What Is Single Origin Coffee? Unravelling the Mystery behind Single Origin & Blends

What Is Single Origin Coffee? Unravelling the Mystery behind Single Origin & Blends

If you get your daily caffeine fix from a coffee shop, the chances are that you have come across two exotic buzzwords “Single Origin”. They are more common words tossed between coffee connoisseurs, while regular coffee drinkers struggle to self-interpret. We all know origin denotes the place, region, or country of origin, but what do the two buzzwords mean? Are they important? Why are they so special? Could they be just a pretentious way to describe coffee roasts?

While most of us have never really understood what makes such coffee so special, read along as we demystify all the mysteries of single origin coffee and blends.

What is Single Origin Coffee?

Though a small phrase, the definition is often significant but simplified to coffee prepared with coffee beans from a single producer, region, place, or country. Also, some coffee labels go a step further and tell you the specific producer and estate name. The most important thing is traceability and flavour. Single origin coffee beans can come from a single farm, multiple farms, or one country. Therefore, consumers can know exactly where the coffee is from and what flavours are associated with coffee from that origin. They could be Kenyan AA coffee beans, full-bodied Ethiopian beans, or even the light-bodied Mexican beans. Origin beans tend to be seasonal depending on the growing season of the place of origin. They have a particular flavour and often available as Espresso roast or filter roast.

What Makes Single Origin Exclusively Special?

Mainly, clarity and flavour density are the key determinants that make origin coffee so appealing. Additionally, they create a more personal attribute of various coffee varieties as coffee drinkers can pinpoint where the coffee came from, by just a single sip. Coffee lovers argue that single-origin coffee is the only way to appreciate the true nature of individual coffee varieties fully. As a person who has enjoyed Sumatran and Ethiopian coffee blends for four years, I can confidently admit that it’s those charming Ethiopian origins that spur my senses of imagination and wonder back to life. Discussed below are three main reasons why people love single origin coffee.

First, origins have a distinct flavour. Due to their authenticity and accentuated taste, single-origin coffee has become a favourite menu in independent coffee shops. The brew has a unique flavour profile with finer nuances that can never be mistaken.  The climate, shade, altitude, and soil quality of the particular source region determines the flavour overtones in each coffee bean.

Secondly, traceability is of great importance among coffee lovers. Coffee drinkers should be able to distinguish coffee by not only its traits, but also by the origin. Single-origin coffee can be retraced back from where it was grown with confidence. Traceability further solidifies the reputation of the specific coffee farm, brand, or producer.

Lastly, quality is the most critical factor. Since single-origins are cultivated and processed in small amounts, farmers pay closer attention. They sort out the bad single origin coffee beans and inspect each batch for quality and flavour assurance.

It’s fascinating how a few years ago, single-origin coffee existed only in writing in coffee shops. Today, the coffee enjoys a nation-wide recognition thanks to the ‘Third Wave of Coffee’. It is a movement that started decades ago when many people enjoyed coffee as ‘just coffee’ with no attention to variations, such as roasting methods, processing methods, and geographical limitations. The movement geared a cultural shift to appreciate the diversity of coffee cultivation. It’s then that single-origin coffee gained momentum and people started recognising its authentic, high-quality, and intricate flavours. Characteristic flavour profiles include fruity, floral, spicy, bright, light body, and light mouthfeel.

What is Blended Coffee?

Coffee blends are coffee mixtures attained by roasting and mixing coffee beans from multiple regions together. Coffee blends take advantage of individual flavour found in different coffee beans to create a complementing profile of notes and flavours. A widespread blending practice involves pairing bright, exotic coffee with a more robust noted coffee to create a dark roasted blend. Though blending requires complex processes, baristas do it to attain a balanced and consistent flavour. Also, complex and rare smooth flavour profiles can be created to satisfy the most discerning tongues of coffee drinkers.

Many roasters tend to favour coffee blend, and for justifiable reasons. Apart from attaining a consistent product, coffee blends tend to take the edge of the harsher flavours of individual coffee variations. For example, a Guatemalan bean gives a bright apple-like acidity which many people don’t enjoy. A roaster, whose primary goal is to increase productivity and boost sales, will pair with an Indonesian mellow coffee bean to round out the acidity. This helps roasters appeal to a broader audience, thus driving sales.

Blends give a consistent complexity that many coffee drinkers like. Most consumers want coffee with excellent mouthfeel, acidity, good crema, aroma, and aftertaste. However, since no single coffee bean has all these qualities, blending becomes the only way to satisfaction. Standard blended flavour profiles include honey, caramel, chocolate, nuts, and hints of fruits.

Popular Blended Coffees

A perfect example would be a blend of Ethiopia and Sumatran (Indonesia) coffee beans. Ethiopian beans have an exotic fruity aroma while Sumatran has a spicy, woody, and earthy note. The resulting blend is a low-acidity full body coffee with a sophisticated contrast between earthy and fruity nuances.

Another popular blend consists of Guatemalan, Kenyan, and Mexican beans. Kenyan coffee has a fruity and floral aroma that pairs excellently with Guatemalan’s bright acidity beans. When the full-bodied, earthy Mexican beans are added, the mixture turns into a uniformly rounded symphony of deep flavours, smooth flavours and bright flavours.

How Does Blended Coffee Differ from Single Origin Coffee?

The main differences are availability, quality, flavour, traceability, and price.

Single-origin coffee tends to have a higher price than blends due to the complexity, close monitoring, and detailed production process. Also, they have a higher reputation to maintain which consumers have to pay for in terms of pricing. Another difference is availability. Blends are available all year round while single-origins’ availability is affected by geographical limitation and harvesting seasons.

Perhaps the most notable difference is flavour and taste. Single-origin coffee has a distinct taste since specific notes, and flavour overtones get strongly accentuated. On the other hand, blends focus on creating a symphony of flavours which many people adore. Blends tend to provide consistent, delicious flavours and a balance between acidity, body, and taste.