Pour-Over Specialty Coffee Bean Varieties Recommendations - Which Coffee Beans Are Best for Pour-Over Coffee?

More and more coffee enthusiasts are diving into pour-over coffee, but when faced with numerous coffee bean options, many find themselves overwhelmed by choice. Generally speaking, pour-over coffee uses single-origin beans, which come from a single growing region (from one estate/cooperative or multiple estates/cooperatives in a single origin), ensuring higher quality standards.

Choosing from the vast array of single-origin coffee beans can be quite challenging. FrontStreet Coffee has categorized numerous single-origin beans into seven main types: fruity, floral, noticeably fermented, distinctly sweet, balanced coffee flavor, full-bodied, and nutty-cocoa notes. These seven categories broadly represent the most popular coffee growing regions. Let's explore what coffee beans fall into each of these flavor profiles!

Fruity Category

Fruity pour-over coffee beans mostly come from Ethiopian growing regions, with the famous Yirgacheffe region becoming synonymous with describing Ethiopian coffee. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee discovered that their washed Yirgacheffe offers a clean, refreshing taste with bright, elevated acidity primarily featuring citrus notes, accompanied by fresh jasmine fragrance and honey-like aftertaste. It's perfect for beginners and those who prefer light, fresh flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee · Yirgacheffe Gottingen Cooperative Coffee Beans

Region: Yirgacheffe, Gedeo Zone

Altitude: 1900-2300m

Variety: Heirloom

Processing: Washed

Grade: G1

Brewing Flavor: Overall solid mouthfeel with prominent fermentation aroma and tropical fruit notes. As temperature changes, berry and cream flavors emerge, with a persistent citrus sweet-sour sensation lingering between teeth and lips.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations for Gottingen Coffee Beans

Preheat roaster to 175°C, set damper to 3, heat at 120; return temperature at 1'32", maintain heat at 140°C, open damper to 4; beans turn yellow, grassy aroma disappears completely, entering dehydration phase. At 166°C, reduce heat to 100, at 176°C reduce to 80, keeping damper unchanged. At 8'28", beans show ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma shifts to coffee aroma - this signals first crack prelude. Listen carefully for first crack sounds. First crack begins at 9'38", adjust damper to 5 (adjust heat very carefully, don't reduce to no crack sound), develop for 1'30" after first crack, discharge at 193.5°C.

Floral Category

When it comes to floral coffee beans, we must mention the Geisha variety. Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha is grown in windbreak forests where strong winds and low temperatures create harsh conditions unsuitable for most coffee trees. Yet this mysterious variety thrives, producing larger coffee beans less likely to be blown off. Though yield is only 25-30% of Caturra, its floral and citrus aromas are captivating.

Strangely, when this variety is grown below 1400m, it lacks floral and citrus notes and develops more bitterness. Through cupping FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha beans, whether Red Label, Green Label, or Blue Label, washed or natural processed, all Geisha beans from this estate display captivating floral aromas.

FrontStreet Coffee · Esmeralda Estate Washed Green Label Coffee Beans

Region: Boquete, Panama

Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda

Altitude: 1600-1800m

Variety: Geisha

Processing: Washed

Brewing Flavor: Rich jasmine fragrance, high sweetness, citrus, berries, juice-like, cream, green tea, orange peel, cantaloupe - overall rich flavor layers with persistent floral and citrus aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations for Green Label Geisha Beans

Preheat roaster to 190°C, set heat to 150, damper to 3; return temperature at 1'36", open damper to 4 at 140°C, reduce heat to 130; at 150.8°C beans turn yellow, grassy aroma disappears, entering dehydration phase. When temperature reaches 166°C, adjust heat to 110; damper unchanged; at 7'55", reduce heat to 90 at 176°C; beans show wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma shifts to coffee aroma - first crack prelude. Listen carefully for first crack sounds. First crack begins at 8'30", open damper to 5, reduce heat to 60 at 187°C; develop for 1'30" after first crack, discharge at 193.5°C.

Noticeably Fermented

For coffee beans with noticeable fermentation, FrontStreet Coffee immediately thinks of their Costa Rican coffee beans. Costa Rican beans often use locally innovative honey processing. FrontStreet Coffee believes honey-processed coffee offers balanced acidity and sweetness, while the natural sun-drying process amplifies the beans' inherent aromas and creates rich mellow flavors. As honey processing techniques matured, improvements led to raisin honey processing, increasing difficulty but producing beans with more intense fermentation and aromas, creating white wine-like mouthfeel and balanced acidity.

FrontStreet Coffee · Costa Rica Canet Musician Series Bahia Coffee Beans

Country: Costa Rica

Region: Tarrazú

Altitude: 1950m

Processing: Raisin Honey

Grade: Strictly Hard Bean (SHB)

Variety: Caturra

Brewing Flavor: Smells like rice wine fermentation aroma, tastes of mature tropical fruits and berries with sweet-sour notes, nut and cream flavors, caramel-like aftertaste with subtle floral finish.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations for Bahia Coffee Beans

Preheat roaster to 180°C, adjust heat to 130, open damper to 3, return temperature at 1'43", maintain heat; at 140°C keep heat unchanged, open damper to 4. At 6'15" beans turn yellow, grassy aroma disappears, entering dehydration phase. At 151°C, reduce heat to 100, keep damper at 4. At 176°C, adjust heat to 70, damper unchanged. At 8'15" dehydration complete, beans show wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma shifts to coffee aroma - first crack prelude. Listen carefully for first crack sounds. First crack begins at 9'40", fully open damper to 5, heat unchanged. Develop for 1'45" after first crack, discharge at 196°C.

Distinctly Sweet

When it comes to distinctly sweet coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee immediately thinks of their Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry. Is Red Cherry actual red cherries? Not quite~ Red Cherry refers to coffee farmers harvesting only fully mature coffee fruits. Because they look like red cherries, people naturally call coffee fruits "coffee cherries." Fully mature coffee fruits contain rich sugars in their mucilage and pulp. Through natural sun-drying, these sugars concentrate while coffee beans continuously absorb essences. Just reading this, you can already imagine how sweet the brewed coffee from these beans will be!

FrontStreet Coffee · Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Coffee Beans

Region: Yirgacheffe

Altitude: 2000-2200m

Processing: Natural Process

Variety: Local Heirloom

Grade: G1

Brewing Flavor: Lemon, licorice, citrus, berries, sweet orange - overall high sweetness with caramel and cream aftertaste, black tea aroma in finish.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations for Natural Red Cherry Coffee Beans

Preheat roaster to 200°C, set damper to 3.5, after 1 minute adjust heat to 160°C, damper unchanged. At 148°C, reduce heat to 130°C. Roast to 5'03", temperature 151°C, beans turn yellow, grassy aroma disappears completely, dehydration complete. Adjust heat to 105°C, open damper to 4. At 8 minutes, beans show wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma shifts to coffee aroma - first crack prelude. Listen carefully for first crack sounds. First crack begins at 9'07", reduce heat to 70°C, fully open damper (adjust heat very carefully, don't reduce to no crack sound), discharge at 194°C.

Balanced Coffee Flavor

For balanced coffee flavor, nothing beats FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Washed Blue Mountain No.1! Blue Mountain coffee is famous for its perfect balance of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness. Many coffee beans on the market labeled with "Blue Mountain flavor" are not genuine Blue Mountain coffee. Authentic Blue Mountain coffee is exported by companies designated by the Coffee Industry Board, packed in wooden barrels, and carries Rainforest Alliance certification for Blue Mountain No.1 beans. FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Washed Blue Mountain comes from Clifton Mountain Estate, the only Rainforest Alliance certified Blue Mountain coffee estate in Jamaica.

FrontStreet Coffee · Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 Coffee Beans

Farm: Clifton Mountain Farm

Estate Owner: The Sharp Family

Certificate: Rainforest Alliance Certified

Location: Newcastle Region

Total Area: 250 acres

Coffee Cultivation Area: 180 acres

Average Altitude: 4,300 feet (1,310.64 meters)

Processing: Washed

Variety: Typica

Brewing Flavor: Dark chocolate, nut flavors, high clarity, very bright, good body, perfect balance of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations for Washed Blue Mountain Coffee Beans

Preheat roaster to 170°C, set damper to 3, after 1 minute adjust heat to 140°C, damper unchanged. Roast to 5'10", temperature 153°C, beans turn yellow, grassy aroma disappears completely, dehydration complete. Adjust heat to 115°C, damper to 4. At 8'00", beans show wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma shifts to coffee aroma - first crack prelude. Listen carefully for first crack sounds. First crack begins at 8'12", reduce heat to 90°C, fully open damper (adjust heat very carefully, don't reduce to no crack sound), discharge at 201.3°C.

Full-Bodied

What does full-bodied mean? It refers to coffee with low or almost no acidity, rich and mellow taste, noticeable mouthfeel coating the tongue, and distinct aftertaste. FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Gold Mandheling is a full-bodied coffee. Gold Mandheling is acquired by PWN Company from surrounding Mandheling coffee and undergoes three manual selections to ensure consistent bean size. Through this careful selection, FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Gold Mandheling not only maintains Mandheling's characteristic herbal spice notes but also exhibits distinct sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee · Gold Mandheling Coffee Beans

Region: Aceh Gayo Highlands, Sumatra

Altitude: 1100-1600 meters

Variety: Ateng

Grade: G1, Triple Hand-Sorted

Processing: Wet-Hulled

Brewing Flavor: Herbal, spicy, full-bodied and clean, high balance, rich nut and caramel aromas, chocolate notes, persistent finish.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations for Gold Mandheling Coffee Beans

Preheat roaster to 200°C, set damper to 3, after 1 minute adjust heat to 160°C, damper unchanged. Roast to 5'40", temperature 148°C, beans turn yellow, grassy aroma disappears completely, dehydration complete. Adjust heat to 140°C, damper to 4. At 9'40", beans show wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma shifts to coffee aroma - first crack prelude. Listen carefully for first crack sounds. First crack begins at 9'54", reduce heat to 60°C, fully open damper (adjust heat very carefully, don't reduce to no crack sound), discharge at 204.5°C.

Nutty-Cocoa Notes

Brazil's relatively low altitude, flat monotonous terrain, lack of microclimates, and preference for sun-exposed coffee cultivation create Brazil's unique soft bean flavor. Through cupping Brazilian coffee beans from different regions, FrontStreet Coffee finds that Brazilian coffee features low acidity, prominent nut flavors, chocolate-like sweetness, and full-bodied mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee · Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon Coffee

Region: Mogiana

Altitude: 1400-1950m

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Processing: Natural Process

Brewing Flavor: Sweet beans, clean taste. Semi-natural processing makes acidity slightly bright but well-balanced with sweetness, some even showing tropical fruit aromas.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations for Brazil Queen Estate Coffee Beans

Preheat roaster to 200°C, adjust heat to 150, set damper to 3, return temperature at 1'30", maintain heat. At 5'10" beans turn yellow, grassy aroma disappears, entering dehydration phase. Reduce heat to 125, open damper to 3.5. At 8'20" dehydration complete, beans show wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma shifts to coffee aroma - first crack prelude. At 178°C reduce heat to 80, listen carefully for first crack sounds. First crack begins at 9'14", fully open damper to 5. Develop for 3'00" after first crack, discharge at 201°C.

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