Is SOE Coffee Better? The Difference Between Espresso Blends and SOE

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Have You Ever Tried SOE?

When you order a coffee at a cafe, has a barista ever asked, "Would you like to try our SOE?" SOE stands for Single Origin Espresso, meaning espresso pulled from a single-origin coffee. Many people assume single-origin coffee tastes better than a blend, but is that really true?

Traditional Italian Blends

Traditional Italian coffee beans are blends of several coffees. In Italy, a bag of beans may combine a handful or even dozens of different coffees. Many people dismiss blends as a mix of unknown origins, but a blend can also be made entirely from specialty coffee and can taste superb.

The biggest advantage of a blend is consistency of flavor. When a particular bean changes in quality, tapers off in supply, or rises in price, roasters can swap in a similar coffee without upsetting the overall taste. When building a blend, roasters first decide on the flavor they want to present, such as how the acidity, sweetness, and bitterness should read, and what body they expect. Most cafes create their own signature blend, and its flavor holds its own against any single origin.

How the Single-Origin Trend Formed

SOE means single-origin espresso. It does not automatically equal specialty coffee, but if you choose single-origin beans with easily identifiable flavors, you can pull espresso with a distinctive, typical character, such as the classic citrus of Yirgacheffe or the fruitiness of Kenya. Because espresso amplifies a coffee's taste, those specific flavors stand out more than in pour-over. Yet that same strength cuts both ways: coming from one origin, any flaw is amplified too. Roasting and grind size both shape the result, so SOE is not automatically better than a blend.

Finding Your Favorite SOE

On the rise of this trend, Chen Zhihuang, founder of Fika Fika Cafe, which won the Nordic Cup Coffee Roasting Championship in 2013, sees a striking parallel between coffee's development and whiskey. Everyone started out knowing only brands and tasting blended whiskeys, until the past decade, when single malts from different regions became hugely popular. SOE follows the same idea.

If you want to find espresso that suits your taste, don't decide on single origin versus blend alone. Next time, ask the staff about the flavor and roast level of the espresso beans. Only by tasting continuously will you find the flavor you love.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Among FrontStreet Coffee's SOE line, the Huakui SOE is a daily favorite for many drinkers, thanks to its full fermented fruit aroma and the mellow sweetness unique to natural coffee. Roasted to a medium level, it pulls an espresso with red berries, light florals, and orange, its crema carrying a citrus note, the cup refreshing with an elegant aroma. It shines as a Huakui SOE Americano or Flat White.

For something with more origin character, try the Granada Geisha SOE, a native Ethiopian Geisha from an estate near the famous Yirgacheffe town. The fully ripe cherries are natural processed, and as pour-over the coffee shows a bright profile, a light body, and a tea-like finish. Pulled as an SOE Americano, berry acidity leads, backed by the fermented aroma of ripe plum, while with milk it brings yellow peach, guava, and black tea, with well-balanced sweet and sour notes.

If you prefer a low-acid, rounded option, FrontStreet Coffee's Queen Estate SOE uses Brazil beans from a high-altitude area with a large day-night temperature swing, which helps the cherries develop more flavor precursors. A medium-dark roast brings out nut, cream, and peanut aromas with a sweet chocolate finish, and the espresso shows beautiful, abundant crema that stays fragrant even in milk drinks.