Crema | ESPRESSO
Beautiful crema. For a long, long time the appearance and quality of the crema – the thin layer of foam on top of a cup of espresso–was one of the defining characteristics by which the quality of an espresso was judged. Traditionally, the perfect crema is a deep, reddish-hazelnut colour and will hold a teaspoon of sugar for several seconds. If you are really lucky it will have “tiger stripes” – a speckled pattern effect across the surface of the crema. The crema, however, is really just a by-product of brewing under pressure and the effect this has on the CO2 in the coffee. It cannot tell you the quality of the coffee, but will instead indicate the freshness of the coffee (coffee loses CO2 and therefore crema as it ages) and the darkness of the roast (a darker roast will produce a darker crema). In summary, the highest-scoring coffees do not produce the highest-scoring crema. The marking of crema at the World Barista Championship has become increasingly less important. So many other factors such as the quality of the green coffee, roast, and extraction are much more crucial to the cup’s quality.
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Espresso p79
World Barista Championship p239
Cup of Excellence | COMPETITIONS
Cup of Excellence (COE) is a competition in which producers have their coffees graded and ranked according to their quality. The top lots then get auctioned off to the highest bidder around the world via an Internet auction. This hugely impactful programme was created by the US speciality coffee pioneer George Howell along with Susie Spindler. The programme really helps to throw a spotlight on – and reward – quality, allowing producers access to international buyers prepared to pay for the best. Countries like Rwanda have had their coffee-growing fortunes dramatically altered by this programme, which brings attention to the quality of coffee that a country can produce. Not all coffee-producing countries host the Cup of Excellence, and other auction systems have also popped up, such as the Best of Panama.
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Panama p169
Cupping | TASTING
Cupping not only has a humorous name but is also accompanied by a slightly unsettling chorus of various pitched slurps. Cupping is the preeminent method for grading and buying coffee. In order to achieve the most consistent results, the “cupper”, or taster, has to follow a very specific, though in reality quite simple, set of procedures. You grind the coffee in a bowl, smell the ground coffee, top it off with hot water, wait for four minutes, then break the crust that has formed with a spoon and stir three times. You smell the aroma as this is happening and lastly wait for a further six minutes before tasting. In order to taste the coffee, each cupper dips their cupping spoon, which is much like a soup spoon, into the bowl without disturbing the grounds at the bottom and then slurps the coffee from the spoon, aerating it as they do so. The procedure is then for the taster to return to each cup two more times within the ensuing ten minutes. The main benefit of this procedure is that it enables the cupper to taste a lot of coffee at once. It is often advocated that cupping is the ultimate way to taste coffee, and that when making espressos or filter we are focusing on an aspect of the coffee that we tasted on the cupping table. This does not make sense to me. Cupping is just another way to make a cup of coffee, and when made the primary assessment tool it can actually be a hindrance. This is because the cupped coffee does not fully translate to how we actually make and consume coffee in everyday life.
D
Decaf | PROCESSING
All decaffeination processes take place when the coffee is in its green state, before it is roasted. Various methods exist, the two most notable being the patented Swiss Water Process (SWP) and the CO2 Method. In SWP, a batch of green coffee beans is soaked in hot water, which as a consequence becomes saturated with caffeine and flavour compounds. The now caffeine-free and flavourless beans are discarded and a new batch of beans added to the solution. This time the caffeine is removed but a large amount of the flavour compounds remain, as the water is already full of them. The CO2 Method involves forcing carbon dioxide into coffee beans at pressures of around 1,000 pounds per square inch to draw the caffeine out of the coffee into a water solution. Decaf coffee is often made from older green coffee that has not sold very well, so has not had the best start in life. Although it has so far proved impossible to remove caffeine without affecting flavour, with a fresh, carefully roasted coffee, decaf can be made much more pleasant than it often is.
Defects | GROWING; HARVESTING
There are many aspects of coffee flavour that are relative: do you prefer a chocolaty, round Antioquia Colombian to a fruity Huila Colombian bean? Regardless of preference, however, we can safely correlate better versions of both of these coffees with their having fewer defects. Defects are mainly caused by problems with the cherries’ growth on the tree or arise during the harvesting and processing. Typical causes of defects include insect damage and fungal buildup. Most defects can be detected either an astute, educated eye or by the use of clever technology such as UV lights and LED sorting machines. But even modern technology cannot currently catch everything. “Potato defect”, for example, is very prevalent in Rwandan and Burundian coffee and almost impossible to spot until you make the coffee: when ground, it gives off an unmistakable waft of raw potato. The cause of potato defect is a contentious one, but it is widely considered that a kind of stinkbug is behind it.
Democratic Republic of Congo | ORIGIN
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa, and the conditions in eastern parts of this country produce ideal growing conditions for coffee. The area around Lake Kivu borders on the well-known Kivu growing region in Rwanda. We are only just starting to see some great coffees come out of Congo on a regular basis. The country has endured much turmoil and the coffee trade has been directly affected by this. Different roasters, sourcing companies, and certifications are operating in the country to improve production and help realize the country’s coffee-production potential. The best cups are complex and full of citrus fruit flavours with wonderful acidity and round chocolaty notes. At this point in time, however, the country’s Arabica production is far outstripped by Robusta crops.
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Rwanda p194
Species p202
Density table | SORTING
Also known as the Oliver table, this is a method of sorting coffee that uses vibration. The table is tilted at an angle so the dense beans move to the top side and the less dense to the bottom side. There is a correlation between the quality and the density of the beans: less dense beans often represent a less well-developed seed. Pieces of technology like this can have a huge impact on improving cup quality in lots. Hand and eye sorting can get you a long way, but certain pieces of technology assess what we cannot, so can be invaluable.
Development | ROASTING
The term “development” in coffee is used almost exclusively when discussing roasting technique. It can refer, on the one hand, to a very particular period during the roasting process and, on the other, to an overall concept of how well cooked the coffee is. When a coffee is roasted, many processes and chemical reactions occur. If we are not able to develop enough of these in the bean, then the coffee can taste grassy, sour, and insufficiently complex. Alternatively, we can develop unwanted processes by roasting the coffee too far. Upon tasting a coffee, the drinker may be able to pick up on the impact of the roasting process and could state that the coffee was “under-” or “over-” developed. “Development” time refers specifically to the amount of the overall roasting time that took place after “first crack”. It is wise to discuss this in terms of a percentage. Just to confuse things, however, a coffee that has not received adequate heat early on in the roast may still not be “well” developed, even if the development time is long.
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First crack p93
Dose | BREWING
Dose is a simple technical term that commonly refers to the amount of ground coffee used to prepare a given cup of coffee, though it
can also be applied to other aspects such as the amount of water used. The dose would be recorded and discussed as part of the “recipe” used to make a cup of coffee. Coffee is applied chemistry and physics in action. We dissolve coffee into water to create a beverage. There are several parts of this process that define the recipe, and they have a huge impact on what the end cup of coffee tastes like, often alarmingly so. I often see customers who, while intrigued by coffee, are equally frustrated by the seemingly erratic nature of the cups of coffee they make. “I do the same thing every day, but it tastes different.” Coffee has many “moving parts” and the search for relatable quality has been at the heart of the modern speciality field. However, the reality is that tiny changes in the recipe can make coffee taste very different, and by simply being aware of what aspects of the recipe affect flavour, one can achieve far more consistent results and unravel the mystery.
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Brew ratio p36
Extraction p86
Drum roaster | ROASTING
Turning coffee from a green seed into a complex flavoursome brown seed relies on the act of roasting. The most traditional – and still the most prevalent – way to roast coffee is on a drum roaster. Although there are various machines on the market, they usually share a rather simple principle: a big rotating metal drum that has heat applied to the outside, often from below, much like a spit roast, and with air flowing through the drum to remove unwanted roasting fumes. Depending on the system, the operator can vary many elements of the process. Air speed, heat application, and drum speed can all be adjusted. Roasted coffee consists of several hundred flavour compounds and it is astonishing how even small changes in the roasting process can affect the flavour of the coffee. The other prevalently used roasting process is fluid air roasting, in which the coffee is suspended and roasted on a bed of hot air.
Dry aroma | TASTING
Dry aroma refers to the aroma given off by the coffee when it is ground but before any water is added (at which point we smell the wet aroma). The coffee releases distinct aroma experiences at each point. You may often have heard people say, “I love the smell of coffee but not the taste”. Of course, we do not know whether an individual has tasted a wide range of coffees and finds all tastes undesirable and all dry aromas preferable, or whether their opinion derives from an altercation with a dark-roast commercial coffee that smelt rich and chocolaty but tasted like ash, earth, and batteries. Either way, there is a huge difference between the dry aroma and the experience of the beverage itself.
Dry distillates | TASTING
Coffee is made up of all sorts of compounds. It is quite common to break these compounds up into flavour groups – fruit acids, aromatics, sugar browning, and dry distillates. The term “dry distillates” is, in essence, a fancy name for woody, smoky, or burnt flavour groups that are the by-products of high-temperature processes. Interestingly, most of these are heavy compounds which means they are a little harder to get out of the coffee than the fruity and aromatic flavours. This is why a coffee that is brewed too hot or for too long, or with too fine a grind will display more of these heavy and potentially harsh flavours.
E
Ecuador | ORIGIN
This country falls into the “full of potential” category. A great coffee from Ecuador can be complex and sweet, with sought-after fruit notes, a medium body, and a pleasing and unique acidity. These coffees are becoming more likely, but they are still few and far between. Investment from the speciality sector is proving that great coffees are hiding in the country and are worth seeking out. Internally, instant coffee is most popular and, due to costs, is mainly imported coffee from Vietnam. Coffee production has been steadily growing in Ecuador and the multiple microclimates provide varying opportunities for exceptional coffee.
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Vietnam p231
El Salvador | ORIGIN
Back in the late 1970s El Salvador was the third largest coffee-producing country in the entire world – quite something for the smallest country in Central America. It accounted for almost 50 percent of the country’s export revenues. Then came civil war and land reforms, and coffee production has never hit those kind of heights again. Coffee now accounts for around 3.5 percent of the country’s exports. Owing to economic, political, and agricultural factors, El Salvador is moving towards being a more speciality-focused producing country, focusing on the higher-altitude growing regions and boutique productions. On my visits to the country, even with various problematic factors affecting coffee production, I have found very passionate farmers who are excited by their coffee, engaging in experimental processing and setting up varietal gardens. The country is probably best known for washed-process Bourbon varieties. Forward-thinking El Salvadorian producers have developed and introduced unique varieties to the coffee world, such as the Pacamara variety. This large bean is a cross between the elephant Maragogype variety and the Pacas variety. Good El Salvadorian coffee often has a sweet chocolate body combined with berry-like acidity.
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Bourbon p35
Pacamara p169
Espresso | BREWING; DRINK TYPE
The espresso – where to start? Espresso is iconic. It is essentially an intense, highly concentrated coffee beverage of a short measure. It is brewed under pressure, which creates a layer of foam on the surface of the drink called the “crema”. It is also the driving force behind the modern coffee shop phenomenon that has spread around the world. Espresso is finicky and hard to make well, which is surely where a lot of its romance and intrigue come from. Italy can lay claim to the invention of the espresso machine and for many years largely defined what a good espresso was. Back in the day, and in many cases to this day, espresso quality was defined by specific strict criteria, such as the visual appearance of the crema, the “correct” brew time of 25 seconds, and the “correct” volume of liquid. This narrow definition has been broadened in recent years upon the realization that to optimize a coffee’s quality as espresso, the rules may need to bend and move to suit the coffee. This is undoubtedly positive, but there is also the question, then, of when coffee is not espresso. You can achieve amazing results by brewing a very long filterlike coffee through an espresso machine. For me, espresso has to be a concentrate. Below 7 percent strength I think it starts to become something else – it may well be great, but it is just not espresso.
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Crema p63
Pressure p179
Strength p206
Ethiopia | ORIGIN
Ethiopia is often rightly heralded as the birthplace of coffee. Technically, there is dispute as to where Arabica really originates. Ethiopia and Yemen are the two hot contenders, but it is Ethiopia that is home to the most incredibly diverse natural array of Arabica varieties. The Ethiopian Highlands offer the perfect habitat for Arabica to flourish. So much so that these highlands house nearly all of the world’s diversity of Arabica varieties. Due to this, Ethiopia has the potential to produce a wide range of characteristics and flavour profiles. Most coffee in Ethiopia is not grown in the farm-like situations typical of the Americas. Instead, the coffee is cooperatively grown. Many smallholders, sometimes hundreds, will mix their small lots together and deposit them at a central processing mill. It is naturally more difficult to achieve traceability under these circumstances. You may buy a coffee from a mill in Ethiopia and then buy what appears to be the same coffee. However, different lots pass through the mill at different times, so any coffee will be dependent upon which parts of the cooperative are harvesting at any particular time. Washed coffees from the Yirgacheffe region can be intensely floral and aromatic with tea- and citrus-like notes. A western Ethiopian washed coffee can be more densely floral and fuller bodied. In stark contrast, natural coffee from Sidamo and Harar can be bold, chocolaty, and chock-full of ripe fruit.
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Terroir p214
Variety p228
Eugenioides | SPECIES
Robusta may be known as the commercial and
inferior relative of Arabica, but without it we would not have Arabica at all. Robusta is actually the parent plant of Arabica, and the species Robusta coupled with to produce Arabica is called Coffea eugenioides. This species is barely propagated for coffee drinking at all and has come into the spotlight only recently. Colombian producer Camilio Marisande has been experimenting with unique and rare varieties in recent years. The Sudan Rume that he produced with Saša Šestić for the World Barista Championship win was grown at Finca Las Nubes in El Salvador. A few miles down the road on the small plots at Finca Inmaculada, Eugenioides is being grown, and with great success. Geoff Watts of Intelligentsia Coffee presented the coffee on a blind table to US Brewers Cup champion Sarah Anderson. Sarah chose the truly unique coffee to take to the world championships where she finished fifth in 2015. I was lucky enough to taste this coffee in Gothenburg at the competition. It is very unusual. The typical citric acidity you would expect in high-quality Arabica crops is almost not there at all. In its place is a lot of sweetness, so that it is almost sugary. The cup displays cereal-like qualities and is also described as being tea-like.
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Arabica p18
El Salvador p77
Species p202
World Barista Championship p239
The Coffee Dictionary Page 4
