One of the most notable aspects of the rising specialty coffee movement is the buzz about single origin coffee. If you have ever been around coffee geeks (a title of respect), then you have probably heard the almost foreign jargon of floral notes, honey-processed, low acidity and other seemingly meaningless phrases.
These are all terms that are used in particular to describe the process and flavour profile of different single origin coffees. In this article we will briefly walk through three reasons that every coffee lover ought to get into single origin coffees.
What is Single Origin Coffee?
Single origin coffee is much as the name suggests. It is coffee beans that have been harvested from a single place of origin whether a single coffee farm or a single specific crop. In particular it is distinguished from blends which are coffee beans which have been mixed from several different countries to highlight certain flavour characteristics.
Single origin beans are usually brewed as black coffee as milk and additives dilute the specific flavour profile of the given beans.
Single Origin Is Interesting
The first reason that coffee lovers should embrace the single origin buzz is that this adds to the overall coffee experience. It is now generally accepted that for many coffee lovers, coffee is more than just a taste we enjoy but it is a hobby, a passion, a ritual. The enthusiasts at The Better Sip share that going down the single origin route is a great way to add another level to your coffee experience.
It is simply a lot of fun and incredibly interesting to begin buying coffee one month from Columbia, the next from India, the next from Hawaii. You begin to get a greater appreciation for the sheer scope of the coffee industry.
Single Origin helps you to compare Flavour Notes
The second reason we recommend single origin coffee is that it trains you to taste and appreciate different flavour notes. In a cafe you might have seen a picture of what is called the coffee flavour wheel. It is a circle with lots of colours and lots of different tasting words like fig, mandarin, charcoal, chocolate, and funk. The truth is that there is a far wider range of flavours present in different coffee beans that many coffee lovers realise.
By beginning to use single origin beans you begin the journey to discover and compare different flavour notes (similar to tasting notes in wine). For example if you buy some beans from Kenya one month and Brazil the next you will notice that they are surprisingly different ever if you use the exact same brewing process.
Single Origin Helps you find what coffee you enjoy the best.
The final and most significant advantage of single origin beans is that they will; help you over time to discover what coffee you enjoy the best. Many coffee lovers are far too easily satisfied when it comes to coffee beans. The truth is that each coffee lover comes to coffee with a slightly different palate and slightly different preferences. By experimenting with single origin coffee you will begin to find out what flavour notes do it for you and what don’t.
So in summary, we highly recommend coffee lovers to try out single origin coffee. This is a great and simple way to add a whole other level to your coffee experience. If you are not sure where to start we recommend trying out lifeboost coffee. This is organic, ethically-sourced single origin coffee from a farm within Nicaragua.