S-O What? Single Origin Espresso Article
Imbibe magazine came out with a very cool article about Single Origin espresso and if it is the Zenith of specialty coffee, or justa flash in the demitasse. Interesting to read and some cool quotes from some industry peeps.
Pick up the issue at your local retailer as it also includes "Top 100 Places in the US to Drink Beer"! :)
Full article is attached below.
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IM15_58-63.pdf, 917 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jason Dominy on
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I saw the article the other day, and I thought it was a great article. I really like the fact that it really looked at it from a culinary perspective.....
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Permalink Reply by Arno Kamphuis on
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Okay, this was a nice article... And here is my opinion on the subject:
Single-origin is absolutely the way to go for coffee enthusiasts. You want to know where the coffee is coming from, and what type/species it is. Is it Typica, Bourbon or Caturra? Where is the farm located? And with that I do NOT mean Brazil or Kenya, but rather the real location, for example 100 km west of Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia. This way you can really understand where the coffee is coming from and how it has acquired the taste. Because saying something like: "Here I have a Brazil coffee, and therefore it tastes great" is absolutely crap!! There are Brazil coffees that are great, but also very crappy.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy a nice blend. And especially for people who just drink coffee for coffee ('regular' people). But to really get to understand coffee, and really taste what it is about you have to go to S.O.
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Permalink Reply by Benza Lance on
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Temple what what!?!?!!!
thats right.
reppin.
it was the 100 best beer places article that made me go to brouwers while up at coffeefest
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Permalink Reply by Sam Purvis on
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On the topic of Single Origin Espresso,
I absolutely love some of the single origins I have been able to taste pulled as espresso. And I absolutely love some of the of the blends that I have been able to taste as well. I was able to get a great double of PT's espresso last week and would fully recommend....lots of fruit in the cup (dried apricot/cherry/raisin) but not overpowering. The high notes build on a nice, nice foundational body.
I digress...back to SO. From a roasters perspective (a roaster who keeps a tight eye on how the espresso performs in the cup) is there a different approach to roast an origin coffee for espresso? If I grabbed the El Salvador Los Planes and pulled as espresso would this be wrong as the coffee has been roasted at a profile for the french press or pour-over? Ideally would I want the Los Planes roasted at an Espresso profile?
Sincerely,
Sam Purvis
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Permalink Reply by Stickman on
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In response to Sam Purvis' notes...
I think the beans should be roasted to the profile that best suits the bean. As I understand it some beans work well at 420 and others need 445 or whatever. I shot some SO El Salvador as espresso the other day and as a french press as well and as I recall the roast temp was under 425. It came out nice, bright, thick and full of flavour with no nastiness in the taste at all. I wish I had more of it to play with in the Marzocco so I could offer better profiles. I need to stay longer after hours!
I reckon we should mess around with the beans and brew them up in as many ways as possible - drip, chemex, press, espresso, siphon... Our industry is still in the alchemical stages and we need to be making notes of our findings.
Sam Purvis said:On the topic of Single Origin Espresso,
I absolutely love some of the single origins I have been able to taste pulled as espresso. And I absolutely love some of the of the blends that I have been able to taste as well. I was able to get a great double of PT's espresso last week and would fully recommend....lots of fruit in the cup (dried apricot/cherry/raisin) but not overpowering. The high notes build on a nice, nice foundational body.
I digress...back to SO. From a roasters perspective (a roaster who keeps a tight eye on how the espresso performs in the cup) is there a different approach to roast an origin coffee for espresso? If I grabbed the El Salvador Los Planes and pulled as espresso would this be wrong as the coffee has been roasted at a profile for the french press or pour-over? Ideally would I want the Los Planes roasted at an Espresso profile?
Sincerely,
Sam Purvis
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Stickman,
Thank you for the input. I am big believer in taste being the ultimate test and as you say, yes, we need to be documenting what each of us are finding as a result of tasting & experimenting with the number of variables involved in producing, roasting & preparation.
Who roasts for you and what kind of SO are they sourcing for you? Are they tasting their SO espresso and making adjustments in the profile?
Sincerely,
Sam Purvis
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Permalink Reply by Ian McCarthy on
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Is single-origin, micro-lot, specialty-grade, direct-exchange, "relationship" coffee the "zenith"? Perhaps. I think it can still get better. But espresso? All these things you spoke of, Arno, 'Terroir', what makes each bean unique, this is a truly beautiful thing, but I do not think espresso is the method that allows all coffees to sing. The espresso enthusiasts I know spend alot more time talking about grams-per-dose and water temperature stability, then, say, Elevation. Espresso, to me, seems to remove the bean from its origin, (and its place as an agricultural product), and make it something that comes from a machine. Not that I am knocking S-O. To date, the best shot of espresso I have ever had was Stumtown Carmen estate, at coffeehouse northwest. But was it any "better" than a pour-over of Carmen estate? No, Absolutely not. Different, but not better.
Arno Kamphuis said:Okay, this was a nice article... And here is my opinion on the subject:
Single-origin is absolutely the way to go for coffee enthusiasts. You want to know where the coffee is coming from, and what type/species it is. Is it Typica, Bourbon or Caturra? Where is the farm located? And with that I do NOT mean Brazil or Kenya, but rather the real location, for example 100 km west of Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia. This way you can really understand where the coffee is coming from and how it has acquired the taste. Because saying something like: "Here I have a Brazil coffee, and therefore it tastes great" is absolutely crap!! There are Brazil coffees that are great, but also very crappy.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy a nice blend. And especially for people who just drink coffee for coffee ('regular' people). But to really get to understand coffee, and really taste what it is about you have to go to S.O.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Haeger on
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Hear Hear!
I think you encompassed the heart of the matter pretty neatly.
Stickman said:In response to Sam Purvis' notes...
I think the beans should be roasted to the profile that best suits the bean. As I understand it some beans work well at 420 and others need 445 or whatever. I shot some SO El Salvador as espresso the other day and as a french press as well and as I recall the roast temp was under 425. It came out nice, bright, thick and full of flavour with no nastiness in the taste at all. I wish I had more of it to play with in the Marzocco so I could offer better profiles. I need to stay longer after hours!
I reckon we should mess around with the beans and brew them up in as many ways as possible - drip, chemex, press, espresso, siphon... Our industry is still in the alchemical stages and we need to be making notes of our findings.
Sam Purvis said:On the topic of Single Origin Espresso,
I absolutely love some of the single origins I have been able to taste pulled as espresso. And I absolutely love some of the of the blends that I have been able to taste as well. I was able to get a great double of PT's espresso last week and would fully recommend....lots of fruit in the cup (dried apricot/cherry/raisin) but not overpowering. The high notes build on a nice, nice foundational body.
I digress...back to SO. From a roasters perspective (a roaster who keeps a tight eye on how the espresso performs in the cup) is there a different approach to roast an origin coffee for espresso? If I grabbed the El Salvador Los Planes and pulled as espresso would this be wrong as the coffee has been roasted at a profile for the french press or pour-over? Ideally would I want the Los Planes roasted at an Espresso profile?
Sincerely,
Sam Purvis
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I don't think we should kid ourselves into thinking that there is "a" zenith. If there were one declared, I would henceforth declare its declaration to be of arbitrary origins.
Ian McCarthy said:Is single-origin, micro-lot, specialty-grade, direct-exchange, "relationship" coffee the "zenith"? Perhaps. I think it can still get better. But espresso? All these things you spoke of, Arno, 'Terroir', what makes each bean unique, this is a truly beautiful thing, but I do not think espresso is the method that allows all coffees to sing. The espresso enthusiasts I know spend alot more time talking about grams-per-dose and water temperature stability, then, say, Elevation. Espresso, to me, seems to remove the bean from its origin, (and its place as an agricultural product), and make it something that comes from a machine. Not that I am knocking S-O. To date, the best shot of espresso I have ever had was Stumtown Carmen estate, at coffeehouse northwest. But was it any "better" than a pour-over of Carmen estate? No, Absolutely not. Different, but not better.
Arno Kamphuis said:Okay, this was a nice article... And here is my opinion on the subject:
Single-origin is absolutely the way to go for coffee enthusiasts. You want to know where the coffee is coming from, and what type/species it is. Is it Typica, Bourbon or Caturra? Where is the farm located? And with that I do NOT mean Brazil or Kenya, but rather the real location, for example 100 km west of Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia. This way you can really understand where the coffee is coming from and how it has acquired the taste. Because saying something like: "Here I have a Brazil coffee, and therefore it tastes great" is absolutely crap!! There are Brazil coffees that are great, but also very crappy.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy a nice blend. And especially for people who just drink coffee for coffee ('regular' people). But to really get to understand coffee, and really taste what it is about you have to go to S.O.
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Permalink Reply by Rich Abker on
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Personally I like the idea of experimenting with single origin coffees as espresso drinks. I can see them being offered as a special SO tasting, or as single origin espresso of the week. This would be similiar to offering SO's from a drip brew, as some coffee bars offer now.
However, I am not climbing on the "bandwagon" to replace the blends that are the chosen recipes from the good roasters. Some roasters take years to achieve just the right balance in aroma, taste, and complex flavors. Read any experts definition on espresso, and it will always say that the coffee is specifically blended for the espresso flavor extraction.
The espresso blend is not formulated to produce an all purpose blend that is safe, and pleases all palates. Maybe the King of Beers was meant to do that, but not espresso. Espresso is a concentration of coffee flavor molecules that explodes in the mouth and offers taste complexity, just like a good red wine does.
Yes an espresso blend is a formula, a personal recipe of the roaster. Personally, while I love to reach out and find other coffee nuances to enjoy, like; Jamaican Blue Mountian, Sumatran, Ethiopians, Kona, and many other high growns, many will agree with me that there are few single origin beans that would leave such a harmonious flavor foot print, as could a great blend. Especially in milk based drinks.
That being said, I forsee a popular trend in SO espresso, it may be a long term trend, or it may run the gamut in as little as two or three years. Much of its success depends on baristas who know their craft, understand the history and importance of the espresso blend, and the degree of acceptance by the normal consumer.
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Rich Abker said:Personally I like the idea of experimenting with single origin coffees as espresso drinks. I can see them being offered as a special SO tasting, or as single origin espresso of the week. This would be similiar to offering SO's from a drip brew, as some coffee bars offer now.
However, I am not climbing on the "bandwagon" to replace the blends that are the chosen recipes from the good roasters. Some roasters take years to achieve just the right balance in aroma, taste, and complex flavors. Read any experts definition on espresso, and it will always say that the coffee is specifically blended for the espresso flavor extraction.
The espresso blend is not formulated to produce an all purpose blend that is safe, and pleases all palates. Maybe the King of Beers was meant to do that, but not espresso. Espresso is a concentration of coffee flavor molecules that explodes in the mouth and offers taste complexity, just like a good red wine does.
Yes an espresso blend is a formula, a personal recipe of the roaster. Personally, while I love to reach out and find other coffee nuances to enjoy, like; Jamaican Blue Mountian, Sumatran, Ethiopians, Kona, and many other high growns, many will agree with me that there are few single origin beans that would leave such a harmonious flavor foot print, as could a great blend. Especially in milk based drinks.
That being said, I forsee a popular trend in SO espresso, it may be a long term trend, or it may run the gamut in as little as two or three years. Much of its success depends on baristas who know their craft, understand the history and importance of the espresso blend, and the degree of acceptance by the normal consumer.
This begs the question. Is it about the coffee, or is it about the cup? Is taste the only morality, or is reality more complex than that?
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