contributors: The processing method used on a coffee is usually the
single largest contributor to the flavor profile of a coffee. The differences between a
washed and dry-processed Brazilian coffee from Sul de Minas will generally be more
distinct than the differences between two wet-processed coffees from two different
regions. However, the microclimate and soil are the next major contributors to the flavor
profile of a coffee and assuming processing is done correctly, they become the most
important contributors to flavor profile.

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Green Coffee Bean Basics

Specialty Coffee – The highest quality coffees selected in a fashion similar to grading fine
wines based on Country of Origin and flavor characteristics.
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) has been instrumental in the development of
quality standards and education of those who test and grade our coffee. You join the Specialty
Coffee Community and enjoy some of the world's finest coffee by selecting coffees here at
homeroastcoffee.com. Chosen for their flavor characteristics rather than sheer quantity our
Specialty coffee beans earn the producers a well deserved premium for their efforts. This quality
premium (pennies per pound to you and me) is the incentive to Growers and Processors to
improve quality that benefits the standard of living in coffee producing communities. Home
Roasters get to enjoy many of the finest coffees from around the globe for less than a quarter
per cup (about the cost of a name brand can of soda), a terrific bargain when compared to
almost any premium drink including preroasted coffees.
Arabica coffee – Considered the premier species of coffee for its preferred flavor
characteristics. Traditionally grown at high altitudes, in warm climates, with limited direct
sunlight. All coffee we carry is Arabica unless specifically noted directly in the name of the
coffee.
Robusta coffee – Another well known species of coffee, grown at lower altitudes than
Arabica, generally considered to have less desirable flavor characteristics, produces greater
yields with better pest and disease resistance. Robusta is often used in instant coffees and dry
powdered coffee drinks. Difficult to identify (due to quantity driven production) the really good
lots, it is prized by some as a blend component, or for making espresso.
Varietal or Cultivar – Are the many varieties of Arabica coffee plants, derived naturally,
or through managed cross breeding to improve resistance to disease or pests. Specialty coffee
names may include the Varietal following the Country of Origin and Region or Estate it comes
from, for example, Brazil Santo Antonio Estate Yellow Bourbon. Some common Varietals are;
Heirloom, Typica, Sumatra Typica, Kent, SL28, SL34, Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra, Icatu, Mondo,
Novo, Margogype, and Pacamara.
Process – Describes the method used to remove the skin and fruit (pulp) from the beans.
Dry or Natural Process – After picking, the ripe coffee cherries are spread out to dry before
removal of the skin and fruit by washing it off. Dry Process coffees tend to be sweeter with
heavier body than similar coffees processed by the Wet method. Often offering more exotic
flavor but less consistent quality.
Wet or Washed Process – After picking, the ripe coffee cherries are allowed to soak in
water before washing the loosened fruit from the beans. Wet Process coffees tend to be cleaner
tasting, lighter bodied, and brighter than Dry processed coffees. This is the more common
process especially in the Americas.

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Semi Washed or Pulped Dry Process – After picking, only the outer skin is removed
from the ripe coffee cherries which are then spread out to dry. Once dry the remaining fruit
(pulp) is washed from the beans. Semi Washed coffees may exhibit flavor and body elements
somewhere between those of Dry and Wet Processed coffees.
Note on Processes – Countries or Regions within a country may traditionally process coffee
using a particular method. Thanks to growing demand for Specialty coffee some Countries,
Regions, and Estates are offering their coffees processed by various methods.
Coffee beans in parchment with the fruit removed are dried by machine or spread out on tarps,
raised racks, rooftops, or the ground; each can impart a particular flavor. In many countries the
traditional processing method has been conducted in essentially the same manner for hundreds
of years.
Grades – Each country seems to have its’ own grading system which leads to some confusion
for the novice Home coffee Roaster. However, selecting coffees meeting the qualifications of
Specialty Coffee assure you of getting the premium level of fine quality coffee. Buying your
coffee from a Specialty green coffee retailer like homeroastcoffee.com assures you of getting
the finest coffees from around the world. Each coffee has been tasted and inspected by trained
professionals before it can qualify as Specialty coffee. Please do not assume that a coffee from
one Country is necessarily better than a coffee from another Country just because one is labeled
"AA" or "Fancy" rather than "SHB" or "Excelso", this grading is relevant but Country
specific. Grades generally pertain to bean size and diminishing number of defects per sample.

Some quick Grade examples:

Colombia – Supremo is the highest grade and is associated with the largest Beans.
Colombia - Excelso is a midstep between the next grade and Supremo, and is associated with
slightly smaller beans and may also be excellent.
EP – not a grade but good to know, European Prep, it means hand sorted
Ethiopia – Grades 1 through 8 refer to defect count, 1 has the least,they may also indicate
process, 2 = Wet, 4 = Dry
Hawaii – Extra Fancy is of course fancier than Fancy which anyone should know is better
than being Number 1 or just Prime. Note that not all great
coffee from Hawaii is Kona (a Region and Trade Name), also that not all coffee labeled Kona is
great, but certainly can be.
Kenya – AA ranks above AB or B
SHB – Strictly Hard Bean is denser than HB or Hard Bean.
SHG – Strictly High Grown, higher Altitude leads to slower growth, denser bean than HG or
High Grown, which may also be excellent.
Various Countries – Plus Grade is generally better than minus, go figure

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A Note about size – Though larger beans may be associated with higher quality. This does
not hold true across Countries, Regions, or Varietals.
Sc or Screen Size – Simply the size hole beans fit through, # 18 > # 16

Margogype – A Varietal, known mainly for producing very large beans

Peaberry – Relates to the Bean itself rather than Varietal or Origin. On occasion a cherry will
develop one round bean rather than the usual two beans that are flat on one side. Considered
more potent, when numerous enough they are separated out. Tanzania is known for its
Peaberries.
Decaffeination – Taking the Caffeine out of the bean while leaving taste in, not easy.

Solvent Methods – Direct; soaks beans in a solvent then removes caffeine from solvent.
Indirect; soaks beans in water then uses solvent to remove caffeine from water, then put beans
back into that water to return flavors. Common solvents: Ethyl Acetate (EA), Methylene Chloride
(MC)
Carbon Dioxide or Sparkling Water Methods – Caffeine molecules attach to the
Carbon Dioxide under pressure and are then filtered out.
Water Method – Soaks the beans in water that has already been used to soak similar beans
but has had the caffeine removed by activated charcoal
filter. This saturated water already contains all the flavor elements of the bean except the
caffeine.
Swiss Water Process – Cutting edge Decaffeinator known for selecting high quality coffees
and removing Caffeine using the Water method with high
quality standards.

Green Coffee FAQ

Q: What coffee should I choose?
A: For beginning home roasters, I think it is best to start with a Green Coffee Sampler which
gives you a range of origins and processing methods so you can start to hone in on what you
like. While the type of roast you use will greatly influence the flavor (all coffees come with
roast recommendations on the label), origin flavor sets the parameters for the flavors in the cup.
Coffees produced around the world can have an incredible variety of flavors; there are, however,
some general characteristics to different regions. This is why we organize our coffee offerings by
country, not some other factor.
For mild coffees, focus on Central American or Island coffees.
For espresso, try an espresso blend or use Brazil as single origin espresso; you can also use the
drop down menu at the top of listings on the Green Coffee Offerings page to look for coffees
recommended for espresso.
For darker roasts and coffees with lots of body, check out Indonesian or Brazilian coffees; these
tend to have more body, less acidity and take a dark roast well.

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For bright, flavorful coffees, try Kenyan coffees which can tend to be more acidic, more citrus, or
Ethiopian coffees which can be fruited or bittersweet chocolate.
These are only generalizations and cannot be taken as true in all cases, especially if it's a slightly
unusual processing method or varietal!

Here is the list of factors to consider when searching for a comparable coffee, in order of
importance:
1. Origin
2. Varietal
3. Processing
4. Region
5. Prime Attributes/Spider Graph
6. Score.
Q: I had a certain coffee in years past that I really liked– when will it be available again?
A: The answer can be complicated. Whether or not we will have a specific coffee again depends
on many variables such as weather, processing, shipping, and competition. Since we strive to
provide the best green coffee available, we won’t bypass an amazing coffee we haven’t offered
before. Tried and true coffees we have had year in and year out can be good, but not at the
expense of ignoring quality and new flavors that are out there.
Q: How long does unroasted coffee last for?
A: The flavor of unroasted coffee is fairly stable when stored in a cool, dry place. Green coffee
will not have a drop in cup quality from about 6 months up to 1 year from arrival date (every
coffee we sell has an arrival date in the review).
Q: How do I store my green coffee?
A: All green coffee beans should be kept cool and dry at room temperature, and away from
direct sunlight. The refrigerator is too moist for green beans and the freezer is too dry. In the
trade, the general rule in terms of climate for green coffee storage is this: if it's comfortable for
you, then your coffee is happy too.

Home Roasting Coffee Beans

Until around the time of World War I, most coffee was home roasted. In the early part of the
20th century some of the bigger commercial roasters and packagers of coffee began to spring
up. Roasters like Hills Brothers and Folgers, to name a couple. People then began to buy their
beans already roasted for the sake of convenience, but still ground their coffee at home. Then
grocers, most notably A&P, began to install electric grinders in their stores. Now the consumer
could buy the roasted beans and pour them in the grinder at the point of purchase, and go
home with a pound of coffee all ready to brew.
Soon coffee was pre-ground and packaged in vacuum sealed cans, so the housewife could take
home a can of coffee that, until opened, would stay fresh for an indefinite time. But what the
consumer didn’t know is that almost all pre-ground canned or packaged coffee, then and now,
was made with inferior, run of the mill coffee beans. Americans didn’t seem to care. They had

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never known or couldn’t discern the difference between bad coffee and good coffee. In fact,
many people prefer bad coffee because it’s what they’re used to.
Bad coffee usually comes from high volume coffe growing regions like Brazil or Mexico, and
often lacks any distinctive flavor of its own. It’s roasted dark, ground fine, blended with other
varities of cheap coffee and packed. While it was never good coffee to start with, it has now
undergone a transformation that makes it even less distinct and flavorless.
Good coffee, on the other hand, is usually grown in small batches in unique soil from coffee
bushes that have special qualities. The climate is usually colder and the elevation higher, and
thus the beans are hardier and more complex. When they are roasted it is in small batches, and
usually ground at the point of serving. They have unique, distinctive flavor, and produce a
beverage that isn’t just hot, strong, and liquid, but it robust, flavorful, and able to deliver great
pleasure to the coffee drinker with a discerning taste.
But time is the enemy of good coffee. While the green, unroasted beans, will not noticeably
degrade in a year or more if kept in a cool, dark place, once they’re roasted, coffee beans begin
to deteriorate almost at once. Within 48 to 72 hours roasted coffee beans have lost a noticeable
amount of their flavor.
Ground coffee is even worse. It begins to lose flavor at once, only at a much more noticeable
amount than roasted beans. Within an hour or two ground coffee is as tasteless as roasted
beans are after 72 hours.
Coffee beans undergo a complex series of chemical reactions when roasted, releasing oils,
gases, and enzymes that actually are the bearers of coffee’s flavor. These oils are volatile and
have a short-lived presence in the conveyance of flavor and aroma. The enzymes created in
roasting are equally fragile and their influence is also short-lived.
Once roasted it is best to store the cooled beans in an airtight container for no more than 48
hours. The prime flavor will be found if the beans are ground and quickly brewed about two to
four hours after roasting. It is important that fresh roasted beans are quickly cooled and let to
“air” out for an hour or two. The roasting releases many gases, most injurious to the coffee
experience is carbon dioxide. By letting the beans “air” out, the carbon dioxide will escape and
will not contaminate the flavor of the brew.
Home roasters until relatively recently “roasted” their coffee beans in cast iron skillets on a
stove top, of roasted them in pans in the oven. Today’s home roasters still, sometimes, use these
more primitive, but totally serviceable methods. More often than not, however, they are using
actually commercial roasters made for the at-home trade. Such roasters can be found for
around $100 at the low end, and can exceed $1000 before ge ing into the commercial roaster
market.
My “roaster” of choice is a West Bend hot air popcorn popper. They can be found at garage
sales, thrift stores, and on eBay for as little as a couple of dollars and they do an excellent job
roasting a great variety of beans. The West Bend has the hot air directed into the popping
chamber from the sides and creates a swirling of the beans as they heat up and roast. This
provides a more even roast and better control over the roasting process than more traditional
hot air poppers which direct their heat up from the bottom of the heating chamber. I have used
the more conventional style of popper and gotten some good roasts, but the roasting time is
considerably shorter, hotter, and more touchy than with the West Bend.

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Speaking of roasting time. That is the most critical part of the process and the part that gives
rise to the most complaints and concerns with people new to home roasting.
Roasting coffee beans at home is more of art form than a science, unless you invest in an
expensive automated roasting system, wherein you can set time, temperature, and cooling
curves for each variety of bean to achieve your perfect roast. For those of us who roast by the
seat of our pants, so to speak, it really does become an art form.
Green, unroasted, coffee beans smell sort of grassy, or herby. They do not smell like coffee at all.
It is only in the roasting process that coffee beans take on a usable, identifiable, form. That is
why the roast is so important to quaffing the optimum cup of coffee.
Each variety of bean has an optimum roast for best retaining its particular quality of flavor.
Sumatra Mandheling, for instance, my favorite bean by the way, is best roasted to the darker
end of the medium roast spectrum. At least for my taste buds. It is there that it picks up its
musky, earthy flavor and its smooth chocolately finish. Roasted too light and it doesn’t develop
that unique taste that defines it. Roasted too dark and it just becomes another robust, hearty,
deep coffee with no distinctive flavor.
Guatemala Antigua beans, on the other hand, are best if roasted to a solid medium roast. Go
just a little too far in the roast and they taste more like a commercial ground coffee that you’d
find at a diner counter. In other words, very generic, if a bit on the hearty side. Roast them too
light and they have more of a weak tea quality than anything else.
Whatever the roast, keep in mind that the darker the roast, in general, the less distinct, varietal
flavor. Dark roasts tend to make all beans taste…well, burnt. The lighter the roast, the more
caffeine, as well. The further into the roasting process you go, the more caffeine is driven off. If
you think that dark, robusto roast you’re drinking is stronger, you’re wrong.
How do I achieve the ideal roast for my taste from each of these beans, as well as others? Trial
and error to some extent, and using an acquired sense of when the roast is done, relying on
sight and smell for the most part. There is also what is known as the “crack” method, though I
use it only loosely. The crack of the beans refers to the actual pysical popping or cracking sound
the beans make in the roasting process. The first crack you hear is supposed to indicate a light
roast has been achieved. The second crack is a medium roast, and so on. This oversimplifies the
crack method, but is a close approximation. The flaws in this system lie in a few variable factors.
The ambient moisture in the beans being roasted is one, and the heat and how even its
distribution is are a couple of others.
I pay attention to the cracks, but I don’t let them dictate when a particular roast is done. I still
rely on the experience I’ve gained from sight and smell in the five years I’ve been home roasting.
Is my system foolproof? Certainly not, but then neither is any other system. That’s why roasting
coffee beans is an art rather than a science.
During the roasting process the green coffee changes dramatically. The process of roasting
forces water out of the bean, causing it to dry and expand in the process. Some of the natural
sugars in the bean are transformed into CO2 gas, and others are caramelized into the complex
flavor essences that make a good coffee. The colors darken and at the end of roasting the bean
is about 18% lighter in weight and 50 to 100% larger in volume than when it was green. After
roasting the, coffee continues to “de-gas”, emitting CO2 which helps protect the delicate flavor
and aroma of the coffee.

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These things need to be considered when roasting coffee beans:

*Beans must be heated to temperatures of 370 oF to 540 oF. Faster air currents permit lower
temperatures.
*The coffee beans must be in constant motion to prevent scorching or uneven roasting.
*The beans must be cooled quickly to prevent over-roasting
*Roasting coffee produces smoke which should be vented properly.
*The roasted beans shed the outer skin during the roasting process and the light weight skins
(called chaff) can make a mess if not handled properly.
The most important consideration when roasting your own coffee is knowing when to stop the
roast. As you become more experienced you will be able to stop the roast with more precision
while relying on the following methods:
*Color: start with some coffee beans that have been roasted to the style you prefer. Use these
beans as a guide, or refer to the chart on page 34.
*Temperature: use a candy or deep fry thermometer to measure the temperature of the beans
while roasting until you get the hang of telling when the beans are done. If using a roasting
machine, this method is not necessary.
*Smell: when the beans are nearly done the smell will change from a wet grassy vegetable smell
to a coffee smell. As you gain experience, your sense of smell will become more refined.
*Sound: Once the beans get hot enough they start to crackle as the water in the coffee turns to
steam and is forced out. There are two distinct stages of cracking, commonly referred to as first
and second crack.
*Time: All other factors being equal, such as type and weight of the beans and the roasting
temperature, you can duplicate previous efforts by timing the duration of the roast and
recording this information for each type of green coffee you roast. This method is especially
useful when roasting coffee in an oven or with a coffee roasting appliance.
*Cooling The Beans And Removing Chaff:As soon as a batch of coffee is done roasting, it should
be cooled as quickly as possible. The coffee beans will continue roasting from residual internal
heat even after the heat source is removed. To speed the cooling process if roasting with an
oven, stovetop, or campfire method, dump the hot beans into a colander immediately after
removing from the heat source. If you have a large quantity of beans, using 2 colanders is even
more efficient. Pour the beans back and forth between the 2 colanders slowly. If you do this
outside and there is a slight wind you can effectively remove the chaff this way as well. It is not
necessary to remove every bit of chaff as it will not affect the flavor in small quantities.
Venting The Roasting Smoke:Roasting coffee produces a bit of smoke, and this will have to be
vented if you roast coffee indoors. A stovetop exhaust fan is typically adequate to vent smoke
from most roasting efforts unless a large quantity of coffee is roasted very dark (the darker the
roast, the more smoke is produced). In the absence of an exhaust fan, a portable fan in front of
an open window will usually take care of the smoke.
Resting & Degassing: The 24 Hour Wait To Prime Time:Fresh roasted coffee reaches its peak
flavor and aroma about 24 hours after resting. A 24 hour rest period is not necessary but is
preferred by many coffee lovers to allow the beans to fully develop their flavor and aroma. The
rest period allows excess CO2 to dissipate and permits the coffee bean chemistry to stabilize.
Follow these guidelines, and do some more research on your own if necessary. There are many

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instructional video on home roasting to found at youtube.com and elsewhere. If you’re like me,
you’ll discover a whole new hobby, and every cup of coffee you make at home will taste better
and be fresher than any you’ve ever had before.

Origins Affect Taste

Coffee Taste Depends on Where it is Grown, explained here by Region and Country of Origin.
Specialty coffee is often associated with the practice of selecting coffee based on the flavor
characteristics common to the coffee’s Country or Region of Origin. Each coffee is the product of
many factors that can vary by Grower, Processor, weather, location, or time of harvest.
Following is a brief description of various coffee Origins and related flavor characteristics.

Central America

Generally known for using modern processing methods (usually washed) Central and South
American coffees have a tendency to be more consistent than other origins. Often; light to
medium in body, medium to vibrant acidity, delicate tastes of citrus, spice, floral, vanilla, and
chocolate are common.

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Mexico – Delicate, acidy and sophisticated, sweet chocolate, berries or vanilla, the best will be
complex. Growing regions; Chiapas (can resemble Guatemalan coffee), Coatepec, and Oaxaca
have the best reputations. Many Mexican coffees are organic; the label "Altura" simply means
high.
Guatemala – A favorite of many coffee lovers; Has two main regional profiles. Antigua; with
more body than most Central American coffees, bright
acidity, complex with smoky, spicy, and floral flavors. Huehuetenango; sweet, floral, delicate
and buttery.
El Salvador – Many can be milder in acidity than most Central American coffees with
delicate body and flavors. There are gems to found here, look for
medium bodied coffees with solid acidity multiple flavors and complexity.
Honduras – Gentle medium bodied fair acidity and sweetness can be a good mild cup.

Nicaragua – Fuller rounder body milder acidity more middle flavors and complexity
distinguish the best Nicaraguan coffees.
Costa Rica – Known for their impeccable processing and consistency they have a clean and
balanced profile. The great ones are distinguished by
being powerful with heavier body, sweet with citrus and nut flavors. Tarrazu region is the best
known for producing top Costa Rica coffees.
Panama – Highly regarded for their clean and balanced Central America profile, lively acidity
and complexity, they can easily rank among the best.

South America

Colombia – Medium body with medium to bright acidity, well balanced and generally bolder
than most Central American coffees. Due in part to the
highly developed coffee industry in Colombia many Colombian coffees are good, the great ones
are distinguished by more intense flavors and
complexity. Many top producers of Colombia coffees are located in the growing regions of Huila,
Nariño, and Cauca (Popayan).
Peru – Most often good body, medium acidity, sweet and mild, can develop a nice Carmel
taste in darker roasts. Top Peru’s can be enjoyed as an Origin
coffee; many are highly sought for use in blends.
Brazil – Produces more (quantity) coffee than any other country. They also produce some
very high quality coffees processed using the Natural or pulped Natural methods as well as the
traditional Wet method. Many Brazils have mild acidity, medium body, sweet, with delicate
fruit, nuts, and hints of caramel or chocolate, they can be very good in blends. Exceptional
Brazils hold their own with bolder flavors and acidity to balance the sweetness, look
for a grade of Fine Cup (FC) in the name. Contrary to other South America coffee producers,
Brazil’s top coffees are low grown and designated Strictly Soft (SS) bean. Growing regions you
may see are; Cerrado, Mogiana, and Sul Minas. Santos is a market name and shipping port
often used in Brazils.

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Caribbean Islands

Jamaica, Blue Mountain – A classic cup coffee, considered by some to be among the
worlds' finest coffees, balanced, rich and sweet, full flavor will delight the senses. Be certain to
select a true Jamaica Blue Mountain (JBM) not a copy or blend. Mavis Bank is a well known
Coffee processor on Blue Mountain.
Haiti / Dominican Republic – Can produce an Island profile that is Sweet, smoky, rich
and flavorful.
Puerto Rico – Another version of the Caribbean Island profile can be powerful, and sweet,
with flavors of molasses and fruits.

Arabia and East Africa

Yemen – The first origin to commercially produce coffee, located on the Arabian Peninsula
across the Red Sea from Ethiopia (on the African continent).
Coffee is essentially grown and Dry (Natural) processed as it has been for hundreds of years.
Market names of Yemen coffees may or may not refer to growing region, the most common are;
Mattari possibly the most potent of Yemen coffees, Hirazi and Ismaili may have lighter body
than the Mattari, Sanani often refers to a blend that will be more balanced than the others.
Mocca (any way you spell it) was the sea port Yemen coffee historically shipped from, the name
stuck though the port is gone. Mocca in the name of a Yemen coffee does not mean that it
contains or is flavored by chocolate. Coffees of Yemen are prized for their wild and powerful
flavors, strong acidity and sweetness. They are also excellent when blended with heavy bodied
coffees for making Espresso. Both reasons help explain why they are priced above the average
coffee and well worth it.
Ethiopia – Kaldi noticed his Goats dancing after eating the fruit from a bush, and thus
discovered coffee. Steeped in coffee history Ethiopia produces several distinctly different coffees
from its’ major producing regions. Harrar being closest to the coast (and Yemen) traditionally
uses the Dry (natural) process resulting in coffees similar to those of Yemen; Fruity, blueberries,
sweet, full bodied, smooth winey acidity, and complex. Yirgacheffe in southern
Ethiopia traditionally a wet processed coffee known for remarkable floral and citrus aromas and
flavors, with nuts, spices, and green tea notes. Sidamo which as a region includes Yirgacheffe
produces fine wet processed coffees similar to Yirgacheffes. Limu to the North of Sidamo
traditionally wet processed coffees present a profile between the two extremes of the other
Ethiopian regions.
Kenya - Huge flavor, very balanced, the king of complex coffees, known for powerful wine
toned acidity. Citrus is good, Blackcurrant is good, and when
a cup contains both it can be superb. Often considered one of the best, deep and rich,
multidimensional.
Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda – Interesting (often at a lower cost) versions of the
African profile, a little more body, a little less acidity, lighter fruit, may have floral, cedar, vanilla
or chocolate notes.

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Tanzania – Shares a border with Kenya and presents its’ own understated version of the
African profile, milder in fruit and acidity, with good body.
Tanzania is known for its' Peaberries, when only one round seed is produced rather than the
usual two, which some say are more potent than the norm.

Indonesia

Sumatra – Known for its’ Earthy or mushroomy aroma and flavor, full body, sweetness, and
mild acidity. Sumatra has two main growing regions with four names and distinct differences in
processing methods and profiles. Coffees labeled Mandheling or its' sub region Lintong are
probably processed using a version of the Dry method, which may include laying the beans in
parchment on the clay to dry imparting the Earthy tone. Though it wouldn’t be Sumatra without
the Earthyness, the intensity of the taste is important to note, also that some Mandhelings may
acquire a hard musty flavor that many coffee lovers do not care for. Sumatra’s from Gayo
mountain or Aceh are usually Wet processed with milder versions of the Earthy or mushroomy
flavors, brighter, lighter bodied, sweet and more consistent.
Java – Lies just south of Sumatra, the name has become synonymous with coffee as it was the
first European controlled producer. The coffee is known
for its' very heavy body and very low acidity. Prized as a blender with sweeter thinner bodied
coffees for making espresso blends.
Sulawesi (Celebes) – Most is named for the region Toraja or a town in that region Kalossi
and may be produced by small farms or large Estates.
Coffees can resemble a slightly brighter and lighter bodied Java with deep fruit tones, or like a
brighter Sumatra Mandheling with its’ underlying
Earthyness, full body, and Sweetness, with an added hint of spice and chocolate.
Bali – Grown and meticulously processed in accordance with the Hindu belief of "tri Hita
Karana" (the three causes of happiness are good relations with
God, other people, and the environment) the coffees of Bali are often Rain Forest Alliance
certified, Fair Trade, or Organic. Still Indonesian in nature,
Bali coffees tend to be cleaner, sweet, and may have lemon and other citrus flavors.
Papua New Guinea – Another variation on the Indonesian profile with underlying Earthyness,
fullness, and sweetness, with a bit more acidity and
cleaner profile.

India

India – Known to be very well processed they tend to be full bodied and sweet with hints of
spice or tropical fruits.
India, Monsooned Malabar – Specially aged to resemble Old Brown Java in open sided
warehouses exposed to moist air the beans swell, whiten, and acquire a musty smell. This coffee

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will have very heavy body, very low acidity, with loamy and woody flavors; in poor lots the
inherent mustiness can become hard and unpleasant. It is often used in Espresso blends to add
body and sweetness.

Australia

Australia – The southernmost coffee growing origin is a newcomer to the specialty coffee
market and not often found in North America. Australia lacks the high altitudes of most Arabica
coffee producing origins. Australia's Northern New South Wales (NSW) growing region southern
climate's long ripening period with ample rain and cloud cover can produce worthwhile specialty
coffee. The profile is unique, sweet and fruity with mild acidity probably owing to the long
ripening period, an interesting coffee if you're up for adventure.

United States

Hawaii – High cost of production, limited supply, and of course the demand that comes from
being visited by millions of vacationing coffee lovers as well as the ability to produce one of the
world's fine coffees make it a bit pricey (OK, maybe more than a bit). Kona located on the "Big
Island" of Hawaii is possibly the best known coffee growing region (and trade name) in specialty
coffee, but is not the only growing region in Hawaii. Coffees from Kona can be excellent, a
classic cup often having a fragrant bouquet with sweet fruit and vanilla flavors. Other up and
coming coffee growing regions (Islands) of Hawaii are; Maui, Molokai, and Kauai.

Roasting Coffee

Roasting coffee is the process of heating/cooking/drying coffee beans in a coffee roaster in
order to transform the physical and chemical properties of the green coffee beans so the desired
flavors and aromas of the final cup of brewed coffee can be achieved.

Chemical Reactions of Roasting – Pyrolisis

Roasting eliminates most of the moisture in the coffee beans and begins a series of chemical
reactions known as pyrolisis, changing the chemical composition of the coffee and developing
the compounds associated with the flavors and aromas of the brewed coffee.

The Skills of the Roastmaster

The skilled roastmaster strives to apply the proper temperature for just the right amount of time
to bring out the best flavors of the particular coffee beans being roasted.

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Roastmasters pay close attention to the color level of the roasting coffee beans as they expand
and change color, ranging from very light to very dark. As the coffee beans lose moisture, their
density also changes.

Effects of Coffee Roasting

Coffee roasting, in various aspects and instances, creates, modifies, and/or stabilizes the
fragrance, taste, aroma, sweetness, acidity and body of the coffee.

Coffee Roasters, Roasting Temperature, and Roasting Time

Roasting coffee requires skill as well as a proper coffee roaster. A typical roasting temperature
ranges from 370 to 540 °F (188 to 282 °C).
Roasting times vary from about 12 to 30 minutes, and the beans shrink about 20% by weight as
they gain a dark hue and fragrant aroma. Twenty-five pounds of green coffee beans may take
about fifteen minutes to roast.
As an example, it takes about eight pounds of coffee cherry to make one pound of roasted
coffee (100 lbs. of coffee cherry produces approximately 12 lbs. of roasted coffee.

Caramelization During the Roasting Process

Caramelization is the process that occurs during a certain stage of coffee roasting when simple
sugars in the coffee beans are heated to a particular temperature, creating a caramel flavor and
color.
Carbon dioxide is a gas that forms in coffee beans during the roasting process; a natural
byproduct of coffee roasting. The process of carbon dioxide gases releasing from freshly roasted
coffee is known as degassing.

Millstone Slow Coffee Roasting

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A custom coffee roasting technique called Millstone Slow is accomplished by the roastmaster
listening carefully for distinct popping sounds as the coffee beans expand. This is done in small
batches, with the roastmaster carefully sampling each batch to make sure the perfect roast level
is being achieved.

Continuous Fluidized Bed Roasting

The process of roasting coffee beans by levitating the beans on a cushion of hot air is known as
continuous fluidized bed roasting.

Often used during the process of making instant coffee, continuous fluidized bed roasting takes
from 30 seconds to 4 minutes and uses lower temperatures. The benefit of lower temperatures
is better taste and aroma retention.

Factors Affecting Coffee Roasting Time

Total roasting time for whole bean coffee varies depending upon numerous factors such as the
the type of roast required, the quality of the coffee beans, their moisture content, and grade.
Also affecting roasting time is the age of the coffee beans as well as the weather conditions
where the roasting is being done.

The roastmaster pays attention to the roasting time and temperature as well as more subtle
considerations such as the appearance and smell of the coffee during roasting.

First Crack and Second Crack

The roastmaster also listens for the popping sounds of the roasting coffee. These distinct
“cracks” of the coffee beans occur at particular roasting stages, and there is a first crack and a
second crack.

The first crack occurs at about 385 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, typically just several minutes
after the roasting begins. The coffee beans visibly expand in size as they crack, crackle, or pop.
Light Roast s are roasted only until the first crack.

The second crack occurs when the coffee beans reach about 440 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and
the cellulose matrix of the coffee begins to break down.

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This occurs usually several minutes after the first crack as the coffee beans once again, crack,
crackle, or pop. Coffee beans roasted just to this point are usually considered a Full Roast
(Medium-Dark Roast).
Dark Roasts – Denoting the Full Development of the Coffee Beans
Coffee beans roasted to the second crack will be slightly shiny as oils begin rising to the surface.
This denotes the full development of the coffee, and the flavor will be spicy, with a heavier body
than a Light Roast or Medium Roast. The roast flavor is evident.

Coffee Roast Profiles – Standardization in the Roasting Industry
In general there is very little standardization in coffee roasting (e.g., roast types, roast profiles,
and how the various roasts are produced). The roast profile of a coffee is a graph of the
temperature of the coffee beans during the time of the coffee roasting.
The Four Primary Types of Roasts
The primary factor in determining roasting time is the type of roast required, and these can be
generally divided into four types ranging from Light Roast to Medium Roast to Medium-Dark
Roast to Dark Roast.
Light Roasts are also referred to as Cinnamon Roast, Half City Roast, Light City Roast, and
New England Roast.
Medium Roasts are also referred to as American Roast, Breakfast Roast, Brown Roast, City
Roast, Medium-Brown Roast, Medium High Roast, Regular Roast, and Standard American
Roast.
Medium-Dark Roasts include After-Dinner Roast, Dark-Brown Roast, Full-City Roast, Full
Roast, Light Espresso Roast, Light French Roast, High Roast, North Italian Roast, and Viennese
Roast.

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Dark Roasts are also referred to as Black-Brown Roast, Continental Roast, Dark French Roast,
Double Roast, Espresso Roast, European Roast, French Roast, Heavy Roast, Italian Roast, Italian
Espresso Roast, Neapolitan Roast, New Orleans Roast, South Italian Roast, Spanish Roast,
Turkish Roast, Very Dark-Brown Roast, and Vienna Roast.

The History of Coffee – A Journey Through Time

Milestones of Coffee History

This Coffee Timeline takes you through all of the milestones along the way in all the different aspects of coffee
history including the evolution of coffee makers and espresso machines, and the inventions and innovations in
decaffeinated coffee, instant coffee, coffee grinders, coffee roasters, home roasting, coffee brewing, espresso
brewing, and coffee companies as well as important coffee legislation.

Also included are historic coffee quotes and information about early coffee houses, and some of these historic
coffee houses are still in existence today.

Stories of Intrigue, Romance, and Religion

The story of how coffee was first discovered and then spread to all of the major countries on Earth is a fascinating
tale that includes romance, politics, religion, intrigue, heroics, deceit, greed, and innovation.

From a goat herder nibbling the coffee berries in ancient times in the mountains of Ethiopia to 400 billion cups of
coffee being consumed each day all over the world!

The story of coffee includes many twists and turns – coffee was smuggled across the ocean, presented to kings,
carried along the ancient spice routes on the land and sea, banned by governments and clergies.

Dangerous Liaisons in the Name of Coffee

The plant that started Brazil’s coffee empire was hidden a bouquet of flowers that was a parting gift from the
Guiana governor’s wife after her illicit liaison with a Brazilian lieutenant on a mission to resolve a border
dispute…and acquire coffee!

Today only oil is a more valuable commodity overall on the world markets as a foreign exchange product between
countries, and traded as a commodity on major futures and commodity exchanges including in New York and
London.

Coffee is also responsible for hundreds of millions of jobs from the coffee farming and coffee processing to the
coffee trading, transportation and coffee marketing.

Many country’s economies are dependent primarily upon coffee, and about seventy countries – all between the
Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer – now grow coffee commercially. The coffee industry overall generates
about $60 billion annually.

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Coffee – The Humble Beverage
Yet coffee remains just a humble beverage brewed from a simple bean, a seed really, found at the center of a small
berry that grows on a medium-sized bush/tree and blooms once each year producing an annual crop. After
harvesting the berries they are processed, dried, roasted, ground up and then brewed into coffee orespresso.
Cared for properly from soil to sip the bean reveals a wonderful array of tastes andaromas, each region producing
different nuances and origin flavors, and just the right roast enhancing and bringing out the finest qualities of the
coffee beans.

The Top 11 Coffees

Sumatra Mandheling Coffee
Grown on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, Mandheling is known as much for its smooth, full body (mouthfeel) as
its rich, complex taste. The coffee is named after north Sumatra’s Mandailing people.
Sumatra Mandheling is often described as earthy and intense with an herbal aroma. With just enough acidity to
provide a vibrancy, Mandheling coffee often exhibits tones of sweet chocolate and licorice.
Though Mandheling is dry processed, the method includes washing the dried husk of the coffee cherry (fruit) in hot
water which provides a more uniform appearance of the coffee beans than the typical dry processed coffee, and
likely contributes to the coffee’s fine flavor.
Sumatra Mandheling coffee grows in Padang’s west-central region between 2,500 and 5,000 feet above sea level.
The coffee is often given a Dark Roast or Medium-Dark Roast to bring out the coffee’s sweet taste as well as its
earthy qualities.
If you want an even heavier-bodied coffee then try a French Roast. Sumatra Mandheling is also a great coffee for
cold brewed specialty coffee drinks (espresso drinks), and takes milk or cream well without loss of flavor.

Here are the world’s Top Eleven Coffees:

1) Tanzania Peaberry Coffee
Grown on Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Peaberry coffee is a bright coffee with a medium body and
delightful fruit-toned acidity. The taste is deep and rich, often revealing hints of black currant which soften to
chocolate and then blend into the coffee’s lingering, sweet finish.

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Try a medium roast which provides an aroma that is floral and complex, often exhibiting hints of pineapple, citrus,
or coconut. The flavor is delicate, sometimes revealing winey notes and a velvety feeling on the palate.

Tanzania Peaberry coffee beans come from a coffee cherry (fruit) that is comprised of one whole coffee bean
instead of the usual two half-beans. Typically less than seven percent of a coffee crop is peaberry.

2) Hawaii Kona Coffee

An Arabica coffee grown at about 2,000 feet above sea level on the fertile slopes of Mauna Loa and Hualalai
Volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii, Kona coffee is known for its rich yet light and delicate taste with a complex
aroma.

Well-balanced with a medium body, it is clean in the cup with a bright and cheerful acidity. Kona coffee often
reveals buttery as well as spicy qualities and subtle winey tones with an excellent aromatic finish.

3) Java Arabica Coffee

This wet processed (washed) Arabica coffee is grown on the Indonesian island of Java, and in particular on the Ijen
Plateau at elevations around 1,400 meters on the east side in the Ijen volcano complex.

With a somewhat heavy body, Java Arabica is nonetheless lighter than many other Indonesian coffees and also has
a lower level of acidity (medium acidity). The flavor is somewhat rustic with a lingering, herbaceous aftertaste. The
coffee’s body that is clean and thick with a low-toned richness and earthy qualities, though less earthy than
Sulawesi and Sumatra coffees.

The aftertaste of Java Arabica often reveals a smoky or spicy twist and leaves the coffee drinker with a overall
sweet impression, supple and smooth. Five large coffee estates established in Java by the Dutch government in the
18th century.

4) Sumatra Lintong Coffee

Exhibiting a medium body and low acidity, Sumatra Lintong is also known for its sweetness and earthy, complex
aroma. The coffee is grown in the Lintong region in north central Sumatra near Lake Toba.

5) Sulawesi Toraja Coffee

This multi-dimensional coffee is grown in the southeastern highlands of Sulawesi. Known for its full body and rich,
expansive flavor , Sulawesi Toraja coffee is very well balanced and exhibits notes of dark chocolate and ripe fruit.
The acidity is low-toned yet vibrant, with less body than a Sumatran coffee though slightly more acidic, and with
more earthiness than a typical Java Arabica coffee.

Toraja’s rustic sweetness and muted fruit notes create a deep and brooding taste with a pungent spicy quality
similar to finer Sumatran coffees. Toraja coffee is processed using the Giling Basah wet-hull method, which
produces chaff-free green coffee beans. For Toraja coffee a dark roast is recommended.

6) Mocha Java Coffee

Perhaps the most famous coffee blend, Mocha Java includes Arabian (Yemen) Mocha coffee and Indonesian Java
Arabica coffee, two coffees with complementary characteristics. The Yemen Mocha provides a lively intensity and

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pleasant wildness which complements the clean and bright smoothness of the Java coffee. The traditional blend of
Mocha and Java coffee beans creates a complex and yet well-balanced brewed cup.

See the World’s Best History of Coffee to read about how sailing ships arriving from Java Island arrived in the the
great Yemen port of Mocha [Mokha] where the two types of beans became mixed in the wooden hulls of the ships
creating the favored blend, a happy accident of history.

7) Ethiopian Harrar Coffee

Spicy, fragrant, and heavy-bodied, Ethiopian Harrar coffee is a wild and exotic dry-processed (natural) Arabica
coffee grown in southern Ethiopia at elevations from 4,500 and 6,300 feet above sea level. The dry-processing
creates a fruity taste likened to dry, red wine, a power house coffee exhibiting a bold taste that resonates in the
cup.

Known for its winey and fruity, floral-toned acidity, Ethiopian Harrar is bright in the cup, even intense with a heady
aroma that is rich and pungent, often with notes of blackberries and a lingering finish that may seem slightly
fermented with intense notes of jasmine.

Edgy and bold, Ethiopian Harrar displays a complexity of spice tones including cardamom, cinnamon, apricots,
blueberry jam, and compote. Some Harrars exhibit tones of very rich, dark chocolate.

8) Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee

Fragrant and spicy, Yirgacheffee coffees are known for their sweet flavor and aroma with a medium to light body.
The coffee is wet processed and grown at elevations from 5,800 feet to 6,600 feet above sea level.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffee displays a bright acidity along with an intense, clean flavor and a complexity of floral notes
in the aroma, perhaps a hint of toasted coconut, along with a vibrant aftertaste and perhaps a slightly nutty or
chocolaty quality. Yirgacheffe coffees are high-toned, floral and citrusy in contrast to the wild and jammy Ethiopian
Harrars.

If you prefer your coffee heavy and sweet then choose a medium-dark roast or dark roast, though a medium roast
allows the coffee’s delicate qualities to shine and enhance the bright acidity.

9) Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee

Grown in Jamaica’s Blue Mountain District, Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is often described as sophisticated with a
smooth and silky, complex taste, outstanding full body, and ver well balanced. Many have called it the
quintessential cup of coffee and it clearly stands among the world’s top gourmet coffees.

Jamaica Blue Mountain is a wet processed (washed) coffee, and its slightly sweet flavor is refined and mild,
sometimes almost creamy and with rich hints of chocolate.

The acidity is vibrant and bright, yet very smooth, revealing virtually no bitterness in its overall clean taste. The
aroma of Jamaica Blue Mountain is sparkling and bold exhibiting floral notes as well as nutty and herbal overtones.

Jamaica Blue Mountain peaberry coffee beans – when one whole bean forms in a coffee cherry (fruit) rather than
the usual two half-beans, are separated out from the other coffee beans and traditionally used for espresso ,

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Named for Jamaican mountain ridge, the Blue Mountain coffee growing region is located south of Port Maria and
north of Kingston. To be certified as Jamaica Blue Mountain and not one of the lesser grades the coffee must be
grown on the estates at elevations between 3,000 feet and and 5,500 feet above sea level.
10) Kenya AA Coffee
Clearly one of the world’s finest premium coffees, Kenya AA is grown at more than 6,600 feet above sea level on
Kenya’s high plateaus. The AA refers to the biggest screen size in the Kenya coffee grading system with
specifications that the beans are just a little more than one-fourth inch in diameter.
Kenya AA coffee beans exhibit a full body and strong, rich taste with a pleasant acidity that some say provides the
world’s brightest coffee. The aroma of Kenya AA is fragrant with floral tones while the finish is winey with berry and
citrus overtones.
11) Guatemala Antigua Coffee
Grown at elevations more than 4,600 feet above sea level, the grade of coffee beans of Guatemala Antigua is
known as Strictly Hard Bean and include the Arabica varietals Catuai (Coffea arabica var. catuai), Caturra (Coffea
arabica var. caturra), and Bourbon (Coffea arabica var. bourbon).
An exceptional premium coffee, Antigua exhibits the typical Guatemala coffee qualities of a full body (heavier than
the usual Central American coffee) and spicy taste often rich and velvety. The Antigua coffee bean works well with
a Dark Roast that creates a pleasing smoky taste in the brewed cup of coffee

THE END

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