Surviving the Work Day, Wild Tasting Notes, and Competition Coffee Price Tags

• How Much Coffee Do You Really Need To Survive A Work Day?

  By Zac Cadwalader for Sprudge

  “Really, you don’t need some clipboard to tell you how much coffee makes a cubicle seem less suffocating to you. You already know, you’re living it. But it is nonetheless nice to know that your experience of making it through the 9–5 doldrums in not a unique one. There’s solidarity in numbers, and solace in coffee.”

  continue reading

• Are tasting notes for specialty coffee going too far?

  By Thomas Wensma for Perfect Daily Grind

  “Tasting notes play an important role in specialty coffee. Not only do they allow roasters to market their coffees more effectively, they also give consumers an idea of what their coffee will taste like – and thereby ensure consistency with sensory profiles. In recent years, however, we have seen more and more unusual and unorthodox flavours appear on coffee packaging. Tasting notes such as melted chocolate ice cream, banana pudding, and even different brands of cereal have been referenced by roasters, as well as World Coffee Championship competitors.”

  continue reading

• Does a coffee’s roast profile affect extraction?

  By Matt Haw for newGround

  “The roast profile has a significant impact on the solubility of coffee and is, therefore, crucial to understand when considering extraction. Different roast levels affect the physical properties of the beans in different ways. While hard and fast rules in coffee are difficult to come by, a darker or more developed roast is generally more soluble than a lighter roast. Darker roasts are more porous, which means that once ground, solubles can be extracted more easily. Espen [Stokkan Smith of Nordic Approach] explains that the end product is less dense because the roasting process has evaporated more of the moisture from the coffee. This is because it spends longer in the roaster to reach this point.”

  continue reading

• How much do competition coffees cost?

  By Melina Devoney for Perfect Daily Grind

  “A widely popular choice among many is Gesha – a variety known for its exceptional quality and flavour profile. In recent years, however, we have also seen more and more competitors opt for lesser-known arabica varieties – and even ‘forgotten’ coffee species. Sourcing coffee for the World Coffee Championships is a lengthy process in itself, but another pertinent question remains: how much do competition coffees cost? Moreover, can we even generalise this question, or is it very much dependent on each coffee?”

  continue reading