When single-origin coffees are harvested from around the world and blended together this creates a coffee "blend". So, does this weaken the flavor of the origin? Does it mean that inferior or lower quality beans are being used?
Well let me put it this way... Would you cook with just one ingredient? Would you paint a masterpiece in just one color? Do you spice your food with just one spice?
Most people would answer, no, that would taste bland and be pretty boring! To create something delicious and complex, we use multiple spices and flavors to create a blend of taste that highlights the item we're cooking. Coffee is also a food product and it's no different.
Don't get me wrong, coffee from one origin can taste great by itself without being blended. Each region has it's own unique flavor profile. But they are just not going to be complex. That said, some people may prefer more simple flavors, a delicate tea-like body, with lots of earthiness and brightness. If this is true for you, then single-origin coffees are going to delight you!
However, when you blend multiple single-origin coffee beans, you create a beautiful symphony with rich complexities that you will never find in one single-origin coffee. At Bean Hoppers, we take beans from different origins roast them to the darkness level that will highlight their individual best characters, then hand blend them together after roasting. Some will be lighter and some will be darker depending on the bean. This adds greater character and more complex flavors to the blend. Hand blending and small-batch roasting is not a lost art!
All of the coffee used by in our blends come from the best small lots, are ethically sourced and are of the highest quality Arabica beans available from their given region. So no, blends are not lower quality beans blended together to hide imperfections. Quite the opposite.
In short, neither a blend nor a single origin is better than the other. If you have high quality beans, it really just depends on what you prefer. Personally, I am all about blending because I prefer deep complex foods, wines, and coffee. I love to be able to pick out the regions I taste in a blend. Adding a little acidity from an African coffee to a darker roasted Central American coffee makes my taste buds very happy!
Blending is a very specialized art form, much like cooking a gourmet meal. A great chef blends together the sweet, salty and spicy to make the magic happen. Bean Hoppers blends are a culinary work of art to bring out the best possible flavors in your cup.
Give us a try and you may be pleasantly enchanted.
Cheers
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