| "I'm searching for a really great cup of coffee -- | | | | - Colombia -- rich, full aroma, mild with good |
| what variety should I buy?" | | | | acidity, sweet caramelly taste, medium body. |
| I've been asked this question many times over | | | | Look for Excelso and Supremo grades. |
| the years and I always provide the same answer | | | | - Costa Rica -- the SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) grade |
| -- "That depends!" Early coffee drinkers used to | | | | has a good aroma, high acidity, and a fine body. |
| choose their coffee for the caffeine jolt it | | | | The GHB (Good Hard Bean) grade has a good |
| provided. But times have changed, and in today's | | | | aroma, very good acidity and a good body. Both |
| world, when choosing a great coffee -- it's all | | | | provide a sweet, smooth cup. Look for Tarrazu. |
| about the taste, and the taste depends on many | | | | - Guatemala -- aromatic, a soft mild flavor with a |
| things. | | | | subtle smokiness, heavy body. |
| The taste of a great coffee depends on the | | | | - Haiti -- very mellow and flavorful with a mild |
| climate, soil and cultivation methods involved in the | | | | sweetness, heavy body. |
| beans' production. Coffee beans contain hundreds | | | | - Hawaii -- the famous Kona coffee has a splendid |
| of compounds that give them their flavor and | | | | aroma and is rich with a mellow character. Very |
| aroma. The type of coffee bean you choose, | | | | flavorful with a hint of cinnamon and cloves, |
| arabica or robusta makes a huge difference in | | | | full-bodied. |
| coffee quality and taste. Arabica beans are of a | | | | - Jamaica -- Blue Mountain being the best, it has a |
| much higher-quality compared to robusta beans, | | | | delightful aroma, is extremely mellow and |
| which are normally used as filler for most | | | | sweet-tasting with a full body. High Mountain |
| lower-end coffees. The roasting and brewing | | | | Supreme comes in second with a medium to |
| process used on the beans can also greatly affect | | | | sharp acidity and a good body. |
| the taste. All of these factors, together, have an | | | | - Mexico -- wonderful aroma, sweet, medium |
| enormous impact on coffee taste and quality, and | | | | acidity, hints of hazelnuts in the flavor, smooth |
| as a result, they do determine whether the | | | | body. |
| coffee is really great or not. | | | | - Nicaragua -- good acidity and mild flavor with a |
| But, I also think that when it comes right down to | | | | hint of cognac. Look for Matagalpa. |
| it, the most important factor that ultimately | | | | - Panama -- smooth and sweet, good acidity and |
| determines whether a coffee is really great or | | | | mild flavor with a heavy body. |
| not is whether you the consumer like it. Not | | | | - Peru -- good acidity with a mild flavor and |
| everyone prefers the same characteristics in a | | | | excellent body. |
| coffee; some prefer it light and mellow, while | | | | - Venezuela -- great aroma, smooth and mellow |
| others prefer it heavy and full-bodied. So when | | | | with low acidity, rich and delicately winey, a little |
| asking what variety to buy in order to get a really | | | | on the sweet side, light body. |
| great cup of coffee, you really have to look at | | | | Africa |
| your own personal likes and dislikes in a cup of | | | | - Burundi -- high acidity with a rich strong flavor |
| joe. | | | | and good body. |
| Most people, when choosing their cup of | | | | - Ethiopia -- amazing aroma of cinnamon, |
| preference, weigh the quality of a coffee by its | | | | strawberries and fresh-mown grass, very acidic, |
| aroma, acidity, flavor and body. | | | | winey, pungent, earthy flavors, spicy and |
| | | | complex, full-bodied. Look for Harrar - Longberry |
| 1. The aroma of a coffee is basically one's first | | | | and Shortberry, and Yirgacheffe. |
| impression or "sniff" as the gases released from | | | | - Kenya -- Very fragrant and floral, sometimes |
| the brew hit your nose. Words like "earthy," | | | | winey, a mild coffee with a delicate acid flavor, |
| "fruity" and "herby" can be used to describe a | | | | and a great smoothness. |
| coffee's aroma. | | | | - Rwanda -- high acidity, strong flavor and good |
| 2. The acidity of a coffee is the "pleasant | | | | body. |
| sharpness" you taste when you take a gulp (or a | | | | - Tanzania -- rich and mellow with a delicate |
| sip). Acidity is good in a coffee, in that if it had no | | | | acidity. Look for peaberry varieties. |
| acidity, the coffee would taste flat. A low acidity | | | | - Zaire -- rich, highly acidic, excellent flavor and |
| coffee is a pleasant-tasting, mellow coffee, | | | | body. Look for Kivu. |
| whereas a high acidity coffee is very robust and | | | | Asia/Pacific |
| knocks your socks off! | | | | - India -- spicy aroma with hints of cinnamon and |
| 3. The flavor factor of a coffee is the perception | | | | cedar, delicate acidity, complex and very rich, |
| in your mouth of those hundreds of aromatic | | | | full-bodied. Look for Nilgiris and Monsoon Malabar. |
| elements or compounds of the coffee bean. It | | | | - Indonesia -- rich with low acidity, spicy, strong |
| also refers to any specific taste you notice in the | | | | flavor, heavy body - almost syrupy. Look for |
| coffee, such as a "nuttiness" or "spiciness." | | | | Sumatra, Celebes or Sulawesi. |
| 4. Finally, the body of a coffee is the impression | | | | - Papua New Guinea -- sweet and full-bodied. Look |
| of weight and texture that the coffee leaves in | | | | for Sigri and Koban. |
| your mouth. This is known as "mouthfeel" and can | | | | - Yemen -- age old Mocha coffee - uniquely |
| often be described as "heavy," "watery" or "light." | | | | smooth and complex with a bit of sharpness, |
| Coffee comes from three main growing regions | | | | tremendous flavor, can be winey with cherry |
| of the world: the Americas, Africa, and Asia | | | | notes, heavy body. Look for Mattari or Sunani. |
| Pacific. Each region instills its own distinct | | | | Once you have narrowed down your selection to |
| characteristics into its coffee. So keeping in mind | | | | a choice few, try to purchase some sample sizes |
| the four cup characteristics described above, and | | | | and start slurping! You may discover you really |
| your own personal likes and dislikes, you can | | | | enjoy one particular variety, or several different |
| narrow down your search by having a look at | | | | ones. Nothing wrong with having more than one |
| some of the characteristics each coffee variety | | | | favorite! Nonetheless, once you've found your |
| region has to offer. | | | | favorite beans, always purchase them freshly |
| The Americas | | | | roasted, and make sure to store them properly |
| - Brazil -- smooth, sweet and spicy with hints of | | | | to maintain their freshness for as long as possible. |
| allspice and cloves. Complex aroma, mild acidity, | | | | Even a really great cup of coffee can turn into a |
| medium body. Look for Santos coffees, with | | | | dud if the beans were roasted ages ago, or left |
| Bourbon Santos being the best. | | | | out to go stale. |