FROM “KNOWING HOW”
TO KNOWING HOW TO KNOW
COFFEELOVER
SELECTION GUIDE
OF BLENDS DEDICATED
TO COFFEE LOVERS
The fundamental elements for achieving comprehensive
awareness for selection of the blend come from the
territory of cultivation and the “know-how” of the men and
women who are employed in the agricultural coffee supply chain.
We suggest you consider the traceability indications on the label, which give value to the product you are about to buy, namely:
SOIL (nature/composition)
CLIMATE (windy/rainy/temperate)
TERRAIN (height/exposure)
SHADE (slower and fuller ripening)
WIND BARRIERS (in high altitudes they protect the fruit from falling)
HARVEST (mechanical or manual)
PROCESSING (washed/natural/honey)
DRYING (patio/African beds/mechanical)
For Coffee, as is true for Wine, all parameters related to the place of cultivation have a direct impact on the beverage’s sensory profile and this is why they must be taken into account when choosing Coffee blends.
METHODS FOR PROCESSING
THE COFFEE CHERRY.
Another very significant element for selecting a blend is the agricultural processing of the coffee cherry after it is harvested.
The main methods are:
NATURAL PROCESS OR NATURAL
This is the original processing method used mainly in Ethiopia and Brazil.
The cherries are first dried and then hulled (stripped) to extract the green coffee beans inside.
This method results in coffee with a bountiful body and a complex and varied sensory profile, often marked by notes of red and exotic fruits and hints of honey.
WASHED PROCESS
This is typical of Central America, where it is necessary to circumvent the high humidity levels that tend to compromise natural coffee processing.
This way, the formation of mould is avoided.
With this method, to ensure better preservation of the beans, the coffee cherries are stripped, fermented, washed and dried with the parchment (which is the kernel contained in the cherries and formed by a gelatinous membrane), removed just before roasting.
Depending on the territorial origin and the botanical variety used, the Fully Washed process offers great differences in the cup. These types of coffee are always characterised by original liveliness, freshness and delicacy that define a panorama of multiple aromas.
HONEY PROCESS
This processing method, which lies somewhere between Natural and Washed, was created in Central America in the early 2000s.
After husking, the (decorticated) green bean is left to dry in its mucilage, the part of the pulp remaining on the surface of the green bean, which is then protected by its own casing.
The sensory profile of Honey Coffee cannot be generalised because there are so many variations made possible by this process. The only prevailing characteristic of Honey Coffee is its sweetness.
BLEND:
CREATION AND
DEFINITION
A Coffee Blend is created by:
DIFFERENT ORIGINS
Coffee’s place of origin (e.g., Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, others)
DIFFERENT BOTANICAL SPECIES
Arabica/Canephora (Robusta)
DIFFERENT BOTANICAL VARIETY
type of cherry (e.g., Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, others)
DIFFERENT AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING
same origin, same species, same variety but different agricultural processing.
The term Blend refers to the operation whereby different varieties of an agricultural product are combined to obtain a single balanced and reproducible product.
Blending is truly an art created exclusively by the skills of coffee artisans. The blend carries the identity card of the agricultural products used in it. The origin, history and final structure of the coffee in the cup is narrated by the blend, whilst its flavour is the outcome of careful study and experimentation.
Here is an example of a blend for Country of Origin Coffee, Botanical Species, Agricultural Processing
80% arabica cherry
Origin: Colombia washed, Tanzania washed, Brazil natural, Guatemala washed
20% Robusta cherries
Origin: Indonesia natural
The result is a full-bodied sensory profile with fruity notes. The flavour will have notes of almond and dark chocolate.
A good Coffee Blend composed of coffees with different origins will bring aromas and flavours in balanced doses and a palate with expressive notes of sweetness, bitterness, acidity and full-body. In the Blend the characteristics of the individual qualities mingle, balance and optimise each other.
Blends are ideal for Espresso, Moka and, in some cases, also for Coffee makers.
SPECIALTY COFFEE:
DEFINITION AND PROPOSAL
A COFFEE PRODUCED
UNDER PARTICULAR CLIMATIC
AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
The concept of Specialty Coffee has been used since the 1970s in America and indicates a coffee produced under particular climatic and environmental conditions.
These features, which give it a specific flavour and aroma profile, are therefore well selected and processed to respect its unique characteristics.
A Specialty coffee is one made only from the Arabica species.
Example of Specialty Presentation
Producer: El Tirra – Hacienda Cafetalera
Region: Tarrazu
Origin: arabica, Caturra and Catuai Varieties
Cultivation: mixed (sun and shade)
Altitude: 1500 m/asl
Process: natural
Harvest: manual
Harvest Period: June to December
Sensory profile in the cup: Medium-bodied coffee
There are notes of bitter cocoa and sweet pear in the flavour. Hints of morello cherry, dried orange and aroma of juniper emerge in the aftertaste.
GREEN COFFEE SPECIALTY
When talking about Green Coffee Specialty, we mean a coffee that has no flaws and that has a distinct personality in the cup.
Roasting is the stage when green coffee, which is transformed by being cooked, remains a Specialty coffee as long as it continues to express the aromatic qualities that were present before.
Specialty Roasting means bringing out the true character from each type of bean: truly a professional challenge.
A Specialty Coffee must be recently harvested and roasted. The work is to exalt the Flavour (aroma and flavour) of an extraordinary agricultural product to its utmost degree. One final, highly significant step that makes a coffee a “Specialty Coffee” is its preparation in extraction (whether by a Barista or a Coffee Lover).
There are many extraction methods that can enhance the Specialty Coffee, but all of them must be undertaken with awareness. Proper extraction management is a prerequisite for preparing the perfect Specialty Coffee.
SOME SUGGESTIONS:
- manage the balanced ratio between the amount of Coffee and Water
- set the proper grain size based on the extraction method chosen
- check the coffee’s physical characteristics
- select the ideal water and its correct temperature
- set the proper contact time
- prepare the coffee panel
Specialty Coffee is ideal for Espresso and Manual Filter drip: Cold Brew, Chemex, V60 and Aeropress. Often used in mokas and coffee makers as well.
In addition to classic blends and classic Specialty Coffees,
Coffeel also offers selections with organic certification.