A Primer - Single Origin versus Blend

Posted on: 2017-02-23 5:17 PM

It’s coffee o’clock and you’re waiting to order when your gaze meets a chalkboard scrawled with exotic flavors and faraway places – Costa Rica, Panama, jasmine, caramel, a hint of clove... and then there’s ‘limited edition’ and ‘single origin. What’s that all about? Should you forgo your usual milky espresso blend for an unexpected, albeit pricier, morning brew?
 
What’s the difference?
The simplest explanation is that single origin coffee comes from one place, geographically speaking. A blended coffee, is, well, a blend of different coffees from various corners of the world. While it’s rare to be served an espresso that’s been made only from Ethiopian beans, or only Sumatran beans – blends provide a well-rounded, crowd-pleasing cup – cafés serve single origin as a way to share beans from a particular region that shine as a standalone coffee. 
 
It’s like the distinction between whiskeys. A single origin is very much like a single malt. It has been picked for the fact that it’s a standout and has a special flavor. Blends, on the other hand, are akin to the tipple’s tried and true mixed malts, available year in, year out and offering a consistently smooth, if predictable, taste and mouthfeel.
 
By no means an inferior coffee, blends exploit beans that reach their full potential as part a collective rather than as a singular coffee.  Balance is really important when it comes to coffee – you don’t want something that’s going to be too acidic, fruity or bold.  It typically takes a combination of beans from varying origins to create a nice harmony in the cup.
 
What makes single origin unique?
 
Much like whiskey connoisseurs, many coffee aficionados are demanding their drink of choice be of the highest quality and in its purest form, which is where single origin comes in. Single origin is about showcasing a coffee just how it is without having influences from other flavors or regions.  
 
Determining a single origin often comes down to two factors ­– grading and pricing. Grading involves roasting, cupping and evaluating the quality of the beans, taking into account taste, acidity, body, and aroma as well as any defects. Roasters might come across a coffee they love, however, if it doesn’t fit the flavor profile they’re looking for to build a blend, it can be kept on the backburner as a potential single origin. It might not necessarily be well-balanced ­­– it could be really acidic – but the unique flavors are worth sharing.
 
Although single origin beans can come from the same farms supplying coffee for blends, the difference is that they’re grown separately in a smaller area or a micro-lot. This means a pricier, and generally speaking, higher quality bean. You’re paying a little bit more for the single origin coffee, everything from the way it is grown to handling, picking, and processing.
 
Sharing the story and provenance of a coffee can also make a single origin special. Boutique roasters work with small-scale farmers to supply to them with a rotation of single origin offerings.  The consumer can often trace the bean back to its source. This transparency also extends to their blends. If the roaster has an espresso blend, the front of the bag will typically identify the farm the coffee is from and what percentage of the blend it is. In my humble opinion, a lot of this is marketing. 
 
What are the benefits of blends?
 
The challenge with single origin is that from harvest to harvest the coffee is going to taste different. Your favorite Ethiopian blend might taste great this year but have the same coffee from the same farm might have a slightly more acidic taste than you like next year. I myself have a flavor profile that I tend to look for. Since I drink my coffee black, my coffee preference tends to be mild, a little acidic but with very little bitterness.
 
If you think of a chef mixing ingredients or a perfumer composing a fragrance, crafting a unique coffee blend is a similar creative process. Essentially what roasters are trying to build is a flavor profile. By drawing on various strengths from different regions with certain notes, they can achieve not only consistency of flavor but also in the quality and availability.
 
Blends are typically used by larger chains to ensure that the customer always gets the same profile. When a large multinational like Starbucks buys beans from their various sources their roasters will sample each bean in isolation and after making and documenting its flavor profile they mix various portions of each type of bean on hand to ensure that the customer in every store gets a cup of coffee that true to the brand. 
 
Is single origin more ethical?
Single origin coffee is not necessarily more ethical than any blend. As a coffee blend is a mix of single origin varietals brought together to complement one another. That is, if all the coffee in the blend is sourced ethically, then the whole blend could be considered ethical.
 
Whether its single origin or a blend, ensuring that your coffee comes from an ethical source is key and this all comes down to traceability of the coffee beans throughout the supply chain, back to the coffee farmers, and ensuring they receive a fair deal. Whether they’re choosing single origin or a blend, coffee enthusiasts have a few tools to determine whether their espresso is ethical.
 
Summary
When you find a single origin coffee that you like savor it. Ask your roaster or barista if they have a blend with the same flavor profile because when they run out of your new favorite you’ll at least have the same great taste.