After the workshop: a description of coffee varieties.

After the workshop: a description of coffee varieties. To date- there are 125 species of coffee. Specialty coffee roasters use only one – Arabica. It’s the most genetically superior species […]

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After the workshop: a description of coffee varieties.

To date- there are 125 species of coffee. Specialty coffee roasters use only one – Arabica.

It’s the most genetically superior species available- and because of this will have a much higher level of quality, complexity and flavour.

Arabica consists of many varieties grown globally mostly between the tropics. Ethiopia is commonly considered the birthplace of Coffee. Most of the genetic variation of the Arabica species lies almost entirely in Ethiopia. It’s like the Big Bang of Coffee.

The history of coffee dissemination is confounding. Most varieties outside of Ethiopia have been bred from a single varietal- Typica which was of course, originally from South- western Ethiopia. Bourbon is another great variety, discovered on the island of Reunion- formely known as Bourbon, that has also formed the backbone in many hybrids etc. You can deduce from this that the genetic diversity of the Arabica species globally is incredibly limited. But fortunately for us, Botanist- Dr. Aaron Davis from Kew Botanical gardens is making some headway.


To kickstart your upcoming varietal obsession- below are the main categories of varieties and a few common examples of each.

Heirloom varieties

Typica- Excellent cup quality, diverse flavour potential.

Bourbon- Distinctive sweetness, with a clean and sweet finish, a great deal of complexity potential. Excellent Acidity. Unbeatable balance.

Geisha- Exceptionally aromatic and/or floral. Complex. Deliciously sweet. Normally has an excellent texture quality. Considered one of the highest quality varieties in the world.

Hybrids

Mundo Novo—A cross between Typica and Bourbon. Grown for high yield and disease resistance. Very little fruit notes. Mellow cup in general. Low acidity.

Catuai- A cross of Caturra and Mundo Novo. Combines dwarf character of Caturra with yield and strength of Mundo Novo. The red variety has a well integrated acidity that adds more structure to the cup.

Pacamara- A cross of Pacas and Maragogype. Can taste of Chocolate and fruit. Bold flavour. Mostly large beans.

Mutants

Caturra- Dwarf Bourbon mutation ( discovered in Brazil). Produces mostly sugar-driven aromatics and ends up being quite dessert like. Lacks complexity.

Pacas- Dwarf Bourbon mutation (discovered in El Salvador). More complexity than Caturra.

Villa Sarchi- Dwarf Bourbon mutation (discovered in Costa Rica). Higher cup quality overall compared to Pacas and Caturra.

Maragogype- Giant Typica mutation (discovered in Brazil). Interesting rich cup. Bold but not complex.

Important points to remember when comparing different varieties.
  • When working with Arabica- Processing takes 1st place in being the most important determining factor in the overall quality of coffee. Processing can mask or highlight inherent flavour characteristics of various varieties. This is incredibly important to remember when attempting to create a sensory databank of coffee varieties. I think this, probably subconsciously, is the reason why varieties take 2nd place in most people’s minds. To fully understand varieties, one has to be well acquainted with all processing methods utilized by farmers. (More on processing another time.)
  • Coffee varieties can be different much in the way that fruit varieties differ. A granny smith is clearly very different to a golden delicious apple. It’s quite difficult to effectively relate coffee to fruits as they realistically cannot be compared like this, there are too many other variables involved, namely- terroir, processing and roasting.
  • Farmers sometimes grow multiple varieties interspersed- mainly to uplift global pest and disease resistance on the farm as well as to optimize yield, quality and flavour. This is one of the reasons why you’ll see multiple varieties on a Coffee’s bag description.It’s like a multi varietal blend of green (unroasted coffee) from the same farm.In this case, one cannot assess it individually.

 

Enjoy the brews.

 

Chemex vs Hario V60 – Pour Over showdown

I’m fond of pour over extractions. Hario V60 pour overs in particular. But that’s just me. You’ll have to read on to get the reasoning behind my seemingly biased opinion. […]

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I’m fond of pour over extractions. Hario V60 pour overs in particular.

But that’s just me.

You’ll have to read on to get the reasoning behind my seemingly biased opinion.

I’m going to forgot about talking about the materials, brewing recipes, history, etc and just get to the point.

Why are these two brewers different?

Firstly, I am comparing these two devices under the assumption that everybody would be using the accompanying paper filters.

Allow me to also state that a simplistic and logical description of a pour-over brew would be- a paper filtered gravity based extraction. When, said like this, it would seem that these brewing devices would produce the same result and are merely different by design.

This is false.

My Hypothesis.

Below is an excerpt from the Chemex website.

‘Chemex filters are 20-30% heavier than competitive brands and remove even the finest sediment particles as well as the undesirable oils and fats. The formulation of the filter permits the proper infusion time by regulating the filtration rate – not too slow, not too fast’

The Chemex filters restrict the flow rate of the water through the coffee grounds quite dramatically. Consequently, baristas have to grind courser to accommodate for this flow rate restriction.[Grinding courser isn’t that effective for various reasons which I’ll touch on in a future post.]

You can see here that there is a change in acidity profile when one changes the grind size. Acidity is incredibly important in modulating the overall flavour profile of a coffee as well as adding and/or enhancing complexity.

The info above is only of a few of the dominant acids in coffee(Image information Source- www.coffeeresearch.org)

This is a highly overlooked factor of the difference between the Chemex and V60 brewers.

Paper filters in general, hold back on almost all the oils in coffee. This alone dramatically reduces the complexity potential in a brew. A positive factor of this occurrence is the emphasis on acidity. Oils buffer the acids. If the oils are removed, the acids will appear more pronounced.

After taking this into consideration- I’ve come to the conclusion that one cannot simply compare the Chemex to the V60 dripper as if they were intended to produce the same result.

Final thoughts.

Chemex

It appears that the Chemex has more of a monotone cup character. It’s incredibly clear and can be very sweet( granted the right coffee is chosen). It unfortunately lacks complexity.

The 6-cup chemex is great for larger quantities and is a less finicky brewer. Dinner Party? Whip out the Chemex. Don’t like concentrating on perfecting your brew first thing in the morning? The Chemex is for you.

Pouring technique and flow is not as important with the Chemex as it is with a V60 dripper. I would even argue that you probably don’t even need a gooseneck kettle for Chemex brewing, but merely a light and steady hand and a regular kettle. But friends…life is always better with a gooseneck kettle, no matter the brew…for obvious reasons.

Dropping some hard earned cash on some top- notch coffee would seem somewhat wasteful if intended to be brewed in the Chemex alone.

Hario V60

Definitely more complex. There’s much more control when brewing a V60 pour over. There’s a great deal more room for grind size adjustment. You are able to manipulate flow rate and essentially the overall character of the cup. Changing coffee to water ratio is a breeze.

Do you like the idea of manipulating your brew and exploring more of what there is for a coffee to exhibit. Then the Hario V60 dripper is for you. You really need a gooseneck kettle for this one though.

 

P.s- I brew and enjoy V60’s at home every morning.

 

Until next time.

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