Gourmet Coffee Chatter

One need only imagine the scene from “Young Frankenstein.” The body parts are selected and assembled, missing only the brain. Each part chosen with care for highest quality.

Then because of a minor slip you get the brain of “Abbey Normal” and not the brain of an Einstein. All the other hard work is for nought as the new part corrupts the whole body.

Welcome to the world of the roastmaster. The master chefs of the gourmet coffee world who blend different gourmet coffees into delectable taste treats for us.

The reasons for blending coffee are multiple.

While Single Origin gourmet coffees can and do stand on their own, they can also have minor flaws. Blending several together can sometimes cancel out or diminish the bitter aftertaste of a coffee. The net result is a more satisfying coffee overall.

Gourmet coffee is a crop. Once picked it has a shelf life. The quality and quantity of any crop of any given coffee will vary. Blended coffees allow coffees of varying qualities to be blended together in a product that is greater than the sum of its parts. Since it is not possible to just buy all the beans you need for a whole year at a time, blending allows the variances in the different crops to be accounted for while still maintaining the general overall quality of the gourmet coffee year round.

Great chefs like to experiment. So do roastmasters. They’re looking for that combination that produces a taste sensation never experienced before.

Bottom line, the goal is to produce a coffee that is better or different than its component parts.

So next time you enjoy that fine French Roast Coffee think of the roastmaster whose expertise made it possible. His fine palate and understanding of the potential in those gourmet coffee beans should be toasted.

It’s my belief that all morning workers fall into one of two categories: the coffee drinks or the tea drinkers. Everybody needs a warm cup of morning energy to get their day started. As an exception to my own rule, I drink both beverages. It all depends on how awake I feel when I settle into my desk at work. Sometimes I begin the day with two cups of tea followed by a 10 am cup of coffee. And other days I have two cups of java and don’t even touch the tea.

My co-worker Stacey introduced me to herbal tea – what a delight! Since I started consuming this all-natural beverage, my preference for tea has definitely surpassed my liking for coffee. I can’t seem to get enough of this tea. Everyday has become a mini adventure as I sample a new flavor of tea with great expectations that almost always seem to be matched. Blackberry current is an exotic favorite as well as chi mint and raspberry aroma. If you ever stumble across this tea, I recommend that you try it!

There are a few phrases you will hear associated with gourmet coffee: varietal coffee, single origin coffee, and specialty coffee.

Varietal coffee is properly understood as a botanical distinction between the different subspecies of the coffee plant. It is not an indicator of region for different varieties of the coffee plant are grown in many different parts of the world. Though over 30 species of the coffee plant exist, almost all of the commercial coffee production comes either Arabica or Robusta coffee beans. Arabica is considered the superior of the two beans and only Arabica beans are considered gourmet coffee. Robusta beans usually end up in mass produced coffees or freeze dried coffees.

Single origin coffees are defined as unblended gourmet coffees from a single country, region and crop. They usually take their name from the region, country or estate from which they are grown. While blue mountain is a Arabica varietal it is probably best known as a single origin coffee originating in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Kona coffee is also another well known single origin coffee.

Specialty Coffee is a distinction coined in 1974 by Erna Knutsen of Knutsen Coffee Ltd. Specialty coffees are distinguished as coffees grown in special geographic microclimates producing beans with unique flavor profiles. While very close in definition to single origin, specialty coffees are the domain of the Specialty Coffee Association of America which has a 100 point scale to grade coffee beans. To qualify as specialty the coffee bean must rank an 80 or higher. Specialty Coffee is therefore a trade organization distinction.

The common theme here is of an unblended coffee with a distinct flavor profile that provides as close to a flawless cup as possible. There are over 100 single origin coffees each carrying some attribute of the growing region or the farming practices of that region. This coffee might carry a hint of chocolate, another coffee might have a hint of citrus. This coffee is mild, while another has a bolder taste.

Even so, single origin coffees, can have their drawbacks. This one might have too much acidity or be too bitter. That’s why we’ll talk about blended coffees next time.

In the meantime whether your favorite is a Java “Dutch Estate” or a Brazil Santos, there’s a grinder waiting, and a pot to be brewed. Until next time.

Last time I talked about a working definition of gourmet coffee. It all starts with a superior coffee bean. But who sets the standards?

Lots of people it turns out, depending on the standard you want to discuss.

Some have the weight of governmental power. Usually the standards here involve numbers of defects in the bean versus gram weights of the bean being exported.

The International Coffee Organization, for example, is a multi-governmental organization composed of signatory “coffee importing” and “coffee exporting” countries, 77 as of March 2008. Their goal is to stabilize the international coffee market through the improvement of the quality of exported coffee beans. By setting export standards they protect the economic health of the farmers and protect the consumer from substandard coffee products.

The governments of coffee producing countries also set internal standards. Kenya for example, has it’s own quality standard for gourmet coffee beans produced within Kenya. This standard which combines a character designation (AA, PB, E, TT, C & T) and a numeric Standard value (1-10) to determine the quality of the bean. A Kenya AA with a Standard 1 rating is the best you can get here.

Regional authorities also have their own rating standards.

Then there are the trade organizations. The most prominent ones here are those that govern Fair Trade and Oranic coffee standards. Names like Organic Trade Association, Fairtrade Labelling Organization International, World Fair Trade Organization, Network of European Worldshops, and European Fair Trade Association begin to crop up. The standards here revolve around how the coffee was grown and economic empowerment for the regional farmers.

Other organizations such as the Specialty Coffee Association of America are devoted to the improvement of the quality of gourmet specialty coffees, sometimes called varietals or single
origin coffees. (More on this in the next blog.)

Next there are the standard setters for those who prepare the coffee bean, governmental and trade organizations that certify gourmet coffee roasters meet strict preparation standards. The concerns here are often related to sanitation and food safety.

And let’s not forget the Baristas. Yes, there are guilds for baristas, to elevate the status of these dedicated professionals and train them to standards of excellence in preparing your cup of coffee.

So you see, there’s a lot of eyes watching out for every phase of the preparation of your cup of gourmet coffee. Now get that grinder going. With all this talk of coffee you must be thirsty by now.

What is gourmet coffee?

It’s a term bandied about by everyone. But how do we distinguish the acceptable coffee from the gourmet coffee?

It all starts with the beans . . .

A comparative analog often used with coffee is that of fine wine. The distinct difference is that while the wine may be handled by one agent from growing the grape to bottling the wine, coffee will be handled by multiple parties.
The different parties responsible for a gourmet coffee can be roughly broken into the following:

• The Farmer
• The Wet Mill, where the skin and pulp of the coffee cherry is removed. Followed by drying and hulling the coffee bean.
• The Roasting House, the coffee may be ground at this level or just prior to preparation.
• The Brewing Process, at your home or the coffee house.
• Your Cup

Each step of this process can destroy the potential of a gourmet coffee. A gourmet coffee is therefore a coffee that starts with a superior coffee bean, handled with meticulous care, brewed with the finest water, that results in the gustatory pleasure that makes you go, “hmmmmm”.

In the next blog we’ll examine the institutions that set the standards for gourmet coffee. In the meantime, get your grinder out and make yourself a great cup of gourmet coffee.

Don’t forget to thank the farmer for starting it out right.

When the September winds turn chilly and the leaves begin to color and eventually plummet to the ground, I start to lament summer’s brevity. That emotional response lasts all of two seconds, though, because I’m then reminded of autumn’s own distinct pleasures. Football season kicks into gear during the fall months, and fans can bundle up to cheer for their team. Our breaths become visible in the crisp morning air, and at night our beds feel that much snugger.

Perhaps best of all, we can finally justify that guilty hot chocolate habit. Few things taste better in the morning, especially if you need a break from coffee’s jilting bitterness. Whether it’s mixed with water or milk, hot chocolate mix creates a rich, fragrant drink that warms the soul and the stomach simultaneously. Fall really isn’t so bad after all.