Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/689634
s p r i n g / s u m m e r 2 0 1 6 | 6 9 and greater understanding of the coffee industry," explains Head Roaster Leslie Mah of San Francisco– based Ritual Coffee. "It also allows various taste nuances within coffee to be correlated with terroir, varieties, processing and even defects." The similarities in terminology between cof- fee beans and grapes are very evident. Terms like vintage, varieties, terroir, ripeness, fermentation and blending are commonly used for both. Single-origin coffees take full advantage of this focus on coffee bean detail, and many of these coffees display the variety, processing date and sub-region on their packaging. As Giorgio Milos says, "You really taste the difference between single-origin coffees." It is relatively easy to acknowledge the acidic, berry fruit character of Ethiopian coffee when tasting it next to the spicy, chocolate character of Brazilian coffee. Fervent supporters of single-origin coffee feel that regional characteristics of different varieties from unique locations around the world are lost in a blend. In their minds, it's impossible to coordinate characteristics of each variety's extrac- tion, solubility and roasting level in a blend without somehow compromising the final experience. Oppo- nents argue the "seasonality" of single-origin coffees can make the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that you had last year taste totally different this year. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as just picking single-origin or blends. Additionally, particular styles of coffee seem to favor certain coffee preparation styles. Espresso, for example, is usually a blend. As Leslie Mah explains, "Due to the concentration and focused presentation of flavors, blends are largely used for espresso because it can offer a more com- prehensive taste experience." Alexandrea Littlejohn agrees, saying, "Blends in espresso are much more forgiving and easier to dial in." PHOTO COURTESY OF ILLY PHOTO COURTESY OF EQUATOR COFFFEE ■cr can make the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that you had last year taste totally different this year. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as just picking single-origin or blends. Additionally, particular styles of coffee seem to favor certain coffee preparation styles. Espresso, for example, is usually a blend. As Leslie Mah explains, "Due to the concentration and focused presentation of flavors, blends are largely used for espresso because it can offer a more com prehensive taste experience." Alexandrea Littlejohn agrees, saying, "Blends in espresso are much more forgiving and easier to dial in." PHOTO COURTESY OF EQUATOR COFFFEE Espresso coffee preparation highlights the biggest variable in coffee preparation: you, how you make your coffee and what you add to it. That has become much more complicated, as preparation processes like cold brew, cold drip and Chemex/pour-over weren't even talked about ten years ago. As Milos says, "Coffee has transformation. The consumer is part of the process, the winemaker—if you will—in making the final product. The transformation pro- cess you choose can totally change the taste of your blend or your single-origin coffee." King's Row goes a step further, designing their blends with where you drink them in mind: "The same cup of coffee, regardless of quality, will taste entirely different in certain settings due to the extrinsic effects of those settings on our palate's reference point," explains Shelton. As small production gets bigger, and as we drink drips with a specific "vibe" in mind, I think it's safe to say that many of us have moved past the days of freeze-dried Folgers and into a more complicated, but ultimately higher-quality, coffee experience. Illy's Master Barrista Giorgio Milos. Alexandra Littlejohn, Director of Wholesale for Equator Coffee.