Spring is here in the Rockies, which means snow! The coffee shop is quiet so there is more time to concentrate on cupping and blending. We are excited for our new crop of coffees to arrive and are preparing by tasting samples and adjusting blends. Blending is the art of combining coffees to create a consistent and balanced cup. Different blends are used for different qualities. Lighter body blends work well for traditional breakfasts accenting the oils in bacon and eggs creating a fuller body. Medium body blends can be great all day as all around sipping coffees. Fuller body and darker roasted blends work well after dinner with desserts (especially chocolate).  The most important of the blends that can be created is the espresso blend. Although there has been a movement in recent years to utilize single origins in espresso brewing, it is still the blend that brings balance to the cup when brewed in this method. Espresso blends are typically three or more coffees from a variety of origins and sometimes a variety of roast degrees. The basic idea is to create a balance of flavors that will shine through the espresso brewing process. The coffee is brewed quickly under pressure highlighting the strongest character of each coffee in the blend.  Northern Italian style tends to be lighter in roast character and Southern Italian style is darker with more roasty notes. The important thing to understand when choosing a blend is that there is virtually no standard recipe for degree of roast, ratio, or coffee type from roaster to roaster. It truly is the abilities and the experience of the person creating the blends that make a blend good or not so good.

The art of blending in Specialty coffee allows the customer to experience well balanced coffees that are tailored to specific meals or time of day. Commercial blends are used to create a consistency of product for better or worse. There is also a third form of blending coffees that all consumers should be wary of. Many roasters, big and small fall into the trap of blending high profile coffees in order to use an origin name. We have all seen coffees labeled "Kona Blend", "Kona Style", "Jamaican Blend" or "Jamaican Style". These products do not represent the coffees they are advertising. In the case of "blends," the actual ratio of the named coffee is often very low creating a product that in no way resembles the origin or its characteristics. In fact, there are laws in Japan that prohibit such blends or place minimums on how much of the named coffee is actually in the blend. The State of Hawaii has put truth in labeling laws into effect and is currently working with the Hawaiian Coffee Association and the Kona Coffee farmers to address such issues. Always check the label. If a brand uses the term "style" on its label it is a guarantee that there is absolutely none of the named coffee in the bag. These coffees are created to mimic an origin such as Jamaican Blue Mountain and capitalize on the name to market the product. The product may be fine but this method unfortunately dilutes the quality of the named origin.

In closing, be sure to enjoy your local roasters signature blends for what they are; handcrafted, well balanced coffees that marry the best attributes of the origins they are working with. Avoid commercial blends that are maintaining the status quo for bad taste and be leery of the roaster that mislabels or uses an origin as a marketing ploy. The truth is in the cup.

About the Roaster

Morning Glory Coffee & Tea