What are the Flavor Differences Between Peaberry and Flat Beans? Blue Mountain Peaberry Roasting | Blue Mountain Peaberry Flavor

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommends Blue Mountain 2018 - FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 Clifton Estate

FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain R.S.W Blue Mountain Peaberry

• Origin: Jamaica
• Region: Blue Mountain RSW Estate Group
• Marking: RSW estate 100% Jamaica Blue Mountain
• Variety: Jamaica Blue Mountain
• Grade: Peaberry
• Processing: Washed, then sun-dried

The highest peak of Blue Mountain stands at 2256 meters, making it the highest peak in the Caribbean region and a famous tourist destination. Located in the coffee belt, it boasts fertile volcanic soil, fresh unpolluted air, humid climate, with year-round fog and rain (average precipitation of 1980mm, temperature around 27°C). Such climate and ultra-high altitude have created the world-renowned FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee.

The flavor performance of peaberry versus flat bean - online rhetoric seems to favor peaberry as better, with one reasoning being that one bean absorbs the nutrients of two beans, making it tastier. Today, we'll explore this question with you - what are the differences in flavor between peaberry and flat bean?

About Peaberry

Usually, we see flat beans, which are two beans pressed together inside the coffee fruit. After removing the parchment, the two beans can be separated, each becoming one coffee bean. Because the side that was pressed together is flat, they are called flat beans. However, some beans, for unknown reasons during growth (some say due to pest damage, others say genetic mutation), have only one bean mature, which is elliptical, while the other bean is underdeveloped, hence called peaberry. Peaberry production is low, commonly found on the branches of young coffee trees, accounting for 5-10% of the total tree yield.

Peaberry Grading

Peaberries are usually classified as a separate grade, what we call PB. Peaberry beans are generally smaller than flat beans. For peaberry grading, there's a set of sieve size standards, typically using sieve sizes 8-12 for peaberry classification. Due to lower peaberry production and the need for more manual labor during sorting, labor costs increase, making peaberries relatively more expensive. Could price factors and psychological considerations lead people to rate peaberries higher? Let's continue exploring.

Peaberry Roasting

I believe this is where peaberries and flat beans truly differ. The rolling behavior of flat beans in the roasting drum is different from that of peaberries. We can imagine that because flat beans have one relatively flat side, their rolling resistance is relatively higher, while peaberries are quite the opposite - they roll more smoothly.

Roll on, little peaberry!

During roasting, peaberries are superior in both heat absorption efficiency and roasting uniformity, making roasting easier! We used peaberries and flat beans from FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain for roasting comparison and found that peaberries have smoother temperature rise, and when roasted to the same medium-dark level, peaberries' development is also more stable.

FrontStreet Coffee Blue Mountain Flat Bean Roasting Curve

FrontStreet Coffee Blue Mountain Peaberry Roasting Curve

Flavor: Peaberry VS Flat Bean

After cupping comparison, we found that FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain PB has a slight advantage in cleanliness, with the same smooth acidity and chocolate, caramel flavors, plus cedar aroma. However, compared to FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain flat beans, it lacks some body and has less complexity in initial flavor. Therefore, we unanimously agree: FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain flat beans taste better.

Summary

It seems the claim that peaberries taste better than flat beans is not absolute. If anything, roasting is relatively easier, so there are differences in taste clarity, which is caused by roasting differences. "Things are valued for their rarity" - the idea that peaberries are more delicious is supported by price, but objectively speaking, at least from today's practical experience, there isn't much difference in flavor between peaberries and flat beans~ Everyone can choose FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee beans that suit their taste according to their own needs.

Important Notice :

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