October 2022 Newsletter
Blend or Single Origin? A few years ago there was a lot of discussion about using single origin coffees for espresso, now it's hard to find an Australian coffee shop that doesn't have at least one single origin. offering, as well as the house blend.
Originally the proponents of blends took the position that the only way to get the correct balance of flavours in an espresso was by combining the attributes of quite different coffees, and that no one coffee had all the necessary bits. The Single Origin supporters insisted that "espresso" was just a brewing process, balance was unnecessary and true joy was only to be found in the extreme flavours the process extracts.
Both arguments have more-or-less been rendered moot by the evolution of the modern commercial espresso machine, with precision temperature control and brew pressure profiling. Precise control enables the barista to emphasise some flavour notes and soften others. By manipulating roast, temperature and pressure it's possible to produce beautifully balanced single origin espresso. On the other hand, espresso blends are usually designed to make relatively balanced shots in widely varying conditions.
The secret to maintaining a blend which can do this is multiple redundancy, where you have a wide palette of beans to manipulate the overall flavour. Some of the premium Italian blends, e.g. Illycafe or Lavazza, have up to 12 different coffees in them. Not all of the coffees are essential, but by altering the proportions of say 3 different Brazil coffees Illy can ensure that the taste of the Brazilian component of their blend is always the same. It also means that the coffee will provide a similar flavour despite variations in the machines it's brewed on.
If you're the adventurous sort that enjoys single origin espressos, there are a number of ways to adjust the flavour profiles, even on basic machines. Varying the grind, changing the amount of coffee in the portafilter and "temperature surfing" are the most common methods. High end domestic machines also provide brew pressure and temperature controls similar to the commercial machines.
If your preferred brewing method isn't espresso, it's worth a punt to try a few of the espresso blends anyway, although not anything that's been pre-ground and sitting on a supermarket shelf for a couple of months. The most successful espresso coffee sellers worldwide (Illy, Lavazza, Nestle etc.) produce some surprisingly balanced and palatable espresso blends. Of course, we do too!
Most of the exotic single origin coffees we sell make great espressos but certainly not all of them. While it's possible to adjust roasting and brewing conditions to accommodate them, some single origin coffees are simply good enough not to need it. Fortunately this month's special is one of them, a great coffee no matter how you brew it.
$66 Per Kilogram
Medium
Balanced between a sparkling sweet upfront acidity, robust mouthfeel and body with a long toffee and malt finish.
We should have enough to last us until the next newsletter, due in December.
Until next time,
Alan
