Joanna James
There is a medley of elements that make up the ideal coffee experience, but the calibre and freshness of your coffee beans will bring on a blissful smile as well as bring on that laser-sharp alertness. Here's all the groundwork laid out for your favourite caffeinated brew.
It's no secret that a great cup of coffee is a love language of its own, whether you like it dark and toasty warm, with lashings of cream, or poured over ice with a chocolate or caramel drizzle. However, to claim the title of a die-hard coffee lover requires some out-of-the-box exploration, just so you know you aren't missing out on an epic flavour fusion due to sticking to the same old habits. The first on our list is the mass-market Robusta variety, which hails from Sub-Saharan Africa, Vietnam, and Indonesia, and is larger and more round in shape than its fragrant counterparts. Due to its fewer growing restrictions and greater yield, it's usually priced lower than more luxurious blends with Arabica. In terms of taste, it's considerably bitter with 2.5% more caffeine than other beans, but depending on the roaster's unique blend they can taste deliciously earthy with spiced undertones.
If you're keen on sampling the very best flavour profile with complex notes and a silky and creamy texture with a notable lack of bitterness, this high-quality coffee variant is the way to go. Even though these beans have a higher price point due to their more challenging and labour-intensive growing conditions, whether in the forest gardens of Sri Lanka or Harrar farms of Ethiopia, single-origin Arabica has an unmatchable range of tasting notes from earthy and fruity to spicy and subtly sweet. These premium quality beans of low acidity and enchanting flavour are rumoured to be the first coffee beans ever tasted and are best brewed using the drip coffee technique. If you're on a quest for the perfect coffee bean, order online with ease via websites such as Damn Fine Coffee.
A rarer coffee variant with a rich history, Liberica beans were first harvested in the Philippines during the nineteenth-century coffee rust when 90% of the world's supply of Arabica was devastated. Known for its largeness and asymmetrical shape, this unique coffee bean has an equally uncanny taste between 'woody' and 'smoky', with a fruitier and more floral aroma than its counterparts. This variant is certainly an acquired taste, with some coffee drinkers obsessed with the nutty punch and some complaining it doesn't taste like coffee at all, so it's always good to discover for yourself!
Hailing from South East Asia and following the irregular shape of Liberica beans, these lesser-known coffee beans are often used in blends to add complex richness to the flavour. Their taste is on the threshold of tartly fruity and smoky dark roast.
Fun fact; your velvety brown coffee beans started out green, and the process of roasting is imperative to get them to yield the aroma, flavour notes, and colour of the brew you know and adore. From delicate light roasts that preserve the original piquant tones to the toasty warmth of medium roasts and the caramelized spiciness of dark-roasted coffee, discovering your ideal roast does wonders in enhancing your coffee experience; so get to sampling different types!
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
