What are Blend Beans? Characteristics and Recommendations of Yunnan Espresso Blends - Must Espresso Coffee Be a Blend?

Coffee enthusiasts know that single-origin coffee is mainly used for pour-over, while espresso is made from blended coffee beans. So what exactly are blended coffee beans? Must espresso be made from a blend? In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will explain espresso coffee beans.

What are Italian-style blended coffee beans?

Italian-style blended coffee beans originated in Italy. According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Italian blends first emerged because rich, bitter espresso was popular at the time, while single-origin coffees had one-sided flavor profiles—advantages and disadvantages coexisted. High-quality single-origin beans were also expensive, while blended coffee offered better value: lower priced than single-origin coffee yet still possessing unique flavors. Many Italians therefore chose blended coffee over single origin, and blends grew and became popular as a result.

The reason espresso blends offer better value than single-origin coffee is that traditional Italian-style blends mix in Robusta variety beans. Robusta has mellow, rich flavors; although its cupping scores don't reach those of single-origin coffee, when paired with single-origin beans it provides richer, thicker crema for espresso. At the same time, as a base for milk-based coffee, it provides a thick, smooth texture.

Coffee lovers who often drink single-origin coffee know that single-origin refers to traceable, single-region Arabica beans with cupping scores above 80 points. Robusta's cupping grade cannot meet single-origin standards, so it is not used as single-origin coffee. Moreover, Robusta's growing conditions are simpler, making it much cheaper than Arabica beans.

Blended coffee beans naturally means the blending of two or more original beans, but a special case is that beans of the same variety at different roast degrees can also be blended, and even new-crop and aged coffee, or old-crop and new-crop, of the same beans can be blended. The "types" referred to in blending are therefore no longer narrowly defined as coffee varieties but have been extended broadly to coffee flavors. Generally, 2 to 6 types of coffee beans are used for blending; too many varieties would make it impossible to express the coffee's unique flavor.

Why blend coffee beans?

The primary purpose of FrontStreet Coffee's Italian-style blends is to maintain stable flavor and balanced taste. Because coffee beans are always an agricultural product, their flavor can be unstable each year due to climate and environment—perhaps sweeter this year, less so next year. Mixing several beans together solves this problem well, at least keeping the flavor tasted each year consistent.

Another major factor is that espresso machines amplify the most prominent flavors of coffee beans. For example, the main flavor of FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is citrus and lemon acidity, so an espresso machine amplifies its acidity; Indonesian Mandheling's main flavor is herbal, earthy bitterness, so the machine amplifies the bitter flavor. FrontStreet Coffee therefore will not use single-variety beans to make espresso, otherwise the resulting coffee would be very unbalanced and hurt the taste. This is also why espresso should be made from blended coffee beans.

Can single-origin coffee beans be used to make espresso with an espresso machine?

Although FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above that single-origin coffee is not ideal for espresso, that doesn't mean it can't be done. Espresso made from single-origin beans is given another name—SOE coffee. Making SOE requires adjusting the ratio of espresso to milk or water. Reduce the milk or water to highlight the coffee's flavor so it doesn't become too bland.

Finally, there are very strict requirements for selecting beans to make SOE. Although SOE has outstanding flavor expression, because it comes from a single origin its disadvantages are also relatively easy to amplify. Factors such as roasting and particle coarseness will affect the flavor, and SOE is difficult to keep stable, which is why FrontStreet Coffee does not offer it in-store.

How does FrontStreet Coffee blend Italian-style coffee beans?

Blending coffee beans is certainly not done casually. As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, espresso machines amplify the original flavor of the beans, so FrontStreet Coffee suggests that only beans with similar roast degrees and flavors that complement each other should be blended. Blending FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe coffee beans with its Indonesian Mandheling beans would probably produce a "dark" drink. Coffee blending must strictly control blending ratios and flavor harmony to create coffee with good taste, which greatly tests the blender's understanding of the beans.

Additionally, FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above that Italian-style blended coffee beans are made by blending 2-6 types of original beans, and those original beans naturally need to be roasted and processed. Coffee blending is therefore divided into raw blending and roasted blending.

Raw blended coffee beans

Raw blending means mixing the beans first and then roasting them, while roasted blending means roasting first and then mixing. FrontStreet Coffee believes the advantage of raw blending lies in using the same roast degree to make coffee flavors tend toward stability and uniformity, and one roasting session is sufficient. The same roast degree also greatly reduces quality-control difficulty and improves efficiency.

However, it is not perfect. Raw blending has very significant limitations, so FrontStreet Coffee generally recommends using beans with similar densities for raw blending. Otherwise, the flavor won't be as good as the original single-origin flavor. Beans suitable for light roasting must be roasted with other light-roast beans to achieve a doubly good effect, while pairing a light-roast bean with a dark-roast bean would be incompatible and lead to poor flavor.

Roasted blended coffee beans

FrontStreet Coffee believes the advantage of roasted blending is that each bean can be roasted to its optimal degree, maximizing the characteristics of each bean. The disadvantage is that daily quality control and management become more difficult. Inconsistent roasting dates require attention to multiple aging periods. Imagine using 4-5 coffee beans for roasted blending—one product would need to track 4-5 different roasting dates. Both roasted and raw blending have their own advantages and disadvantages, but the goal is the same: to make coffee flavor more delicious.

Coffee blending also has two methods. One is blending coffee beans from different regions. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's Sunflower Warmth Italian-style blend uses FrontStreet Coffee's Honduras Sherry mixed with FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry. The Sherry beans provide most of the fermented wine aroma, while the Natural Red Cherry beans provide fragrance and acidity.

Recommended blended coffee beans

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, blending coffee beans is not an easy task. It is like a color palette—whether you can mix satisfactory colors depends on the painter's foundation. Coffee blenders must understand the flavor characteristics of major coffee-growing regions to mix attractive aromas and make coffee more delicious. This not only requires extensive coffee experience and inspiration but also precise ratio calculations. It is no exaggeration to say that blending coffee beans is an art. Below, FrontStreet Coffee shares the flavor characteristics of four blended coffees developed by its blenders over several years of research.

FrontStreet Coffee Sunflower Warmth Blend

Flavor: Obvious fruit acidity, light berry aroma, wine aroma, rich chocolate flavor, noticeable aftertaste.

Formula: FrontStreet Coffee Honduras Sherry : FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Red Cherry = 7:3

This blend uses FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry and Honduras Sherry. FrontStreet Coffee's design concept is that it can be used for both espresso and pour-over. As espresso, it emits an obvious fermented wine aroma, and citrus and berry acidity emerge immediately when tasted, with a whiskey-like aroma and a dark chocolate aftertaste.

When brewed with pour-over, the flavor is not as rich as when made as espresso. After brewing there is a fermented wine aroma and a little citrus fragrance. At high temperature, only the obvious wine aroma and dark chocolate aftertaste are present; as the temperature drops, the citrus and berry acidity emerge slightly. The overall feeling is clean and fresh, without a vanilla cream texture.

FrontStreet Coffee Premium Blend

Flavor: Gentle, slightly acidic, lightly sweet, nutty aftertaste, overall not too stimulating, balanced, medium crema.

Formula: Colombia : Brazil = 3:7

This blend uses Brazil and Colombia. It tastes with a light roasted grass aroma, a fresh fragrance with slight bitterness, sweet and smooth, with a pleasant aftertaste. Colombian beans from the Huila region have pleasant acidity, an aromatic profile, moderate acidity and a rich sweetness that is intriguing; Brazilian beans from the Cerrado region have a comfortable bittersweet flavor and are extremely smooth. The combination is simply wonderful. This Italian-style blend is suitable for daily cafe operations.

FrontStreet Coffee Commercial Blend

Flavor: Caramel sweetness, nutty and cocoa-like, dark chocolate flavors, balanced sweet and sour, slightly bitter, persistent aftertaste.

Formula: Colombia : Brazil : Robusta = 3:6:1

This blend uses Brazilian and Colombian coffee beans plus 10% Robusta. The flavor is classic. FrontStreet Coffee believes it tastes with rich crema and texture, caramel sweetness, nutty and cocoa-like, dark chocolate flavors, balanced sweet and sour, slightly bitter, with a persistent aftertaste. Like FrontStreet Coffee's Premium Blend, this commercial blend uses Colombian and Brazilian beans, but the addition of Robusta provides rich crema, making the texture more mellow and meeting the daily production needs of coffee shops.

FrontStreet Coffee Basic Blend

Flavor: Gentle fruit acidity, caramel sweetness, nutty, dark chocolate flavors, smooth and thick, but the taste is somewhat light.

Formula: Yunnan : Brazil = 3:7

This blend uses Brazil and Yunnan. FrontStreet Coffee believes it tastes with gentle fruit acidity and caramel sweetness, as well as nutty and dark chocolate flavors, smooth and thick but somewhat light. This is because Yunnan's natural conditions are very similar to Colombia's—high altitude, large temperature differences between day and night, a mellow aroma type, moderate acidity, rich and mellow flavor, uniform particles, high oil content and fruity aroma. Its quality and texture are similar to Colombian coffee, though slightly lighter, while Brazilian Cerrado beans have a comfortable bittersweet flavor and are extremely smooth. The flavor of these two beans mixed together is also good, and this basic blend offers excellent value, suitable for espresso beginners and small coffee shops, as well as for store and home users who prioritize cost and have general flavor requirements.

The above is the information about Italian-style blended coffee beans compiled by FrontStreet Coffee, in the hope of helping coffee enthusiasts better understand the subject and choose Italian-style coffee beans suited to their taste.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yunnan is one of the most distinctive components in an espresso blend, and FrontStreet Yunnan Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee is the introduction. Grown in Baoshan and processed with washing and a medium roast, it shows soft nutty and chocolate sweetness with a light plum acidity, an approachable first taste of the region at a friendly price.

For a more expressive Yunnan component, FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan Natural Typica is roasted medium to balance the cup and sharpen its sweet-sour tension. Sun-dried Typica brings dark berry notes with caramel sweetness, chocolate and a hint of dried apricot, finishing on a black-tea aftertaste. It is a sign of how far the region has come since the first Typica vines were planted there.

If you want to see Yunnan in an espresso, FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend pairs Yunnan small-bean coffee with Brazilian Cerrado beans. Brazil supplies the mixed-nut aroma and balanced body, while Yunnan contributes the chocolate and citrus character. Pulled as an Americano it is balanced across sweet, sour and bitter with nutty, brown-sugar sweetness; with milk it turns smooth and creamy with an almond note, which makes it very beginner-friendly.