Most purists prefer to have only single origin coffees. Coffee is grown in more than 50 countries, and is second only to oil in dollar value as a world trade commodity. There are about 25 million acres of land devoted to coffee cultivation. The ideal conditions for growing coffee include tropical or subtropical temperatures of about 68F to 75F, abundant sunlight, rich soil, and 60 to 80 inches of annual rainfall.
Every coffee has a unique taste and character which distinguishes it from other coffees. Single-origin coffee refers to a coffee variety with a single known geographical origin. Sometimes this is a single farm, a specific collection of beans form a single country, or a specific growing region. The name of the coffee is usually the place it was grown to whatever degree available. This is in contrast with “blend”, which may be any mix of beans from several different source regions. Like fine wine-growing areas around the world, coffees also have preferred growing areas where environmental conditions are perfect for creating premium coffee. Kenya Afrique coffee, for example, is grown at high altitudes in Kenya’s Kirinyaga Valley. Antigua Guatemalan coffee comes entirely from the Antigua region, a premier coffee-growing area high in the mountains of Guatemala.
Even if coffee is labeled “100% Arabica”, the slightest difference in growing altitude, climate, soil, harvesting, or processing conditions can account for flavor differences between coffees. For the coffee purist, single-origins and varietals capture the essence of a particular region’s unique characteristics.
Estate coffees are a specific type of single-origin coffee. They are generally grown on a single farm, which might range in size from a few acres to large plantations occupying many square miles, or a collection of farms which all process their coffee at the same mill. Micro-lot coffees are another type of specific single-origin coffee from a single field on a farm, a small range of altitude, and specific day of harvest.
Know where your coffee comes from to understand how to make coffee that tastes great. By familiarizing yourself with the differences in taste and characteristics of single origin coffees, you will be able to decide which one suit you best.
