What is SOE Espresso? Must Specialty Coffee Shops Sell Single Origin Espresso?

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A Discussion from a Coffee Chat Group

"Some people always think that coffee shops that don't sell SOE (Single Origin Espresso) aren't specialty coffee shops."

"Right... SOE is so inconsistent. Why do people ignore pour-over single origin coffee and insist on espresso extraction..."

"Because many people think that blended coffee beans aren't specialty coffee..."

(Blended coffee beans: I haven't provoked any of you... I'm actually completely innocent!!!)

The Evolution of Specialty Coffee

With the spread and popularization of specialty coffee culture, not only must coffee beans be Arabica, but more and more consumers have begun to pursue quality and flavor in coffee beans, thus increasing the demand for specialty coffee.

Specialty coffee is cupped by Q-Grader certified coffee evaluators using the SCA scoring system, and coffees scoring 80 points or above are called "specialty grade" coffee. Typically, most of these specialty coffee beans come from a single origin region.

This has led many people to mistakenly believe that single origin coffee beans are specialty coffee, causing "blends" to take countless blame. As the opposite of "single," blended coffee beans always make people think: "Hmm, it's blended, how can it still be considered specialty coffee?"

While the pursuit of specialty coffee continues to rise and single origin coffee may be a trend, this doesn't mean that coffee made from blended beans isn't specialty coffee, nor does it mean that all single origin coffees are specialty coffee.

What Defines Specialty Coffee?

Specialty coffee refers to coffee beans cultivated under unique microclimates and geographical conditions in producing regions, developing flavors characteristic of their origin. The greatest characteristic of specialty coffee is being able to taste the regional flavors.

If a blend uses specialty-grade coffee beans, after blending, they can not only complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, stabilizing the quality of each cup of coffee, but also allow you to experience the respective regional flavors during tasting. Then this coffee can be considered specialty coffee.

The Art of Coffee Interpretation

In specialty coffee, besides the quality and flavor of the beans themselves, the interpretation by the roaster and barista is also extremely important. Not every single origin coffee bean is suitable for all extraction methods.

Although SOE (Single Origin Espresso) uses single origin coffee beans, extracting a delicious espresso truly tests the skill of the "interpreter"!

Challenges of Single Origin Espresso

Using single origin coffee beans to make espresso, it's easy for good flavors to become unpalatable due to increased concentration. It's also difficult to ensure consistent quality in every espresso due to the release of carbon dioxide from the coffee beans.

During the second wave of coffee - the era when Italian coffee was prevalent - people used complementary flavors from different coffee growing regions to balance each other's "shortcomings," making espresso stable and accessible to the masses.

With the arrival of the third wave of coffee and improvements in coffee bean quality, more and more people have begun to challenge themselves with using single origin coffee beans for espresso extraction. Fashion is cyclical, but not every interpreter can maximize fashion to its extreme.

The Third Wave: Quality and Complexity

The third wave of coffee pursues rich, delicate flavor expressions in coffee, so to preserve the acidity in coffee, roasting has also become increasingly lighter.

In drip extraction, lightly roasted coffee beans can express more fresh, rich coffee flavors due to lower concentration. When concentration increases, the acidity in coffee also increases, and the mouthfeel becomes thinner due to lack of body substances.

The Balance of Expertise

Balancing the advantages and disadvantages of single origin coffee beans requires the interpreter to have in-depth understanding of the coffee beans, as well as develop appropriate roasting approaches for pressure extraction and set suitable extraction parameters. Without proper roasting and extraction, even specialty-grade coffee beans may not produce a specialty coffee after extraction.

For consumers accustomed to traditional coffee bean flavors, switching from stable, balanced blended beans to more distinctive single origin coffee beans presents certain challenges.

People are willing to try SOE for two reasons: one, chain coffee brands heavily promote "SOE" as a selling point, allowing consumers to intuitively experience the difference between it and traditional Italian coffee beans. Two, drinkers have specific requirements for their coffee flavor preferences, origin, or processing methods, so they're willing to try more products made from single origin coffee beans.

The True Essence of Specialty Coffee

Each wave of coffee development builds upon the previous one - the emergence of new waves doesn't make old waves worthless. The popularity of SOE is a manifestation of the development and progress of the specialty coffee market, but it cannot represent all of specialty coffee.

The third wave of coffee doesn't really refer to a single cup of coffee, but rather includes all elements related to coffee, presenting a complete supply chain - this is an experience.

It's certainly good for a shop to have a special SOE coffee, providing consumers with more choices and deepening their impression of the coffee shop. But what's the big deal if they don't offer SOE! Professional service, high-quality coffee beans, and high-quality & stable coffee products are the most valuable assets of a specialty coffee shop.

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