For discerning coffee aficionados, each cup that they drink is a beautiful experience. This is why the type of coffee that is in their cups is so important.
It all comes down to what type of coffee you prefer, i.e. single farm coffee or blended coffee. Both have their good qualities, but in terms of knowing exactly what you’re getting, single farm is what you want to be drinking.
A comparison of the two varieties will confirm why there’s such a clear-cut verdict on this one, which we will explain below. By the way, if you love reading coffee reviews and staying in the know, check us out on the daily!
What Is Single Farm Coffee?
Just like the name suggests, single farm coffee is obtained from a single farm. This can be broken down even further, in the case of micro lot coffees, which are obtained from individual fields within the same farm.
Naturally, the uniqueness of the product narrows down to the growing conditions, soil quality, rain levels, and fruit maturation levels, all of which combine to give an individual coffee its signature taste.
In terms of production, single farm coffee requires that the roasting of the entire batch of beans will involve just the beans from an individual field.
Wet processing is typically used for the highest quality coffees, as this assures the retention of the beans’ natural flavors, and the attainment of a crisp, clean taste.
Considering that such a coffee can only be obtained from a single source, the implication is that its availability is exclusively limited to certain times of the year.
Understandably, many keen connoisseurs are now insistent on knowing the finer details of a coffee’s origin and flavor, i.e. traceability, including the name of the growing cooperative, and the particular farm and field from which the beans were picked.
What Is Blended Coffee?
The roasting and mixing of coffee beans sourced from different locations, whether globally or regionally, results in a coffee blend. They are mostly not quality beans, but some good beans can be included to make the coffee taste better.
Considering that it’s impossible to find a bean variety that’s consistently good, blending helps to achieve a desired balance. Nevertheless, the attainment of great results, or otherwise depends on the individual bean varieties that have gone into the mix.
The production of blended coffees effectively addresses the typical issues that would have to be contended with, if the world preferred to only drink single source coffees.
With blended coffees, coffee roasters are in a position to meet the need for overall better tasting, well-rounded coffees, and boost prospects of profitability (mostly via enhancing the qualities of inferior coffees).
It also mitigates concerns that may arise, following coffee production and quality mishaps, and to assure the ongoing consistency of a particular coffee offer.
Last, but not least, many such coffee roasters have been able to achieve commercial success through clever branding and packaging, and this is despite not offering a product of the very best quality.
Why Is Single Farm Coffee Better Than Blended Coffee?
Among many coffee lovers, it is widely agreed that drinking blended coffee results in a more flavorful experience. There’s much truth in this, especially when your cup is the work of a talented roaster.
Here, the mix of bean types is bound to result in a creative and delightful combination of aromas, textures and flavors. However, that will depend on what brand you buy, and how quality the beans are. Blends can come from anywhere, so you never truly know what you’re getting.
Drinking single farm coffee, however, results in a completely different experience, one that no blended coffee can ever hope to match. This is all about enjoying a cup of high quality coffee in its most sincere form, with every sip giving you the opportunity to confirm the coffee’s origin story with your taste buds.
Sure, many of these coffees are quite pricey, but rest assured that you’ll get your money’s worth. You’ll know the growing process, the care the farmer took in processing the beans, and they’ll all be from one place, with a great flavor.
There is certainly no lack of possibilities with single farm coffees; every farm’s offering is unique, exotic, exclusive, and full of character.
For every coffee enthusiast, this is definitely a license for adventure, away from the safety of toned down, and rounded, blended coffees.
You really can’t be sure what to expect, but you’ll at least be ready for flavors that are best described using terms like vibrant, robust, fruity, floral, bold, and sharp.
You can experiment with different brewing techniques, including cold drip and french press, to highlight these flavor nuances.
Traceability further enhances the experience; the transparency lets you relax in the knowledge that you’re drinking good stuff, which the producers are very proud of.
Conclusion
Your decision to go with single farm coffees, or blended coffees, boils down to what you want to experience. If you desire consistency, and are not big on surprises, then single farm will do. If you’re more into sampling the world’s unique coffees and have an adventurous, curious palate, then go for blended coffees. You can’t really go wrong with either!
