malachi Senior Member Joined: 5 May 2002 Posts: 1,758 Location: SFCA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Monster Mia (for now)_ Grinder: Monster Cimballi Junior Vac Pot: Not any more Drip: never Roaster: Ecco, Stumptown, Intelli,...
Posted Sun Aug 22, 2004, 5:58pm Subject: Re: Why Blend? The Case for Single Origin Espresso
artlifecaffe Said:
In my opinion, there isn't a bad blend or a bad single origin coffee in absolute; our italian preferences vary from region to regon even in the beans roasting. The use of a single origin coffee is often a guarantee of originality and quality for the consumer, because some blends are made with low-price and quality coffees. In the totality of the coffees which are in a blend, the lower ring of the chain is the element which gives the final quality of the blend. I can also say that the bad taste of bad blends is taken by the consumer for the poor standard of the coffee quality, with a progressive disappointment for the espresso... Educating people with this challenge of the single origin coffee will make a return to the "coffee culture". In my town, Ferrra, I haven't still tasted a good coffee blend. This is due essentially to the economic blends that barmen try to elevate like their maximum expense for the clients....
I roast single origin arabica coffees and I'm very enthusiast of the results in the cup. When I make a blend, I choose only excellent qualities, so the blend is always at its top, and people love my blends...
Finally, I think that the coffee quality and a good evaluation of coffee characteristics for a blend are the winning keys for tasting an excellent coffee.....
I agree completely that an origin coffee can be a guarantee of originality. It's the exploration of taste and the expansion of the palate that excites me so much.
Your point about a blend being only as good as its weakest bean (to paraphrase) is well taken! I'd not even thought through the implications, but they're somewhat frightening.
I think that, for many roasters and coffee professionals, a return to the "coffee culture" you speak of is a highly motivating force when it comes to origin espresso. Mark Inman has written eloquently about this.
I'd love to hear more about your successes with origin espresso. What sort of beans have you found interesting and compelling? Have you had to change anything about your process (roasting, de-gassing, brewing, serving) to optimize the experience?
jim_schulman Senior Member Joined: 19 Dec 2001 Posts: 3,772 Location: Chicago Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Sun Aug 22, 2004, 8:57pm Subject: Re: Why Blend? The Case for Single Origin Espresso
artlifecaffe Said:
I roast single origin arabica coffees and I'm very enthusiast of the results in the cup. When I make a blend, I choose only excellent qualities, so the blend is always at its top, and people love my blends...
Finally, I think that the coffee quality and a good evaluation of coffee characteristics for a blend are the winning keys for tasting an excellent coffee.....
GreatDane Senior Member Joined: 9 Apr 2003 Posts: 10 Location: Roseburg Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: SAMA, Expobar, Cremina Grinder: Mazzer Major Vac Pot: Too many to list Drip: Technivorm Roaster: RK Drum; Behmor 1600; U.S....
Posted Sun Aug 22, 2004, 9:26pm Subject: Re: Why Blend? The Case for Single Origin Espresso
There are some coffees I really enjoy as single origin espresso. The African Bugisu, PNG Kimmel, and Brazil Dulce just to name three. I blend to change things. There are some Centrals that I really like, but they are too bright as a single origin. Blending a quality Brazil will often tone the brightness, but still bring out the uniqueness of the origin that I seek. I have a number of blends that I really like because the beans work in harmony. I never blend to cover an inferior bean.
Posted Sun Aug 22, 2004, 10:58pm Subject: Re: Why Blend? The Case for Single Origin Espresso
"I'd love to hear more about your successes with origin espresso. What sort of beans have you found interesting and compelling? Have you had to change anything about your process (roasting, de-gassing, brewing, serving) to optimize the experience?" (From Malachi)
Dear Malachi, thanks for your kindness in giving me he welcome to CG, first of all....
My roasting experience isn't from long time, and with a few arabica and robusta qualities, but it's a choice due to the intention of taking out from every quality its best....
I actually roast:
Ethiopian Sidamo washed no. 2 San Domingo Arabica Barahona AA Indian Arabica "Plantation A - Baba Budan" Brazilian Arabica Pergamino Sul de Minas Indian Arabica "Plantation Peaberry"
Indian Monsooned Robusta
I'm waiting also for Costarican and Colombian qualities, and, of course, Jamaican Blue Mountain....
A good blend for my friends which use Moka coffee machine is composed by Sidamo washed, Plantation Peaberry and Monsooned Robusta. I'll write you the percentage when I try it also on my espresso machine, to make fine adjustments, but it's around a 40 -40- 20 respectively. It's a good, even if a little strong blend, it leaves for one hour in your mouth a very pleasant sensation and many flavours.
All of these qualities are easy to roast without particular difficulties, and, after a "rest" period of a few days, are ready to be tasted each one singularly, or blended to obtain a fine espresso coffee. I not use too much robusta in my blends, I think a 20% is enough, to give structure and a little more quantity of cream to the espresso, but not more to avoid the killing of the flowers-taste of the Arabica qualities.
Between a few months, two I hope, it will be ready my website www.artlifecaffe.com
Now you can see only a little on it, but soon it will organized for e-commerce, to sell directly my coffee blends and single-origin qualities.
If you have any question I'm able to answer, please write to me. I'll see what I can do....
malachi Senior Member Joined: 5 May 2002 Posts: 1,758 Location: SFCA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Monster Mia (for now)_ Grinder: Monster Cimballi Junior Vac Pot: Not any more Drip: never Roaster: Ecco, Stumptown, Intelli,...
Posted Mon Aug 23, 2004, 8:46am Subject: Re: Why Blend? The Case for Single Origin Espresso
artlifecaffe Said:
Ethiopian Sidamo washed no. 2 San Domingo Arabica Barahona AA Indian Arabica "Plantation A - Baba Budan" Brazilian Arabica Pergamino Sul de Minas Indian Arabica "Plantation Peaberry"
i've tasted origin espresso made with a couple of these (the Sul de Minas of course as well as the Sidamo), but i've never had the chance to cup the San Domingo (or anything like it) as an espresso. what's the flavour profile like?
merge03 Senior Member Joined: 28 Jul 2004 Posts: 31 Location: Boston, MA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Spaziale S1 Grinder: Rancilio Rocky Doserless Drip: no
Posted Mon Aug 23, 2004, 1:21pm Subject: Re: Why Blend? The Case for Single Origin Espresso
i went back and read the SO entries in the god shot blog at the start of this thread.
The author seems to make a compelling arguement for SO, not against it. In any market that trades in a commodity product, there will always be a general trend toward competing on price. When that comodity happens to be coffee, a product without clearly defined and instantly verifyable characteristics, you will also see a trend toward compromized quality as the search for higher profit margins battles competetive pricing.
The author points out that Differentiation allows the proprietor to charge higher prices for a unique and possibly better product (aka the high end resturaunt model). This can lead to higher profit margins assuming that costs are kept reasonable. Higher profit margins allow for better trained, knowledgable, and professional staff. And that last part, the staff, is by far the key ingredient in the quality of the finished product.
I grew up in an Italian family, drinking homogenized espresso for many years. Yup, they sought out and demanded that taste, the taste that espresso should taste like. They would spend hours after dinner arguing about how close this blend was to "perfect", and how little they paid for it. Usually price won. I don't like Robusta in my espresso, you can keep "traditional". Now that I've been exposed to higher quality blends and SO's, I've tasted the differences and the simularities to the "traditional taste" (as I was taught it). While that traditional taste is all well and good, it gets a bit boring after a time. Parts of that traditional taste are influenced by truly inferior coffee, and are truly inferior themselves.
Today, after a long road of education and departure from tradition, I prefer to drink good arabica blends and SO's over any "traditional" or "complete" blend. In the SO i find the good without the bad. Not that every SO is great or complete, but they are out there. Some SO's are just different espresso, and quite tasty in their own right.
Crappy coffee will always exist for the same reasons that crappy pizza exists. Cheap readily available bunk, a lack of complaints, and a customer who refuses to be educated. Half of the ones that do become educated won't drive (preferably walk) 5 minutes out of their way for the better product. Yes, there are exceptions to this, but CoffeeGeeks form a pretty small minority in our instant satisfaction world.
Just like good food and wine, espresso requires a few minutes to enjoy. It requires education to appreciate. And I think this is what leads us back to SO's, which allow us to enjoy the pure differntiation that blending emeliorates. But you already made these points to begin with. Even if SO's allow for nothing more than higher profit margins and better trained/paid staff, the coffee will be better for us all.
Since this thread is entirely based on personal taste, there is no correct answer. But I do like the discussion, and may even try some of the coffees I see mentioned herein.
also tasted origin espressos from Terroir (George Howell's company) this AM...
Brazil Cerrado, Daterra Farm - North Italian Roast Style 203F, 8.9BAR This was an incredibly fruit-forward espresso. Very sweet, with tropical fruit and honey in dominance. Notes of Banana, pineapple, passionfruit and a tannic banana-peel note. Lighter, creamy body with dense crema. A nice, clean and sweet espresso though perhaps a bit uncomplicated in flavour profile.
Brazil Cerrado, Daterra Farm - South Italian Roast Style 201F, 8.9BAR I would have to say that I don't know if I'd call this "South Italian" in roast - but I guess it would depend on your definition of Southern Italy. To me, this falls somewhere between a Florentine roast and a Roman roast. This is a very mellow and smooth espresso with dominant flavours of chocolate (both bittersweet and semi-sweet). There is some background spice and dry fruit as well as lovely leather/tobacco notes. The body is buttery and rich. A really good espresso. Balanced, with great finesse and polish. Works well as a straight shot or in short milk drinks.
Posted Sat Aug 28, 2004, 12:50pm Subject: Re: Why Blend? The Case for Single Origin Espresso
In effects, the region-style roasting has an important effect on the coffee's flavours. Raising the roasting time will increase the "toasted" flavour and decrease acid flavour, and that's the "Southern roasting", applied usually down from Rome to Sicily. Some friends told me that one of the best "Southern espresso" is made in Naples. The barmen are still using lever espresso makers, with their expert hands in pulling down them and creating the right pre-infusion into the filter.
Living in Ferrara, in the Northern Italy, I prefer the light roasting, because the fruit flavours remain in the bean more than other roasting levels. The acid is more present, but often it's well balanced.
Another demonstration that the roasting and the blending of the espresso qualities are more often an individual preference, and a question of latitude!
flydhest Senior Member Joined: 28 Jul 2003 Posts: 274 Location: Washington, DC Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Giotto Grinder: Mazzer Mini Roaster: Hottop
Posted Sun Aug 29, 2004, 11:43am Subject: Re: Why Blend? The Case for Single Origin Espresso
I've read this thread (and the blog piece that is the genesis) and I find it very interesting. However, it seems very odd to me that anyone could be quite as doctrinal as some are. Clearly the reasons to blend run gamut and the arguments for SO shots are compelling as well. Ultimately, though, I can't quite wrap my head around it being any more important that what you like to drink. Not an original thought, I know, but it just makes my headspin to see some of the rhetoric here. Case in point, the website for Terroir that Malachi linked and where one of the posters works, I think, has in the "about us" section a glaring statement to the effect that one oughtn't blend coffees and, as justification, states that fine wines are blended. Now, I understand the need for marketing hype and creating an image, but does this turn off any other oenophiles out there who know that the vast majority of the best wines in the world are blends? I actually think the analogy of the two foods (coffee and wine) is a reasonably good one (except that the producer does almost all the hard work for the wine whereas you still need someone with some skill to pull a good shot after the coffee is roasted and blended or not).
In any event, Malachi, I thought the blog piece was interesting and thought provoking.
SL28ave Senior Member Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 796 Location: Rockville, MD Expertise: I live coffee
Grinder: Baratza Virtuoso Drip: Technivorm
Posted Sun Aug 29, 2004, 12:07pm Subject: Re: Why Blend? The Case for Single Origin Espresso
I don't speak for George. So, I'll let him know your comment FLYDHEST; perhaps he will reply.
Are wines blended origins? Do you see Bordeaux/Barbaresco/Napa blends? The great blends you speak of are blended grape varieties from the same region, not blended origins. Correct me if I'm wrong.
The Daterra espresso IS A BLEND of two different coffees from the same farm.
**80% of it is from the tree variety Yellow Cattuai blended with Yellow Bourbon.
**20% is a staight Yellow Bourbon, I think grown specifically and exclusively for Terroir. At Daterra they took this Yellow Bourbon and planted the roots super deep, in essence starving the tree. The result was an amazing body, sweeetness, and a floral perfume (the perfume has becomes milder since the Winter purchase).
**These two coffees, from the same farm, are very different from each other in many regards. True, neither of them has the characteristics of an Yirgacheffe. But, we're not aiming to put every ingredient in the pot just because we can.
In that sense, we're not against blends. We do think that each origin is its own statement though, and a good one can and should stand on its own.
Perhaps in the future we will blend origins. But, we honestly don't even understand each origin enough yet to go that far, as to blend them. If we ever do blend origins, we will surely name each farm (if possible), and not give it some silly name like "roaster's blend" (especially at the tip of the quality pyramid artificial names shouldn't cut it; it's absolutely not fair to the farmers to remain anonymous).
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