Choosing the right bean

Have you found your favorite coffee yet? If not, read along and you are on the right path to find the bean(s) of your destiny!

Origin, Origin, Origin

Where the coffee is grown makes a huge influence on the taste in your cup. Imagine you're on a world tour, but instead of visiting countries, you're exploring coffee origins. Each coffee bean has a backstory that's more exciting than a celebrity’s Instagram story. You've got the earthy tones of Indian beans, the fruity explosion of Ethiopian coffee, and the chocolatey smoothness of Brazilian coffee. Do you want to taste the Amazon rainforest or the African savannah in your cup? Don’t pick your poison, pick your origins.

Besides exploring the unique taste of single origins, you might want to go for a more balanced option, where it has a bit of everything fine-tuned. This is when blends come in handy. A coffee blend is a mixture of more than one origin, intending to create a pleasant and balanced cup. Usually, blends are used in cafes to make espresso-based drinks and those blends consist of a neutral coffee as a base, a touch of fruit hints, and maybe a little punch of boldness (and extra caffeine) with robusta.

Roast Profile: Light, Medium, or Dark?

It depends on the roastery on how they decide the roast level, but generally, you can put coffee roasting in 3 categories:

- Light: vibrant, crisp and retaining the coffee’s original flavors. High acidity and most fruity (if the beans have fruity characteristics). Highly appreciated by specialty coffee lovers since they can “taste the origin” and play around with layers of flavors while brewing and tasting.

- Medium: more developed, sweeter, less acidic and more caramelized. This is a safe choice if you are wondering which direction to go. Personally, this kind of coffee is the easiest to brew a better cup, compared to brewing light or dark roasts.

- Dark: what you would imagine traditional coffee tastes like. It gives a strong, bold and maybe a little punch feeling. Though the original flavors are faded, dark-roasted coffee is a fantastic choice for most people (especially if you drink coffee with milk) as it is familiar, high intensity in dark chocolate, caramel and nuttiness

Certifications

If you're the kind of person who cares about the world as much as your morning brew, then consider the ethical side of coffee. Look for Fair Trade, Organic, Rainforest Alliance certifications and Female Farmed coffees. Choosing sustainably sourced beans means you're supporting farmers, protecting the environment, and ensuring the coffee industry's future. It's like being a superhero but with a coffee cup instead of a cape.

Experimentation: Live Life on the Edge

Coffee beans are like the Beatles; there's the classic stuff everyone knows, but there's also the deep-cut, experimental stuff that only the true fans appreciate. Don't be afraid to try something new! Limited edition beans, organic/fair trade blends, or even cold brew variations of single origins – your coffee journey should be a thrilling rollercoaster ride every now and then, not a monotonous commute.

Conclusion

Choosing your favorite coffee bean is a fun adventure, filled with flavors, aromas, and experiences waiting to be explored. From the exotic origins to the roast profiles and flavor notes, there's a whole world of coffee out there. So, the next time you venture into a coffee shop or the supermarket, remember these tips and choose your coffee bean like a pro. Happy sipping, and may your coffee always be as bold as your spirit when taking the risk of trying new things!

As always, feel free to ask us anything you concern about coffee, especially choosing coffee for you or as a gift. The best way is at our store and roastery where you can smell and maybe taste the coffee before buying. If not, we are always ready to answer you online anywhere you can find us!

Long Nguyen, head roaster