What Are Single Origin Coffee Beans?
Single origin is a buzz word that has been thrown around the specialty and commercial coffee industry for some time now.
Often a benchmark of quality, single origin coffee includes some of the most expensive coffee in the world.
As the name suggests, the coffee beans are from one single origin, however the definition does go a little deeper than that.
So let us take you on a trip around the world and define what exactly single origin coffee is.
Why Trust Me?
What does single origin coffee mean?
As I stated above, single origin coffee is a particular coffee that you can buy from shops or coffee roasters that has been grown in one particular region (I will define region shortly) and then roasted and sold as a particular single origin coffee.
Let’s just take for instance a specialty coffee roaster. They usually purchase a number of different green coffee beans (raw coffee) from a number of different origins, such as Colombia, Ethiopia and Sumatra through their coffee importer.
As a specialty coffee roaster the green coffee would usually be high quality and classed as single origin green coffee.
The roaster now has a choice to roast each coffee individually and sell the coffee as single origin. Or the roaster can blend the coffee together and sell it as a custom blend (for example as espresso coffee beans).
On the other hand, this usually applies mainly to commercial coffee roasters (coffee you would usually purchase in supermarkets) green coffee can be purchased from a country as a mix of regions.
This is usually lower quality over roasted coffee sold cheaply that constantly produces the same taste.
How do we class a coffee as single origin?
This is a question that does have a few different answers and it sometimes can be quite hard to define and class single origin coffee.
Firstly, Single origin coffee as an umbrella term is a coffee that has been sourced from a particular producer, crop or region of a country.
You may also find single estate coffee that has been sourced from a single mill, farm or coop. You may even come across a microlot coffee that has been sourced from a single paddock or field in a farm.
The point is that you are able to trace the coffee back to a particular region, which to be fair can still be quite large in some cases.
But it’s a sign that care has been taken to produce this coffee and you will be able to pick out complexities in the coffee beans flavour profile that is attributed to the unique terroir and altitude of that single origin.
A couple more things to point out with single origin coffee, firstly the coffee can still be classed as single origin if there are more than one coffee bean type or varietal. As some estates have a number of coffee varietals growing side by side on their farms you may see a couple of different names listed on your coffee bag such as Bourbon, Caturra or Typica.
Also the coffee harvest should be from the same period of time, this is a bit more apparent with countries such as Colombia who have 2 or 3 harvest per year.
Where do single origin beans come from?
Single origin coffee beans come from all corners of the globe, in fact wherever coffee is grown. However you will probably see more single origin coffees from certain countries.
Although coffee is grown in many countries, the vast majority of the production is within 20 degrees of the equator.
Factoring in the fact that Arabica coffee (two thirds of the overall coffee produced) has to be grown at altitude, the growing regions become even sparser.
So although there are countries such as Vietnam that produce a phenomenal amount of coffee (they’re the second biggest coffee producing country in the world) they only grow predominantly low quality Robusta coffee, which is very rarely used as a single origin coffee and mainly sold to be used in commercial grade coffee (instant coffee or capsules).
This is why you rarely see Vietnam as a single origin coffee.
However, countries that you will see on many bags of single origin coffee are Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Peru, Guatemala and Sumatra.
You will then see various regions of these countries that appear often such as Minas Gerais in Brazil, Huila in Colombia or Yirgacheffe in Ethiopia.
Region and geography play huge roles in the overall flavour of coffee, there are many different attributes to a particular region so you can’t always be sure what you’re going to taste, however you may have an idea of what to expect.
Are single origin beans important?
Single origin coffee beans are incredibly important to the coffee industry, they have been the vehicle of positive changes at origin and continue to push boundaries and create a better supply chain.
Single origin coffee beans encourage farmers to grow higher quality coffee to sell at a higher price. It also encourages direct trade with coffee farms which essentially cuts out as many middle men as possible.
By promoting ethical and sustainable farming practices, single origin coffee is helping create a more secure and future proof supply chain.
The overall aim is to pay the coffee farmers more for their coffee and their labour.
In return the single origin coffee is far superior to mass produced, commercial grade coffee.
What does single origin coffee taste like?
Single origin coffee has many different flavour profiles. Depending on the particular origin, varietal, altitude and roast type, the coffee can taste like anything from bergamot to milk chocolate.
The point is that single origin coffee has a flavour profile and that you will be able to taste something other than roasty bitter notes that one can expect in commercial grade coffee.
If you're just starting out on your single origin coffee journey then I would recommend that you try a few different coffee beans with various flavour notes and see which you prefer.
Best way to brew single origin coffee?
If you have a single origin coffee that is light roasted and has tasting notes such as florals or fruits then I’d recommend brewing through a filter.
This can be a paper filter like a V60 or Aeropress but it will also perform well when brewed in a Cafetiere (French Press). One tip though - try to drink this black and not to mix anything in.
More full bodied notes such as chocolate or caramel I’d recommend brewing as a shorter coffee like through a Moka Pot or Espresso. If you want to throw a bit of milk in here the flavours can usually hold up.
Having said all of this, single origin coffee, whatever the flavour profile can usually perform well across all brew methods.
Final Thoughts.
Single origin coffee beans have a lot more to give and I think we will see more and more commercial brands look to showcase single origin coffees. Although there is certainly a huge place for coffee blends, if you’re looking to push the boundaries a little and really experience the flavour profiles of specialty coffee then single origin is your jam!
FAQs
Why is Single Origin Coffee More Expensive?
Single origin coffee is more expensive than regular coffee for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the raw product is of much higher quality than non single origin coffee, the farmers have implemented practices to produce a higher quality green coffee bean. That in turn means that single origin coffee demands a higher price.
Secondly, the coffee roasters are of better quality. Single origin coffee beans that have been purchased at a higher price are usually taken care of in coffee consuming countries and the coffee roasters profile and tweak each roast to highlight the unique characteristics of each single origin.
How Does Single Origin Differ from Coffee Blends?
Single origin coffee has one coffee from one particular region of a country whereas a blend consists of a number of at least two different origins whether it is in the same country or not.
The difference in flavours are that blends tend to be full bodied and usually have darker notes such as chocolates and roasty notes. Single origins have the whole spectrum of coffee flavours and can hit really light subtle and complex notes such as florals through to the big full bodied flavours such as hazelnuts and dark chocolate.
Where Can I Buy Single Origin Coffee?
Single origin coffee is best purchased through a specialty coffee roaster. Here you are usually guaranteed that the coffee is sustainably sourced and of high quality, furthermore as the coffee roasters would have paid a high price for the single origin green coffee then they shoule know what they are doing and the roast profile will reflect the price.
Is Single Origin Coffee More Sustainable?
There are many factors that add to the sustainability of coffee throughout the industry and many times can be country specific. However, on the whole, single origin coffee rewards farmers for sustainable and ethical farming practices which produces higher quality coffee that can be purchased at a high price and through direct trade.
How Does Geography Affect Single Origin Coffee?
The location and geography of single origin coffee can play a huge role when it comes to the finished product. For example a coffee farm that is on a high altitude, facing a specific direction that has volcanic soil will affect the growth and outcome of the coffee completely different to a farm at low altitude, with not much sunlight and with poor soil. Learn about How Altitude Affects the Taste of Your Coffee Beans
