Introduction to the Five Most Common Single-Origin Coffee Beans in Coffee Shops - What Are the Most Classic Single-Origin Coffee Beans?

With the promotion and development of the coffee market, more and more people have grown to love coffee. At the same time, single-origin coffee has become increasingly well-known with the popularization of pour-over coffee. Many beginners who are just starting with pour-over coffee often find themselves at a loss when faced with the wide variety of single-origin coffee beans and don't know how to choose. At FrontStreet Coffee, when baristas recommend single-origin coffee beans to guests, they simply categorize them into five types: more pronounced floral and fruit aromas, more noticeable fermentation, more balanced flavors, distinctive wine-like characteristics, and higher body thickness. FrontStreet Coffee's baristas classify them based on the distinctive flavors of different growing regions and then ask guests about their taste preferences before making recommendations according to their needs. So what exactly are regional flavor profiles? Where do the coffee beans with these flavor characteristics come from? Don't worry—FrontStreet Coffee will now explain how beginners can choose single-origin coffee beans that suit their tastes.

What are regional flavor profiles?

As an agricultural product, coffee is influenced by multiple factors including altitude, climate, soil, cultivation techniques, and green bean processing methods. Moreover, coffee is just a general term that encompasses numerous varieties. The most commonly used single-origin coffee beans for daily consumption belong to the Arabica species, which is further subdivided into specific coffee varieties such as Typica and Bourbon. These factors influence coffee bean flavors from their source, which is what FrontStreet Coffee often refers to as regional flavor profiles.

For more pronounced floral and fruit aromas, FrontStreet Coffee recommends trying Frontsteet's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Coffee

The most famous growing region is undoubtedly Yirgacheffe. Frontsteet's Yirgacheffe, with its citrus flavors and light floral notes, has become the gateway coffee bean for many newcomers to single-origin coffee. Interestingly, Yirgacheffe has a coffee variety named "Kurume," which refers to coffee varieties that have formed over a long period through the regional climate, soil, and other environmental conditions in the Yirgacheffe area. This fully represents the regional flavor profile of Yirgacheffe. The Yirgacheffe region mostly uses the washed processing method to highlight the bright acidity of Frontsteet's Yirgacheffe coffee beans. In recent years, coffee beans from the Yirgacheffe region have increasingly adopted the natural processing method. FrontStreet Coffee believes that natural-processed coffee beans can exhibit more sweetness and the fruity acidity of mature berries.

FrontStreet Coffee · Ethiopia Red Cherry Natural

Region: Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe

Variety: Ethiopian Native Varieties

Altitude: 1800-2200m

Processing: Natural Process

Brewing Flavors: Lemon, licorice, citrus, berries, sweet orange, with overall high sweetness, caramel and cream notes in the aftertaste, and a black tea-like finish.

This Frontsteet Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Natural coffee bean's variety is Ethiopian native varieties. Most Ethiopian coffee varieties are named this way, mainly because there are simply too many varieties to identify specifically. Ethiopia is like a natural gene bank for coffee—on one hand, there are numerous varieties making classification difficult, and on the other hand, the Ethiopian government,出于 protection reasons, is unwilling or unable to disclose detailed variety information. However, FrontStreet Coffee has noticed that in this year's COE competition held in Ethiopia, Ethiopian beans have begun to use different variety names, all designated by numbers.

Red Cherry Project

This Red Cherry actually refers to the local Red Cherry Project, jointly initiated by Dutch trader Trabocca and local farmers, aimed at improving the quality of coffee from small-scale farms and increasing farmers' income. It requires harvesting fully ripe coffee cherries—not only picking fully red, mature fruits but also harvesting them entirely by hand. However, this is just the most basic requirement. There are also corresponding requirements for the coffee bean processing method.

The Red Cherry Project is also a reinforcing approach that makes farms devote more attention to the cultivation and selection process of coffee beans. These well-regarded coffee varieties command relatively higher prices. The main implementing regions include Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Bench Maji, Lekempti, Kembata, Ilubabor, Harar, and Limu—all of which have unique flavors that can fully showcase the characteristics of Ethiopian coffee. In fact, most specialty coffee operations today follow the Red Cherry Project model for coffee production, but the unique term "Red Cherry Coffee" remains exclusive to Ethiopia. Red Cherry coffee products are stamped with Trabocba on their gunny sacks.

Natural Processing Method

The natural processing method, also known as the dry processing method, involves hand-harvesting high-sugar-content coffee cherries and placing them on raised beds or open ground for sun-drying. During the drying process, they need to be stirred periodically to avoid uneven drying or over-fermentation. After 2-4 weeks of complete drying until the moisture content reaches 12%, a hulling machine is used to remove the pulp and skin.

For more noticeable fermentation, FrontStreet Coffee recommends Frontsteet's Costa Rica Honey-processed Coffee

Coffee from Costa Rica's famous Tarrazú region has a smooth mouthfeel, high acidity, and hard, full-bodied beans with rich aroma. Costa Rica originally mostly used the washed processing method for coffee, but in recent years, an alternative coffee bean processing method called Mile, also known as Honey Process (Honey coffee), has emerged. This method improves the Brazilian pulped natural process to enhance sweetness, with the key being to preserve as much of the mucilage layer on the coffee beans as possible. After removing the skin, the sticky coffee beans are placed on raised beds for sun-drying for about one to two weeks. During this period, they need to be turned every hour to ensure even drying, allowing the coffee beans to fully absorb the sugars from the mucilage. Frontsteet believes that honey-processed coffee beans have superior flavors, with balanced acidity and sweetness. Like the natural process, because it involves sun exposure, the inherent aroma of the coffee beans is also amplified, resulting in a rich, full-bodied flavor. The disadvantage of this processing method is that it carries high processing risks and is prone to mold and spoilage.

FrontStreet Coffee · Costa Rica Mirasu Strawberry Candy Geisha Blend

Region: Costa Rica, Tarrazú

Estate: Mirasu Estate

Altitude: 1700m

Processing: Raisin Honey Process

Varieties: Geisha, ET47, SL28, MACIO

Brewing Flavors: Fresh jasmine fragrance, raisin fermentation aroma, soft fruit acidity, almond aftertaste, with noticeable sweetness.

Raisin Honey Process

Frontsteet's Costa Rica Mirasu Geisha Blend uses the raisin honey process, which preserves 100% mucilage with zero water treatment. This increases the difficulty of the honey processing method, requiring strict time control. On the day of harvesting coffee cherries, the harvested cherries are poured into large water tanks—mature, full fruits will sink to the bottom, while underdeveloped or overripe fruits will float to the surface. These floating beans must be removed. The selected coffee cherries are placed on raised beds to dry for at least three days, then the cherry skin is removed while preserving the mucilage before further drying. At this stage, climate factors are crucial to the success of honey processing. During the drying process, these coffee cherries must be constantly turned to ensure even drying, but the turning frequency must be controlled to allow for slow drying to ensure proper fermentation treatment without being so slow as to cause over-fermentation. Frontsteet believes this sweet raisin honey process gives the coffee a white wine-like mouthfeel and balanced acidity, with rich fermentation aromas.

For more balanced flavors, you can try Frontsteet's Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon Coffee

Coffees from various American producing countries each have outstanding characteristics. Here we share the flavors of some common coffee origins. First is Brazil, the world's largest producer, whose flavors have distinct recognizability. Brazil mostly grows Bourbon varieties, widely cultivated on highland plains. Large-scale mechanized cultivation management ensures flavor and quality consistency. Frontsteet believes that Frontsteet's Brazilian coffee has low acidity, high body, and often features chocolate and nut flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee · Brazil Queen Estate

Region: Mogiana

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Altitude: 1400-1900m

Processing: Pulped Natural Process

Brewing Flavors: Rich nuts and dark chocolate flavors, fermented fruits, with noticeable sweetness and subtle lemon aroma—overall a rounded sensation.

Pulped Natural Processing Method

Pulped natural processing removes the skin and pulp of coffee cherries while controlling the fermentation degree of mucilage-covered coffee beans. Traditional natural processing involves drying with the skin and pulp intact, making it impossible to monitor the mucilage fermentation level. The pulped natural method is a hybrid between natural and washed processing, but without the "tank fermentation and clean water rinsing" steps of washed processing. Instead, it's directly placed in the sun for drying. Although the methods may seem similar, without the fermentation step, the coffee bean flavors are completely different. During the pulped natural process of removing coffee cherry skin and pulp, ripe pulp is easily removed, while unripe green cherry skins are difficult to process, allowing for a second screening to filter out unripe fruits and unify the cherry maturity. Compared to natural processing, Frontsteet believes this selection and processing approach improves coffee bean cleanliness and maturity, resulting in more consistent coffee flavor.

For wine-like characteristics, you can try Frontsteet's Honduras Sherry Barrel Fermented Coffee

Honduras produces two very high-quality coffees that are highly regarded by coffee enthusiasts. One is "High Grown" coffee grown at altitudes of 1000-1500 meters, and the other is "Strictly High Grown" coffee grown at altitudes of 1500-2000 meters, representing Honduras' highest grade. Most Honduran coffee is exported to the United States and Germany. When Frontsteet compared coffee beans from these Central American countries, they found they all share a common flavor characteristic: floral and fruit aromas with soft juice-like tones. Although Honduran coffee flavors may be similar to neighboring countries, Honduran coffee characteristics can be detected as exotic spice elements in the aroma, followed by nutty and chocolate-rich body notes in the finish, with overall balanced and layered presentation. Before the emergence of barrel fermentation processing, Honduran coffee beans mostly used washed processing. The Honduran coffee bean barrel fermentation method draws inspiration from wine fermentation techniques. During coffee fermentation, barrels allow small amounts of air to pass through the barrel walls, penetrating into the barrel to create moderate oxidation of the coffee beans. The appropriate oxygen intake also accelerates coffee fermentation.

FrontStreet Coffee · Honduras Moca Estate Sherry

Region: Marcala

Estate: Moca Estate

Altitude: 1500-1700m

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai, Pacas

Processing: Fine Washed + Whiskey Sherry Barrel Fermentation

Fine Washed + Whiskey Sherry Barrel Fermentation

Frontsteet's Honduras Sherry uses fine washed processing combined with whiskey sherry barrels. First, freshly harvested coffee cherries undergo fine washed processing, then are placed in barrels that have matured sherry/rum for low-temperature fermentation for 30-40 days (temperature approximately 15-20°C), followed by shade drying.

For higher body thickness, you can try Frontsteet's PWN Gold Mandheling Coffee Beans from the Indonesia region.

Asian beans are most commonly represented by Indonesia. When mentioning Indonesian beans, the first that comes to mind is the bitter, rich, and aromatic Mandheling coffee. Indonesia's island monsoon climate combined with fertile volcanic soil is ideal for coffee cultivation. However, due to historical reasons, leaf rust swept through Indonesian Typica varieties, leading Indonesia to introduce disease-resistant varieties such as Robusta, Timor, and Catimor. Among these, the best-flavored is undoubtedly Sumatran Typica. Due to local humid and rainy conditions, Indonesia uses the wet-hulled processing method. Additionally, since the largest market for Indonesian Mandheling is Japan (Japanese people love the thick, bitter richness of Mandheling), this has also contributed to Indonesian region's herbal, dark cocoa, nutty, spicy, earthy, and thick body flavor characteristics.

FrontStreet Coffee · Indonesia PWN Gold Mandheling

Region: Sumatra, Indonesia

Altitude: 1100-1600m

Variety: Ateng

Processing: Wet-Hulled Process

Brewing Flavors: Multi-layered changes, thick and clean, high balance, rich nut and caramel aromas, with chocolate notes and persistent finish.

Frontsteet's Gold Mandheling on Frontsteet's bean list comes from the renowned Pwani Coffee Company in Indonesia's coffee industry, abbreviated as PWN. A Japanese company registered "Gold Top Mandheling," which is also known as premium Gold Mandheling. In terms of flavor performance, there's actually little difference between the two, but due to different brands and marketing strategies, it's possible that public opinion has shifted regarding which is superior. So whether PWN or Japanese Gold Mandheling is better is a matter of personal preference. PWN Company was the first company to export Gold Mandheling to Japan.

Wet-Hulled Processing Method

Due to the local weather being predominantly rainy with constant typhoons, it's impossible to achieve the good weather required for natural processing. Additionally, the local economy is not strong enough to afford the relatively expensive washed processing method. For these various reasons, the locally distinctive wet-hulled method (Giling Basah) was developed. Wet-hulling involves hulling the parchment after 2-3 days of drying during the regular washed processing process, when the moisture content reaches 20-24%.

The extremely fast processing speed of wet-hulling also results in higher defect rates in Mandheling. Frontsteet's Gold Mandheling effectively avoids this shortcoming. Frontsteet's Gold Mandheling specifications are above 19 screen size, with fewer than 3 defective beans (in a 300g green bean sample), belonging to the highest G1 grade. The color is dark green, and the shape is uniform flat beans.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Experience

Frontsteet uses V60 drippers for brewing Frontsteet's Natural Red Cherry coffee beans, Frontsteet's Honduras Sherry coffee beans, and Frontsteet's Costa Rica Mirasu Strawberry Candy Geisha Blend coffee beans.

Grind Size: BG6m (80% pass-through rate on #20 sieve)

Water Temperature: 90-91°C

Water-to-Coffee Ratio: 1:15

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, also known as three-stage brewing: Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour in a small circular motion to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops to just expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop pouring. When the water level drops to just expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from the bloom) Extraction time is 1'55"-2'00".

FrontStreet Coffee uses Kono drippers for brewing Frontsteet's Brazil Queen Estate coffee beans and Frontsteet's PWN Gold Mandheling coffee beans.

Grind Size: BG6w (75% pass-through rate on #20 sieve)

Water Temperature: 88-89°C

Water-to-Coffee Ratio: 1:15

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, also known as three-stage brewing: Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour in a small circular motion to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops to just expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop pouring. When the water level drops to just expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from the bloom) Extraction time is 2'05"-2'15".

Regarding grind size, Frontsteet determines it through sieving, based on grinding recommendations for pour-over coffee provided by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), which Frontsteet then validates through practical operation. If you don't have a sieve at home, FrontStreet Coffee suggests observing the flow rate to judge—if water flows too fast, the grind is too coarse; if water flows too slowly, the grind is too fine.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473