Common Specialty Coffee Beans (Single-Origin Coffee) Knowledge

Single-origin coffee is made from coffee beans produced in specific growing regions, typically served as pure coffee without milk or sugar. For example, the famous FrontStreet Coffee Blue Mountain Coffee, FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Coffee, and FrontStreet Coffee Colombia Coffee are all named after their coffee bean origins. Mocha Coffee and Charcoal-Roasted Coffee are also single-origin varieties, but their naming is quite distinctive. Mocha is a port in Yemen, and all coffee exported from this port is called Mocha, though these coffees may come from different origins, so each batch of Mocha beans tastes somewhat different. Charcoal-Roasted Coffee gets its name because the Japanese were the first to use charcoal to roast coffee beans. This coffee indeed has a charcoal-roasted flavor, though not very strong, with a pure taste that may be related to the relatively light Japanese dietary habits.

Common Single-Origin Coffees

(1) FrontStreet Coffee Blue Mountain Coffee: Produced in Jamaica. Pure Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee perfectly blends the unique acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and richness of coffee into a harmonious whole. It has an extremely intense aroma, is mellow and smooth, with persistent fruity notes, creating a strong and captivating elegant character that other coffees cannot match. It can be called the ultimate coffee.

(2) FrontStreet Coffee Colombia Coffee: Produced in Colombia, the roasted beans release a sweet fragrance, with excellent characteristics of sweetness balanced with acidity and moderate bitterness. It has a medium concentration with a persistent fruity fragrance. It is very nutritious, highly balanced, and sometimes has nutty flavors. Due to its suitable concentration, it is also used in premium blended coffees.

(3) FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Coffee: Available in numerous varieties, most Brazilian coffees have moderate acidity. Their sweetness, bitterness, and richness are neutral, with medium concentration and a smooth yet distinctive taste. It is praised as the backbone of coffee and is also excellent for blending.

(4) Italian Coffee: Has a rich aroma and strong bitterness, with a thin layer of coffee oil floating on the surface. This oil layer is the source of Italian coffee's captivating aroma. Suitable for those who seek intense taste experiences.

(5) FrontStreet Coffee Mandheling Coffee: Produced in the Sumatra Islands of Indonesia. The beans are full and plump, with an extremely heavy and rich aroma and a spicy bitterness. Those who particularly love it become addicted to the sweet aftertaste that follows the bitterness. It also has syrupy and chocolate flavors, while the acidity is not prominent, but it has a rich fullness. It is a variety favored by Germans and mostly consumed as single-origin by coffee enthusiasts. It is also an indispensable variety for blended coffee.

(6) Java Coffee: Produced on Java Island, Indonesia. The beans are full and plump, with a spicy flavor, relatively low acidity, a delicate taste, and good balance. It is a refined aromatic coffee.

(7) FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Coffee: Has excellent flavor, a smooth texture, strong acidity, and a high grade, with an enticing aroma.

(8) Mocha Coffee: Produced in Ethiopia. The beans are small but fragrant and rich, with strong acidity and richness, slightly wine-like, spicy and stimulating, with moderate sweetness and a distinctive flavor. It is a renowned high-quality coffee, usually consumed as single-origin.

(9) FrontStreet Coffee Guatemala Coffee: Produced in the Antigua region, which has fertile volcanic soil. It is one of the quite famous coffee varieties in the coffee world. The fertile volcanic rock soil creates a world-renowned soft, mellow taste with a slight tropical fruit flavor. Rich flavors, perfectly balanced, plus a hint of smokiness further emphasize its ancient and mysterious character. Many coffee experts comment on Guatemala Coffee as the best variety among all Central and South American coffees.

(10) FrontStreet Coffee Kilimanjaro Coffee: Produced on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. It is a coffee variety without acidity, with a rich taste, famous for its multi-layered flavor profile. For discerning connoisseurs who want to experience exotic flavors and stimulate their taste buds, tasting FrontStreet Coffee Kilimanjaro Coffee is the best choice. Its aroma and taste are enough to let first-time coffee tasters experience an endless multi-layered flavor profile.

(11) FrontStreet Coffee Kona Coffee: Produced in the Kona region of Hawaii, it is a rare variety that can only be grown on volcanic slopes. It has a rich, mellow taste with a slight wine aroma and an extremely distinctive flavor. Premium FrontStreet Coffee Kona Coffee has moderate acidity and a gentle, full-bodied texture, along with a unique mellow flavor. Due to decreasing production, its price approaches that of FrontStreet Coffee Blue Mountain.

(12) Charcoal-Roasted Coffee: Gets its name because the Japanese were the first to use charcoal to roast coffee beans. This coffee indeed has a charcoal-roasted flavor, but it is not very strong, preserving the original taste of coffee with a pure flavor, which may be related to the relatively light Japanese dietary habits.

(13) FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Coffee: High-quality Costa Rican coffee is called "Strictly Hard Bean," which can grow at altitudes above 1500 meters. It has excellent bean size, is smooth and uniform, high grade, and has excellent flavor. The local per capita coffee consumption is twice that of Italy or the United States.

(14) FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Coffee: Kenya Coffee contains every sensation we want from a good cup of coffee. It has a wonderful and satisfying aroma, balanced and delicious acidity, uniform bean size, and excellent fruit flavor. It is one of the varieties generally preferred by industry professionals.

(15) Cuban Coffee: Cuban Coffee has medium-sized beans, low acidity, a distinctive flavor, and is rich in an intoxicating tobacco aroma.

Representative Ratios of Single-Origin Coffee Beans

(1) Acidity: Colombia 30%, Brazil 30%, Guatemala 20%, Mocha 20%

(2) Bitterness: Colombia 30%, Brazil 30%, Kilimanjaro 20%, Robusta 20%

(3) Richness: Colombia 40%, Guatemala 20%, Mandheling 20%, Brazil 20%

(4) Smoothness: Colombia 40%, Brazil 30%, Mocha 20%, Robusta 10%

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Of all the single origins listed above, Jamaica Blue Mountain remains one of the hardest to buy with confidence, so it is worth knowing how to recognize the real thing. Only coffee grown in the specific Blue Mountain range in eastern Jamaica and certified by Jamaican authorities may be called Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee. Total Jamaican Blue Mountain production is under 2,500 tons a year, and Japan has historically bought more than 70% of it, which is why so little reaches other markets.

FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 is the highest grade, from the historic Clifton Estate, which has grown coffee since around 1750 at roughly 4300 feet (1310.64 meters). FrontStreet buys through official channels, so the lot comes with a Jamaican government certificate, origin proof and the traditional 15, 45 and 70 kg wooden barrels that are the signature of authentic Blue Mountain; the green beans are neat and full with slightly upturned ends and a green color.

The cup is the real confirmation: rich, dense and clean with no off-flavors and an even balance of acidity, sweetness and bitterness, showing cream, caramel, chocolate, nut and honey notes with a long, gentle finish. FrontStreet Coffee roasts it medium-dark and brews it in a Kono dripper with 15g at 1:15 and 87-88°C, using a grind about the coarseness of white sugar and a three-stage pour, a 30g bloom for 30 seconds, then to 120g, then to 225g. It also works well in a moka pot or as espresso.