Both commercial and specialty companies often describe their coffee as either a “blend” or a “single origin.” This description helps to explain the coffee’s provenance—a blend is a mix of different coffee beans that creates a particular flavor profile, while a single-origin coffee is sourced from a single country or a single farm.
BLENDS
There are reasons why blends are popular, as they can create stable flavor profiles that remain consistent year-round. In the commercial sector, the ingredients and proportions in blends are closely guarded secrets, and the labels offer no indication of what the beans are or where they come from. Specialty roasters, however, clearly label and celebrate each component of a blend on the packaging—explaining the individual attributes of each bean and how the flavors complement and balance each other (see Sample Blend, opposite).
SINGLE ORIGINS
The term “single origin” is typically used to describe a coffee from a single country. However, identifying a coffee solely by country of origin is too broad—as it could still mean a blend of regions and farms within that country, and a mix of varieties and processes. It could also be of any level of quality—100 percent Brazilian, or any other country, does not mean that the coffee will be 100 percent great. Equally, it gives you little indication of flavor as coffees from one region can taste very different to another
Kommentare