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 Rich Abker on
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Hey Jason,
You left us all with only questions :-) so I am going to leave a question that questions your questions : -)
Should you buy a bottle of wine to go with dinner, at a restaurant, is it about the bottle, the wine glass, or
the flavors of the wine? Why do most wineries blend their product? Why part Zinfedel, part Merlot, and part Malbec?
By the way-if you are a red wine lover, try this fabulous wiine called, Menage a Trois, Folie a deux! Wow!
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Permalink Reply by Jason Haeger on
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Rich Abker said:
This is a perfect example of the ill-fitting nature of the coffee/wine analogy.Hey Jason,
You left us all with only questions :-) so I am going to leave a question that questions your questions : -)
Should you buy a bottle of wine to go with dinner, at a restaurant, is it about the bottle, the wine glass, or
the flavors of the wine? Why do most wineries blend their product? Why part Zinfedel, part Merlot, and part Malbec?
By the way-if you are a red wine lover, try this fabulous wiine called, Menage a Trois, Folie a deux! Wow!
I'm not sure I can clarify my questions. They are pretty concise, but not condensed.
I am indeed a red wine lover. I'll keep an eye out for it!
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Permalink Reply by Stickman on
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Wines are blended for the exact same reasons as espresso blends - because the sum is better than the parts. But when you have a really good part (say a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir or an NZ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc) then no blending is necessary and it's worth pairing food with wine and NOT wine with food. Some go with meat, others game, others poultry...Just as some espresso goes better with milk, others with water, others straight up.....I think it's a big world of coffee out there and we have a lot to know. But again there are differeing levels of Sommelier accreditation and none is necessary to know a good cup. Like art on your wall; it's good if you like it.
A bit random, the above thoughts!
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Permalink Reply by Brady on
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I know the wine-coffee analogy has been done to death, and fails in several key areas, but actually think its pretty apt in this case. So here goes:
First I don't agree with the statement that "most wineries blend their wines" - that may be true in Europe, but here in the US that is the exception, not the rule, with premium wines. As I look around my neighborhood wine store, I see giant sections for single region-single grape wines, with a smaller sections for blended reds from different areas. Personally, I love a nice blend for everyday (Coppola Roso is a favorite). But for special dinners, I go for a great single-grape bottle.
Maybe this is the approach that espresso should take... a good all around blend for everyday, with a SO available when it is really good for those that want a purer expression of the coffee of that region. So in Jason's terms... maybe sometimes its about the cup, sometimes its about the coffee.
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"I don't agree with the statement that "most wineries blend their
wines"---Brady
Have you found a winery that offers only straight grape varietals? OK, maybe there are a few, its possible.
I am not looking for agreement. In fact I do not think any opinion should be supressed by another. Questioning a point of view is a learning tool. I love the passion that I see in our community and in this group. I love to question aspects of our industry, and see others do it. It is one of the ways of learning from each other.
The world would be dull with only one point of view. All of you have good points, I feel the energy :-)
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My guess is that many US wineries do offer a blend or two, but that the majority of their offerings are single grape wines. I say this based on what I see on store shelves as a wine consumer. This does strike me as being the way most US wine consumers buy their wine... they'll look for a Cabernet Sauvingnon or a Chardonnay if buying domestic. As an example, here's the website for my town's largest wine store (it's the only one that has a website):
http://www.wineaccess.com/store/totalwine-matthews/our-catalog.html
Lots of varietals, a few blends.
Getting back to the original discussion, I like the idea of offering good SO espressos. If we want our customers to eventually order only espressos and cappuccinos, that provides a nice opportunity for variety, adventure, and seasonal celebration within the context of those drinks. Sure beats celebrating the change of seasons by offering a pumpkin spice latte, eh?
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Brady said:So in Jason's terms... maybe sometimes its about the cup, sometimes its about the coffee.
Exactly. We could all learn to embrace such balance. (myself included.. I am learning with time)
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Amen, Jason!
Happy Birthday Brady!
Good discussion.
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Permalink Reply by Ed Whitman on
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Nice job Sean and the Temple family.
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Permalink Reply by John Cunningham on
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I'm the roaster for topeca coffee. we are a seed to cup roastary. one part of our company owns several fincas and a mill in el salvador. then we roast the coffee state side. what this means is that all of our coffee including our espresso is single origin. something interesting about this concept is that the espresso is a single origin blend consisting of bourbon, and typica. these coffees are grown at different altitudes (HG and SHG) and then subject to differing processes (washed, semi washed or demucilaged, or even natrual) then through roasting and blending we have been able to create some great espresso blends. i'd proudly serve our current single origin espresso blend right next to anything else in the industry.
p.s. you should try a salvadorian natural, it'll blow your mind. it can taste very african.
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