20 Important Questions To ASK ABOUT Coffee Beans Before Buying It
The Best Fresh Coffee Beans
If you're looking for the best coffee, purchase whole beans from a local roaster or coffee shop. A shop that sells various blends could be a good choice.
Thunder Bolt by Koffee Kult is a dark French Roast with a delicious, rich flavor. It's a bit more expensive but it's organic1, fair-trade2 and contains no additives.
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
Famous for its delicate aroma and citrusy taste, the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is one of the most prized coffee beans in the world. It's also a good source of antioxidants. It's best to avoid milk and sugar to maintain its distinctive flavor profile. It is great with food items that are savory to balance the sweet-salty. It's a great afternoon pick-me up.
Ethiopia is often regarded as the place of origin for coffee. According to legend, a goat herder named Kaldi noticed that his flock was more energetic after eating red berries that grew in a nearby plant home. He decided to try the berries himself and noticed they had a significant effect on his energy levels. The herder shared the berry with his family and this is how coffee was first consumed.
In the Yirgacheffe region of Sidamo, Ethiopia, coffee is usually "washed" or wet processed. This helps to eliminate bitter taste and to create the fresh, bright taste. In the mid-2000s, global coffee prices soared to unsustainable levels, which affected many farmers in Ethiopia. However the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU) was successful in helping the farmers to remain in business by implementing their fair trade initiatives and empowerment to bargain with the market. This led to an era of fruit-flavored single origin Ethiopian coffees that are referred to as the "new naturals." Today, the world is once again enjoying the distinctive fruity, floral and citrusy taste of the Yirgacheffe bean.
Geisha
Geisha is among the most expensive coffee beans expensive coffee beans around the world. It has a delicate tea flavor that has hints of mango, peach and raspberry. It also has a soft taste similar to black tea. But is it truly worth the price price?
The Geisha variety was first discovered in the highland region of Gesha (it got misspelled in the process) in Western Ethiopia in the 1930s by the British consul. The seeds were later transported to CATIE in Costa Rica, and finally to Panama by late Francisco Serracin, known as Don Pachi. The Peterson family experimented with it at their Hacienda Esmeralda Farm and found that it gave flavors with balance and elegance.
Geisha is more than just a great coffee; it has a profound impact on the communities that produce it. It allows farmers to reinvest profits into improving farming practices and quality processes. This improves the quality of all coffee varieties that they grow.
However, many regular coffee lovers refuse to try it because of the high quality coffee beans price tag. Geisha coffee is definitely worth the price. The Sakura season is the ideal time to drink it so do yourself an favor and grab some!
Ethiopian Harrar
Many consider it to be one of the most excellent barista coffee beans beans in the world The Ethiopian Harrar is full-bodied and exotic. This coffee is a dry processed (natural) arabica that comes from the Oromia region, previously Harrar in southern Ethiopia at elevations between 4,500 to 6,300 feet. It has a distinct acidity that is accompanied by the wine-like fruitiness, and a pronounced mocha flavor.
The coffee is picked and dried in the spring. It is then fermented, and released its aromas and tastes. Contrary to commercial coffees, this one is free of chemicals and is low in calories. It has many health benefits, including decreasing the risk of developing Alzheimer's. It is a great source of antioxidants, and is a good source of other nutrients. It is recommended to take a cup of Ethiopian Harrar with a full stomach to get the most benefits.
Ethiopian Harrar, one of the most sought-after coffees in the world originates from the region's easternmost part of Ethiopia. It is grown close to the town's walled city, which is a historical landmark of Harrar and is located at the highest altitudes. This coffee is a unique blend that can be enjoyed as espresso or lattes.
The coffee is hand-sorted and then harvested, and finally dried in traditional cloth bags. This method preserves aromas and improves flavor. It is also a more sustainable method. It can be brewed using any method of brewing but is most suitable to a French Press or Pour Over.
Monsooned Malabar
One of the most unique and well-known beans in the world Monsooned Malabar is a chocolatey woody and nutty blend that has almost no acidity. Its name is derived by the "monsooning" process as well as the region where it originates the most arid region of India, the mountainous area Malabar that includes Karnataka and Kerala.
The origin of this coffee is believed to be apocryphal. In the British Raj period, large wooden vessels were used to transport raw coffee to Europe. On the way the wind and humidity caused the beans to naturally dry and resulted in a light off white color. Once they arrived in Europe they were discovered to have a distinctive and delicious flavor profile.
This unique and specialized coffee processing, also known as monsooning, is still being practiced to today in Keezhanthoor the hamlet that is high-end cocooned in the Western Ghats and surrounded by small-scale tribal farmers who are committed to delivering the highest quality beans. They produce a full-bodied smooth, aromatic coffee that has notes of baker's cocoa, syrupy sweetness and a subtle vanilla.
This coffee is ideal for espresso or cafe crème. It can be enjoyed alone or paired with more fruity coffees. Pour-overs, like in the Bialetti Moka Pot, are also very popular. Because of its lower acidity, Monsooned Malabar can stand up to the heat, too.