What is...
If you’re into coffee, you’ve probably heard of single-origin coffees and coffee blends. These two popular coffees are equally delicious, but each has something different to offer. While single origin uses beans from just one place, a coffee blend does exactly what it says on the tin. It is a mixture of coffees from multiple origins.
In this guide to coffee blends we’ll cover:
The most popular definition of a ‘coffee blend’ is one you’ll often hear around coffee connoisseurs and bean enthusiasts (that’s us). It refers to a mixture of two or more different types of coffee beans grown in different places around the world. It’s basically the opposite of ‘single-origin’ coffee.
Coffee blends might not always be from different countries but could be from different provinces or farms. Flavours vary so much so you really can get that specific. You might even find a blend of two different varieties from the same farm, but from different altitudes of the sloping hillside.
Blending is quite common in the world of coffee, and you’ll find that many of the pre-ground coffees you find on supermarket shelves are blends. This is usually done for flavour reasons, but it can also be a case of economics and business strategy.
Flavour is an important part of blending. ‘Complexity’ in coffee is often a good thing as it means you can get an immediate hit of flavour as soon as you taste it. A few moments later you can experience subtler flavours, like citrus or floral notes that take a moment to shine through.
You can certainly experience this with single-origin varieties, but a blend can provoke a special kind of flavour alchemy by bringing different varieties together. With blends, you can achieve flavour profiles that just aren’t possible with single origins. And it goes without saying that artificially flavouring coffee just doesn’t achieve the same effect.
It’s also something that can be done for brewing reasons other than flavour. For example, in the coffee shop and café world, it’s fairly common to blend Arabica and Robusta beans together for espresso drinks. While Arabica is generally seen as the higher quality coffee (all of our coffee is 100% Arabica), high-quality Robusta beans can often be found in traditional Italian-style espresso blends, bringing more of a body to the taste and a nicer foam head (known as the crema).
You can absolutely blend coffee beans. In fact, it’s really easy. Our Make Your Own Blend kit includes samples of coffee beans from 4 different origins that you can experiment with to find a flavour profile you love. Combining coffee beans from different regions can allow you to unlock a new fountain of flavours.
By grinding coffee beans at home to make a blend, you are more likely to get a consistent grind than if you’re combining pre-ground coffee. Grinding the beans yourself is simple if you’ve got a coffee grinder. However, if you buy one of our coffee blends, we can grind it for you to suit your coffee brewing method.
We’ve got a few speciality coffee blends that we’re rather proud of. Espresso Yourself is our award-winning modern take on an all-time classic. While the blend changes throughout the year to take advantage of the changing global coffee growing seasons, the philosophy is the same: a balance of deep, chocolatey goodness with a fruity bitter hit on top. It’s produced by two communities, Posses in Brazil, and currently, San Cristóbal de las Casas in Mexico.
You’ve Got A Blend In Me is another award-winner and a more complex, adventurous espresso blend that’s perfect as an afternoon reviver. It’s a blend of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Brazilian Gerezim Estate varieties, starting with a fruity blackberry & liquorice hit, with spicy, cocoa undertones to follow. This is definitely one to savour with each sip.
Coffee blends are a great way to experiment with the different flavour profiles of coffee from around the world. Combine sweet, toffee notes with chocolate and nutty flavours or mix fruity and floral notes for a brighter brew. Shop our range of coffee blends now to find your favourite mix.
