Coffee which is sold in shops is usually offered under attractive names, which however do not tell you anything about its quality. In most cases these are non-specific blends, which have been mixed in order to create a product of consistent and neutral taste. In the huge volumes exceeding hundreds of thousands of tons per year and the very low redemption prices it is not really possible to acquire high quality coffee.
Although recently many companies began to follow the model of wine-makers and strive for a greater transparency of their coffees’ origin, only rarely can they get beyond the name of the coffee-growing region. In better cases, the market is oversaturated with blends like Costa Rica Tarrazu, Brazil Santos, Colombia Supremo, or, in worse cases, with “100% Arabica from the plateaus of South America.” These coffees are purchased on the commodity market for prices which only slightly exceed the costs for their production. The quality of the picking is usually disastrous and thus the resulting taste is likewise dull and mediocre.
You will be able to tell the difference immediately just from the aroma itself. In coffees which are normally available, you will smell the typical “coffee flavour,” often accompanied by a biting sensation and frowstiness, caused by the long time which has elapsed from roasting. If you compare coffees from different countries, the differences in taste will be minimal. Weak and watery body, low or “zero” acidity, unpleasant and palate-irritating aftertaste. After cooling down this coffee is usually boring, plain, and indistinct. Rather than a culinary experience, above all it is a source of caffeine. In extreme cases, when there was some significant problem with processing (excessive fermentation) or overroasting (burnt coffee beans), you cannot do without milk and sugar.
On the other hand, you will be able to tell all our coffees immediately just by their aroma. Coffees processed by a dry method are for example distinguished by their distinct aroma of strawberries and forest berries. The pacamara variety will often surprise you with a combination of floral and citrus notes, together with flavours of exotic fruits like pineapple, lychee or mango. And this is just the beginning! Try comparing coffees from one farm processed by two different methods, or two different coffee varieties like pacamara and catuai. Only then you will see the true taste potential and enter the world of top-quality choice coffee.
