A roasters’ job is to bring out the unique flavor profiles in the green bean through the roasting process. This is done either through use of a single origin bean, or by creating a blend that shows off the best characteristics in beans of multiple origins.
Single origin means that the coffee is sourced from a single country or region and can be as specific as a single farm. A single origin coffee is special because it represents the place it comes from and its taste is unique. However, it can be tricky to rely on one bean for coffee production, as the availability varies throughout the year depending on the yields and seasons.
When a roaster wishes to produce a coffee all year round, that will be familiar, delicious and consistent, he will often decide to create a blend of a variety of beans with multiple origins. Blending creates a complexity in taste by taking advantage of the best characteristics in a single origin bean, and complimenting it with another. This is where roasting becomes an art form.
There is a fine art to understanding the balance of tastes, aromas, mouth feels and crema. And the art lies in experimentation, trial and error, tasting, smelling, and all the touchy, feely stuff of a real sensual experience. Blending creates a balance of tastes which is appealing to coffee drinkers due to its consistency and smoothness, it also helps to soften the edges on the more bitter notes in coffee, making it a rare and layered drinking experience which will have you asking for another cup!
In this climate of espresso based drinks, latte art, various milks and health conscious earth warriors, blends are most suited to our lattes and cappuccinos and the Arabica bean has a lower caffeine content than the Robusta variety. Therefore, our ‘House Blend’ is made with only the highest quality Arabica beans sourced from various farms in Africa and South America.
In a nutshell (or rather in a coffee bean) we blend because it is an opportunity to taste beans from all around the world. It is an occasion for sharing, playing and experimenting and it allows us to produce a coffee that is lovable, reliable and unique.
When Guy started roasting, he relished the opportunity to taste coffee from all around the world, to share it with his customers and to play with flavors until he found that perfect cup.