How Aged Coffee Beans Are Made and How to Drink Sumatra's Aged Coffee

So-called "aged beans" are not simply coffee beans left to sit for several years. Without specific processing methods, beans stored too long will spoil, turning from fresh green to gray and yellow, completely losing their flavor, and even growing mold and insects, potentially causing a coffee merchant's hard work to go to waste, turning aged beans into spoiled beans.

Aged beans are an accidental result of coffee history. During the Dutch colonial period, Sumatra was one of the world's major coffee-producing regions, and the coffee produced had to meet the huge demand from European consumer countries. To ensure continuous supply, coffee merchants retained part of their harvest for storage, keeping it for a very long time. Fearing their beans would spoil and rot, causing total loss, merchants took several logical actions during storage. Combined with the lengthy sea voyages, the result was that Sumatran coffee beans developed a unique special flavor that European coffee connoisseurs eagerly sought.

There are two special requirements for aging coffee:

1. Storage in temperature and humidity-controlled or ventilated warehouses:

Beans being aged should be stored in their place of origin and aged in warehouses with temperature and humidity control or good ventilation.

2. Regular and constant turning:

Frequent inspection is required, and bags of coffee beans wrapped in burlap must be turned over entirely. The purpose is to allow every side to have even contact with air, ensure consistent drying of the coffee beans, and prevent mold and spoilage.

On the other hand, don't mistakenly think aged beans are the same as "Older Beans" - these two are actually quite different. Older beans are typically unsold inventory that not only lack the protection of the parchment but also often sit in dockside warehouses for years. How could such beans have good flavor? Aged beans, however, undergo special storage processes and the baptism of time, retaining rich, mellow coffee aromas that are worth savoring slowly. Aged coffee is more viscous. Aged coffee typically needs to be stored for 4-5 years, showing its preciousness. Aged coffee is difficult to store and ties up capital, so it's not very common. Among different regions, Europeans prefer aged coffee, likely influenced by history. Before Central and South America started growing coffee, Indonesia and India were the main coffee colonies. To ensure continuous supply to their home countries, appropriate storage was necessary, and combined with lengthy sea voyages, the aging effect was formed. For example: Aged Sumatran coffee beans (aged Java or aged Mandheling).

What exactly are aged coffee beans?

Aged coffee beans are not simply green coffee beans left to sit for a long time - this cannot be done, because green coffee beans left too long will also spoil, turning from fresh green to white, then to yellow, becoming tasteless, and even growing insects. Just like aged wines, green beans must undergo proper processing and long-term storage before they can be called true "aged coffee."

Where should aged coffee beans be stored?

Aged coffee beans should be stored in their place of origin, in high, cool warehouses, allowing mature beans to "grow" again after harvest. To ensure quality, farm owners must also regularly care for and inspect them, occasionally turning the burlap bags one by one to ensure all green coffee beans have balanced contact with air and water.

How should aged coffee beans be stored?

They should be stored inside the parchment. If the parchment is removed, the green beans will lose protection and deteriorate.

What is the flavor of aged coffee?

After aging processing, the acidity of coffee beans weakens, but the body increases, and the texture becomes thicker, giving a sense of mature stability, completely different from the lively brightness of new beans. Roasted aged coffee beans require longer development time to reveal their richness, so it's recommended to start drinking them after 3 days. Strictly speaking, aged beans on the first day after roasting don't have any special flavor.

What kind of coffee is suitable for blending with aged coffee?

Aged coffee has rich viscosity and is very suitable for blending with other coffees that have excellent acidity or special aromas to create blended coffee. This can make certain characteristic coffees even more flavorful. Some of Starbucks' blended coffees include aged Sumatran beans.

PS: Aged coffee is difficult to store and very precious. Because aged coffee embodies farm owners' long-term commitment and hard work, usually requiring 3-5 years of storage, it is extremely valuable.

FrontStreet Coffee's recommended brewing method for aged coffee:

Grind size: 4 (Japan Fuji R440), meaning medium grind

Water temperature: 88 degrees Celsius

Kono filter cup, 17g of coffee, water temperature 88 degrees, grind 4, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:14

Technique: 30g of water for bloom, bloom time 30s

Segments: Pour water to 120g, then pause, then pour with slightly larger flow to 221g

That is 30-120-221, total extraction time 1:50-2 minutes

[Aged Sumatran Coffee Beans], having been stored for many years, have become very gentle in acidity, with a smoother mouthfeel that is easy to drink, much like aged Pu-erh tea. It smells of pleasant pine aromas, with notes of herbs and cocoa flavors, plus a persistent caramel-like aftertaste.

Important Notice :

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