What are the formulation approaches for pour-over blends? How to create pour-over blend beans? What is pour-over blend coffee?

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What are the Formulation Ideas for Pour-Over Blends? How Are Pour-Over Blend Beans Combined? What Does Pour-Over Blend Coffee Mean?

Pour-over blend coffee represents the technical skill level of a roaster. With the continuous updating of coffee concepts, the development direction and misconceptions of roasting technology have also attracted the attention and discussion of roasters. Pour-over blend coffee is a science that largely depends on understanding the physical characteristics of coffee: how different coffees combine together is not simple mathematics, requiring consideration of too many factors such as: coffee bean size, density, water activity, variety, and coffee processing method. Pour-over blend coffee is the optimal combination of acidity, bitterness, and aroma - coffee beans formulated by mixing these coffee beans together. For example: Guatemalan coffee beans with strong acidity, Mexican coffee beans with both acidity and sweetness, Brazilian beans with soft bitterness, and mixing these coffee beans in equal proportions, then adding an appropriate amount of Kilimanjaro coffee beans with strong acidity, results in coffee beans with balanced flavor and moderate concentration.

The proportions of pour-over blend coffee beans are mostly commercial secrets, but before mixing various coffee beans, there are several key points to understand first:

Determine the base bean: First, you must decide which regional coffee bean will be the base coffee bean, and use the base bean as the center to further select other beans that harmonize the overall flavor.

Mix beans with opposite personalities: Coffee beans each have distinctive flavors, try mixing coffee beans with completely opposite personalities to add special coffee aroma.

Mix beans with similar personalities: Harmonize beans with similar personalities, then further select the bean flavors to add different overall coffee aromas and textures.

Introduction to Representative Coffee Bean Mixing Ratios:

Bitterness-Dominated Pour-Over Blend Coffee

Formula: Sumatra Mandheling G1 (40%), Colombia SUP (30%), Brazil NO.2•19 (20%), Kilimanjaro AA (10%).

To create coffee beans with strong flavor, you need to select coffee beans with rich taste. These types of coffee beans include Indonesian Sumatra Mandheling with strong bitterness and acidity, Colombian beans with strong bitterness and acidity, Brazilian beans with moderate bitterness and acidity, and Kilimanjaro beans dominated by acidity. Coffee beans formulated this way have a heavier bitterness and are deeply loved by coffee enthusiasts.

Acidity-Dominated Pour-Over Blend Coffee

Formula: Kilimanjaro AA (40%), Mocha•Highland Harar (20%), Brazil NO.2•19 (20%), Hawaii Kona NO.1 (20%).

To create coffee beans with strong acidity, you need to use Kilimanjaro coffee beans as the main component. On this basis, pair them with Mocha•Highland Harar from Ethiopia with gentle flavor, Brazilian beans, and Hawaii Kona with moderate acidity. This way, you can formulate a pour-over blend coffee with prominent acidity.

Aroma-Dominated Pour-Over Blend Coffee

Formula: Guatemala SHB (40%), Kilimanjaro AA (30%), Mocha•Highland Harar (30%).

Aroma-dominated pour-over blend coffee mixes coffee beans with various different characteristics together for a richer aroma. Using the aromatic and rich Guatemala SHB as the main component, paired with Kilimanjaro beans known for acidity and Mocha•Highland Harar with natural fruit aroma, you can formulate a pour-over blend coffee with rich aroma.

American-Style Pour-Over Blend Coffee

Formula: Brazil NO.2•19 (50%), Mexico AL (30%), Jamaica Washed Beans (20%).

For those who don't like overly extreme flavors, don't love single-origin coffee, and only pursue flavors that suit them, American-style pour-over blend coffee should be the first choice. It uses medium-roasted coffee beans, with Brazilian beans that have balanced acidity and bitterness as the main component, paired with sweet and delicious Mexican beans and Jamaica washed beans with aroma and bitterness, creating a uniquely flavored American-style pour-over blend coffee.

Rich and Heavy Pour-Over Blend Coffee

Formula: Colombia SUP (50%), Brazil NO.2•19 (30%), Java Robusta WIBI (20%).

To highlight rich flavor, you should first choose Colombian beans with rich taste and moderate acidity. On this basis, pair them with Brazilian beans that have balanced flavor, as well as pour-over blend coffee with rich aroma and prominent bitterness. If you want to add some sweetness, you can appropriately pair with coffee beans that have soft bitterness.

Below are several practical examples (10 is the maximum degree, based on dark roasting):

1. Formula: Guatemala SHB 30 + Mexico AL 30 + Brazil NO.2.19 30 + Kilimanjaro AA 10

Result: Aroma degree 5, Bitterness degree 5, Sweetness degree 5, Acidity degree 5

2. Formula: Sumatra Mandheling G1 40 + Colombia SUP 30 + Brazil NO.2.19 20 + Kilimanjaro AA 10

Result: Aroma degree 5, Bitterness degree 10, Sweetness degree 5, Acidity degree 3

3. Formula: Mocha 20 + Hawaii Kona no.1 20 + Brazil NO.2.19 20 + Kilimanjaro AA 40

Result: Aroma degree 9, Bitterness degree 10, Sweetness degree 7, Acidity degree 10

4. Formula: Guatemala SHB 40 + Mocha 30 + Kilimanjaro AA 30

Result: Aroma degree 10, Bitterness degree 5, Sweetness degree 6, Acidity degree 7

5. Formula: Brazil NO.2.19 50 + Mexico AL 30 + Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee 20

Result: Aroma degree 5, Bitterness degree 3, Sweetness degree 5, Acidity degree 6

6. Formula: Brazil NO.2.19 30 + Colombia SUP 50 + Java Robusta Coffee WIB1 20

Result: Aroma degree 3, Bitterness degree 8, Sweetness degree 8, Acidity degree 6

[FrontStreet Coffee's Blending Philosophy]

At the beginning of our research and development, we first needed to determine what flavor profile the autumn theme should express: its texture doesn't need to be too heavy, it must have the flavor of autumn harvested fruits, and it needs to be sweet! Our consensus was to choose one main bean, supplemented by 1-2 supporting beans to harmonize the flavor; if too many beans are used, the main theme will be lost, and too many flavors will be difficult to balance.

After cupping and discussion, we decided to add a flavor-enhancing bean - [Gesha Village Gesha] Natural, with the ratio used this time being Huaguoshan: Kochere: Gesha - 6:3:1.

Reducing the proportion of Kochere makes the acidity of the entire bean smoother than before. 10% of Gesha Village brings more fruity flavors, while also enhancing the floral aroma and the tea-like notes in the aftertaste.

In terms of roasting, to preserve more floral and fruit aromas, the discharge temperature will be slightly lower; the time from dehydration to first crack will be slightly shortened to retain more reactive substances and increase the development time after first crack to develop the flavors.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473