Pure coffee beans of one variety are almost never used, the only exception being very expensive premium varieties. Usually, this is a mixture of Arabica and Robusta, the two most common varieties. The resulting mixture is called a blend, and there are almost endless variations. We suggest creating your own unique bouquet using our instructions!

Peculiarities

Beans of one type are called monosorts, they can be purchased, including for creating your own blends. This will allow you to experiment in a coffee shop, try out different types of drinks that are brewed in different countries of the world.

There are combinations based on one variety, but with different degrees of processing:

• Blends may include several varieties that are roasted to different degrees;
• Even a single variety can be turned into a blend by mixing beans of different roasts. An example of such a variety is Uganda Drugar.

Often the goal of blending is to create a familiar or traditional taste based on national characteristics (almost every country that is at the origin of the drink has its own taste or method of preparing coffee)

Blends are often used for espresso and cocktails. In the first case, this is due to the complexity of espresso, which requires strength and balanced qualities. In addition, it is important to convey the traditional type of drinking and consistency. Single varieties with optimal qualities for this type of coffee are quite rare, mainly these are fruits from Ethiopia. If espresso is prepared only from Kenya AA, for example, the sourness will be intrusive and not everyone will like it.

The final product must be balanced, taking into account several taste characteristics:

• Sourness. This flavor is especially strong in lightly roasted beans. When exposed to hot water, some of the compounds that give this flavor disintegrate, giving way to bitter and burnt notes, but not all;
• Bitterness. It appears with a high degree of roasting and also increases with prolonged exposure to boiling water;
• Floral and other unique bouquets. Usually preserved until medium roasting, after which they disintegrate sharply. Lightly roasted beans are noticeable, some exotic varieties have unique combinations that are especially appreciated by gourmets.

Usually, each single variety has an individual set of aromatic qualities, so for a balanced taste they are mixed in certain proportions.

Roasting and other aspects

Taking into account heat treatment, there are two types of blends:

• Created by combining several varieties together and roasting them under the same conditions;
• Each single-variety is prepared separately.

The first option is more suitable if you already know the ideal recipe, it saves time. The second option will allow you to experiment, better dose and select qualities.

Most often, baristas create blends in such a way as to muffle any negative qualities and emphasize the positive ones. Of course, each country values ​​something specific, somewhere there should be no sourness at all, in another place such a light aftertaste is welcomed

Creating the perfect flavor is a whole art; you need to at least know all the features of a particular shade, and also imagine how it will change when mixed with the rest.

The barista knows the changes that will occur with all the components during brewing, the degree of grinding and the method used for preparation are taken into account. Despite the large number of methodological materials, it is impossible to become a master without practice.

That is why coffee shops do not always use raw materials for mixes (i.e. separate mono-sorts), usually they buy ready-made ground coffee with the necessary qualities. By the way, such coffee is often preferred to drink in paper cups .

The taste of the drink can depend on several factors:

• Geographical location. All plantations are located in the equatorial zone, but grow especially readily on mountain slopes, at an average altitude of about 2000 m above sea level. Certain climate features (temperature, humidity, direction of sunlight for most of the daylight hours);
• The surrounding flora. Coffee trees are literally saturated with the aroma of the surrounding plants. If there are many flowers around, the berries and beans are given an intense aroma;
• Grain size. Each type has its own density, size and shape. The degree and features of grinding and heat treatment depend on them. The water content parameter changes, and heat treatment conditions are selected in accordance with it;
• Variety. In this case, it is important to consider that different types of beans will have their own specific color after roasting and grinding. This does not affect the drink in any way if everything is done correctly.

Even the washing of the beans is taken into account: if the beans were washed during the harvesting and preparation process, the taste is softer. If not, sharper shades are retained.

There are many methodological materials that allow you to identify the main features of the taste of single-variety wines:

• Ethiopian and African varieties in general. They give the drink strength, the aftertaste is lingering, with bright, original notes;
• Kenya AA belongs to the first group, it is distinguished by its sourness. Any beans have individual characteristics, even if they grow on the same plantation. Differences may appear due to the conditions of sunlight or proximity to certain plants;
• Central American fruits have a sour taste, but are lighter than African ones;
• If the raw material comes from India, then the softness of taste/aroma, fruity or floral sweetness usually prevails;
• Robusta is stronger and is often added to mixtures with varieties that have a low caffeine content. This allows the drink to be stronger and has a more pronounced invigorating effect;
• Indonesian and Brazilian beans are often rich and lack acidity, making them great for espresso.

Base

Among the common varieties, one is usually chosen, which becomes the basis for making a blend. At least 40% of the mix is ​​made up of it, so preference is given to varieties with balanced and balanced taste characteristics. You can find options using two different types of coffee, but in equal proportions. The task of the base is to unite and connect the unique qualities of the other components.

For this reason, the following may be unsuitable for the base:

• Too light;
• Too pronounced features.

Many baristas believe that a mix should contain the minimum possible number of varieties. The majority of drinks include 2-4 varieties, and others, up to six, are less common. If you try to mix too many shades, this usually leads to them overlapping and becoming dull, or, on the contrary, an undesirable property may become more pronounced. For example, if there is less than 15-20% Arabica in a mix, its characteristics become difficult to distinguish.