Analysis of Italian Espresso Blend Concepts: How to Create a Delicious Coffee Blend Recipe?

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The Art of Coffee Blending

Coffee blending is an art that requires achieving optimal solutions across various factors. It demands blending knowledge and strategic thinking. In this installment of our Barista Development Series, FrontStreet Coffee will share our coffee blending philosophy.

First, what is coffee blending? It's the process of mixing coffee beans from different origins to achieve specific desired effects. Generally, there are only three reasons for blending: cost reduction, better flavor, and long-term stability. FrontStreet Coffee insists on creating stable, flavorful coffee beans within certain cost parameters, and we've even developed blends that prioritize flavor over cost (yes, we're talking about FrontStreet Coffee's Warm Sun Blend).

Blending Methods

Coffee blending methods are divided into raw blending and post-roast blending. Raw blending means mixing green coffee beans together before roasting them all at once. This method requires higher roasting skills because the greater the size difference between beans, the more expertise is needed to achieve even roasting.

Post-roast blending involves roasting each coffee variety separately before mixing them together. This approach effectively solves the problem of even roasting. The downside is that it's more cumbersome - what could be done in a single roasting session now requires multiple roasting sessions (as many times as there are different blend components).

Blending Philosophy

First, let's understand the general flavor profiles of coffee from major growing regions. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's medium-dark roasted Brazil Cerrado is a very balanced coffee, typically used as an excellent base component for enhancing body. FrontStreet Coffee's medium roasted Costa Rica Tarrazú offers exceptional sweetness and sweet fruit aromas.

FrontStreet Coffee's medium-dark roasted Colombia Huila has smooth fruity notes and high-level body, making it suitable as the main character in a blend. FrontStreet Coffee's medium roasted Ethiopia Yirgacheffe offers rich fruit characteristics and floral notes.

First, determine the main character of the blend, as the desired flavor profile directly influences the base coffee bean selection. If we want this coffee to express fresh, floral, and gentle notes, we can choose FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe as the foundation.

After determining the main character, select 1-2 coffee beans to complement the base. At this point, candidates include FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Cerrado and Colombia Huila for added body, and FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica Tarrazú for enhanced sweetness. First, identify the flavor profiles of each bean, then determine proportions. Three blending proposals were developed:

Proposal 1: Yirgacheffe, Tarrazú, Huila in a 6:3:1 ratio;
Proposal 2: Yirgacheffe, Huila, Brazil in a 6:2:2 ratio;
Proposal 3: Yirgacheffe, Tarrazú, Brazil in a 6:3:1 ratio.

Through cupping, we found that Proposal 3 performed well in both flavor and mouthfeel, with an excellent overall character. However, we wanted to test whether adjusting the ratios could yield even better flavors, so we created versions with ratios of 5:3:2, 6:2:2, and 7:2:1. We discovered that the 6:2:2 ratio delivered better mouthfeel without compromising flavor characteristics. Afterwards, we conducted further testing using an espresso machine.

This approach allows you to clearly conceptualize your desired flavor profile and quickly blend coffee beans that meet your specific preferences.

Important Notice :

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