Coffee Encyclopedia: Single Origin Coffee Introduction

FrontStreet Coffee · Mocha

All coffee from Arabia was once called Mocha, and for centuries it was regarded as the finest in the world. Even among Mocha coffees, though, quality varies. The premium varieties include Wonteling, Yafi and Anaji, among others. Mocha has a distinctive, almost ladylike character: sweet and smooth, with a singular aroma and rich acidity. It blends well with any other coffee and is just as pleasant on its own.

FrontStreet Coffee · Kenya

Grown at an altitude of 2,000 meters, Kenyan coffee delivers a rich, full-bodied fragrance with acidity and bitterness held in balance. Nearly every coffee professional prefers Kenyan coffee, because it carries all the qualities needed to brew an excellent cup.

FrontStreet Coffee · Mandheling

One of Indonesia's coffee varieties and once considered the world's finest premium type. The beans are fairly large with a yellowish or brownish cast, offering a bitter aroma and mild acidity with noticeable bitterness. Production is limited, so it counts as a premium product and stands as a representative of mild coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee · Hawaii Kona

The standard-bearer of Hawaiian coffee, an Arabica variety. Grown in the fertile volcanic soil of Hawaii's highlands, its beans are large and glossy and roast into an excellent flavor with smooth, gentle acidity. Kona blends well with both premium and mid-grade coffees. Cultivated in a highland tropical oceanic climate on volcanic soil, it develops a taste and character found nowhere else.

FrontStreet Coffee · Costa Rica

In the eyes of many connoisseurs, Costa Rican coffee ranks among the world's finest, prized for its mild, clean taste and exceptional aroma. Only premium varieties are permitted for cultivation, and regulations require growing above 1,500 meters. High-altitude cultivation benefits the development of the acidity that matters so much in coffee flavor, and the cold, long nights with wide temperature swings from daytime slow the beans' growth, cultivating a mellower, richer flavor. The beans are large and highly acidic, with a mild, delicate taste.

FrontStreet Coffee · Jamaica Blue Mountain

This variety stands as a classic among the most prestigious coffees, grown in the highlands of the island nation of Jamaica at altitudes between 2,400 and 2,500 meters. The mountainsides reflect the strong sunlight off the Caribbean, casting Jamaica's high peaks in a blue hue, which is where the name comes from. The coffee has an authentic flavor and excellent balance, with sweetness, acidity and bitterness blending harmoniously. The aroma is high and persistent, with a pearl-like smoothness on the palate. No wonder a leading British coffee dealer said, "My customers have no choice but Blue Mountain." Jamaica Blue Mountain is unquestionably the finest among coffees and, naturally, the most expensive.

FrontStreet Coffee · Indonesia

Indonesian coffee is intense and hot in character. It represents Robusta coffee and is considered the finest among Robusta varieties, produced mainly in Sumatra and Java. Known for its bitter aroma, it suits blending and is equally good in ESPRESSO or in the country's specialty coffees.

FrontStreet Coffee · Guatemala

Guatemalan coffee from Central America grows in fertile volcanic soil with abundant sunlight and plentiful rainfall. An Arabica variety, it is high in quality with a waxy appearance, stronger acidity and mild bitterness, and it exports widely to the United States and France, where that flavor profile is preferred.

FrontStreet Coffee · Tanzania

Coffee exports are Tanzania's main source of foreign exchange. Its varieties typically show mild acidity, excellent aroma and a full body. As the country's coffee industry has developed, product quality has improved noticeably. Its acidity runs slightly lower than Kenya's, but the flavor is authentic and deeply satisfying in the cup.

FrontStreet Coffee · Colombia

Colombia is the world's second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, and all its varieties are named after the regions where they grow. The Andes cross the country. Walk the streets of the capital, Bogotá, and the pervasive coffee aroma can be overwhelming. Its beans are large and light green, with abundant aroma and acidity, producing a coffee of considerable body. Production and management are government-controlled. Colombian coffee is recognized as world-class and the country is the world's largest exporter of premium coffee, with all varieties belonging to the Arabica species. The flavor is rich and balanced, marked by sweet mellowness and full character, and it is today's most widely accepted and popular coffee category.

FrontStreet Coffee · Brazil Santos

Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and exporter. All Brazilian coffee is Arabica, and Santos is one of its representative varieties, named for the port of Santos in São Paulo state through which it ships. The beans are large and highly aromatic, with moderate bitterness and high-quality acidity. The overall taste is mild, delicately sweet with low acidity, revealing endless nuances when sipped slowly.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Among all these origins, FrontStreet is best known for Sumatra. The PWN Gold Mandheling is the highest grade available and a textbook example of wet-hulled processing. PWN, the Indonesian green-bean buyer behind it, screens its Mandheling at 18 mesh or above and runs one machine pass plus three rounds of hand sorting to meet the top G1 standard, which is why defect rates drop so far and the cup turns out so clean. FrontStreet's own bags of Gold Mandheling all come from PWN, and the PWN trademark, certificates and logo-printed sacks are the proof.

FrontStreet also carries a daily-drinking Lin Dong Mandheling from the Lintong area, and both beans are roasted medium-dark to soften the acidity and push the body forward. The Lin Dong shows toasted bread, nuts, caramel, pine and herbs, while the PWN Gold Mandheling goes deeper, with spice, nuts, pine, caramel, herbs and dark chocolate. Both keep the wild herbal note that comes from Sumatra's climate and its processing rather than from the roast.

For pour-over, FrontStreet recommends a Kono dripper, water at 87-88°C, 15 grams of coffee, a 1:15 ratio and a medium-coarse grind of about coarse sugar. The Kono's few ribs sit only at the bottom, so the filter paper hugs the wall, restricting airflow and stretching the contact time between water and grounds, which builds body. Bloom with 30 ml of water, then pour to 100 ml to raise the bed and bring out the golden foam, and finish with a gentle 95 ml pour down the center for extra sweetness. Expect a thick, full body with caramel sweetness and chocolate and nut notes.