Everything you would like to ask about Single Origin coffees
Coffees of unique origin, with special and unique flavors.
Anyone who loves espresso, but also with coffee in general, is unlikely to have heard the term "single-origin coffee". Identified with the "Third Wave of Coffee", as well as with options of superior quality, single origin coffees are a clear trend among the audience of coffee drinkers, who are looking for special emotions from their cup.
Let's get to know monoculture coffees better, while dispelling some popular misconceptions around them.
What does the term single variety coffee mean?
By "single origin", we mean coffee that comes from a specific geographical area and belongs (usually) to a specific variety, in contrast to coffee blends, which include more than one variety of coffee. Often, under the general term "single variety" coffee are different things, but they have in common the narrow geographical origin.
A coffee can be characterized as "single origin" and include coffee beans from the same country, the same region, the same producer or the same plantation, while in even more specialized cases, there are coffees with a really high level of traceability, as they include beans specific crops from specific parts of a plantation.
It is important to emphasize that a single origin coffee is by no means "better" than a blend just because of this property. There are excellent single-variety coffees on the market, but there are also cases where moderate coffees use the increased demand for single origin options purely in marketing terms. After all, it is enough to consider that each blend is nothing but the mixing of single-variety coffees. Whether we prefer to drink blends or single-variety coffees, it is always important to get good coffee that satisfies our personal taste.
How is single variety coffee different from coffee blends?
Coffee is a natural product and its taste is influenced by many factors, such as country of origin, altitude, microclimate, soil composition, rainfall rate - all factors known to the wine world as " terroir ”, which signifies exactly this set of little things that shape the final taste.
In a single variety coffee, the organoleptic elements of the coffee are clearly more distinct than in a blend. By trying different coffees of unique origin, we can explore the taste of coffee in greater depth, realizing that different factors affect the taste of coffee. Also, coffees from specific countries tend to have common characteristics with each other, so if we have shaped our taste in coffee, we can move towards safe options without much risk. For example, if we love the acidity in our cup, we know that African coffees will satisfy us a lot, while if we prefer milder, "round" coffees with chocolate notes, we should turn to Central America.
The same of course applies to the delicious notes of coffee. In a coffee from a specific region and a specific variety, the delicious notes are clearly easier to distinguish than a blend, which by its nature is more "rounded", without naturally falling short in taste.
This basic advantage of single variety coffees is a disadvantage for many coffee lovers. Blends are designed to emphasize some desirable features and tame some that are considered by many to be undesirable, such as excessive acidity or some special flavor notes. There are single-variety coffees (especially from Africa or Asia) that may seem "weird" to untrained palates, but at the same time extremely adventurous to others - it's all a matter of personal taste.
Single origin options for every taste at Coffees.gr
Buondi Single Origin Honduras: A great opportunity to get to know the coffees of Central America, with a 100% Arabica coffee from Honduras, which overflows with special flavor notes such as tea, orange, cocoa and molasses, and a delicious sweet aftertaste.
Cosmai Dodoma: The exoticism of African coffees in a 100% Arabica coffee from the volcanic soils of Tanzania, characterized by alcoholic acidity and at the same time full body.
Cosmai Raja: Even those who are skeptical of Robusta will appreciate this 100% Robusta coffee from India, which has a firm body and a full, earthy taste with woody notes.
Illy Arabica Selection Guatemala: Notes of caramel, chocolate and honey in an extremely popular selection from the Huehuetenango area of Guatemala. This coffee is one of the varieties that compose the legendary signature blend of Illy and the ideal opportunity to immerse yourself in the unique coffee of Guatemala.
Lavazza Tierra Colombia: The Lavazza Tierra range is a guarantee of quality and the single-variety Tierra Colombia is of course no exception. The cup is dominated by notes of tropical fruits, while suspicions of lime and jasmine appear. The grains come from the mountainous region of Meta, which until recently was a theater of civil strife.
If you want to explore the taste and aromas of espresso in depth, single variety coffees are a great choice. After all, good coffee is always important, the coffee we deserve.
