20 Questions You Should Always ASK ABOUT Coffee Beans Before You Buy Coffee Beans

The Best Fresh Coffee Beans A whole bean purchase from a local coffee shop or roaster is the best method to get the most fresh and best tasting blend. A retailer that has an array of blends would be a good choice. Thunder Bolt by Koffee Kult is a dark French Roast that has a rich, satisfying flavor. It's a bit more expensive however it's organic1, fair-trade2 and contains no additives. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe It is renowned for its delicate scent and citrusy taste, the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is among the most prized coffee beans around the world. It's also a superb source of antioxidants. It's best brewed without sugar and milk to preserve its distinctive flavor profile. It is a great match with savory dishes to make sure that the sweet and salty are balanced. It's also a great choice for a quick afternoon boost. Ethiopia is often called the birthplace of coffee. The story goes that a goat herder named Kaldi noticed that his flock was more energetic after eating red berries on a tree near his home. He then tried the berries himself and discovered they were a major influence on his energy levels. The herder then shared the berry with his family and that was how coffee first became popular. In Coffeee of Sidamo, Ethiopia, coffee is often “washed” or wet processed. This helps eliminate sour tastes and create a bright, clean taste. In the mid-2000s, global coffee prices reached unsustainable levels, which impacted many farmers in Ethiopia. The Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union was able to keep the farmers in business by giving them the ability to bargain on the market and taking fair trade initiatives. This helped to usher in a wave of fruit-flavored single-origin Ethiopian coffees known as the “new naturals.” Today, the world is once again enjoying the distinctive citrusy, floral, and floral flavor of the Yirgacheffe bean. Geisha Geisha is one of the most expensive coffee beans around the globe. It has a delicate tea flavor with hints mango, peach, and raspberry. It also has a soft mouthfeel, similar to black tea. But does the price tag really justify it? The Geisha variety was first discovered in the highland region of Gesha (it got misspelled along the way) in Western Ethiopia in the 1930s by an British consul. The seeds were later transported to CATIE in Costa Rica, and finally to Panama by the late Francisco Serracin, known as Don Pachi. When the Peterson family began experimenting with it at their Hacienda Esmeralda farm, they discovered that it produced amazing flavors that were balanced and smooth. Geisha is not just an excellent cup of coffee. It has a profound impact on the communities who produce it. It allows farmers to invest profits in improving farming practices and quality processes. This improves the quality of all coffee varieties they cultivate. Many coffee lovers are uninterested in trying it due to its high price. Geisha coffee is worth the cost. Do yourself a favor and buy some soon. Ethiopian Harrar Most often, it is regarded as one of finest coffee beans in world The Ethiopian Harrar is full-bodied and exotic. This is a dry processed (natural) arabica that comes from southern Ethiopia's Oromia region. It is characterized by its wine-like, fruity acidity and mocha flavor. The coffee is picked in the spring, then dried and fermented to release its aromas and flavors. This coffee is free of chemicals and is low in calories, compared to other commercial coffees. It also has a range of health benefits, including reducing the risk of suffering from Alzheimer's disease. It is also a great source of antioxidants and has many other nutrients. It is recommended to drink a cup of tea on an empty stomach in order to reap the most benefits. Ethiopian Harrar, one of the top coffees in the world, comes from the easternmost region of Ethiopia. It is grown at the highest altitudes in the region, near the walled city that was once a part of Harrar. This coffee is a distinct blend that can be enjoyed in the form of espresso or lattes. The coffee is sorted by hand and then harvested, and finally sun-dried using traditional cloth bags. This method preserves aromas and enhances the flavor. This is a more sustainable approach. It can be made using any method of brewing, but is best suited to a French Press or Pour Over. Monsooned Malabar Monsooned Malabar is one of the world's most famous and unique coffees, is a chocolaty coffee with a woody, nutty flavor and almost no acidity. Its name is derived by the “monsooning” process as well as the region from which it comes the most humid region of India, the mountainous area Malabar that includes Karnataka & Kerala. The legend of this coffee is somewhat apocryphal, but during the time of the British Raj, when large wooden ships transported raw coffee to Europe the cargo was often delayed due to monsoon weather conditions. While it was at sea, the humidity and the winds on board caused the beans change their weather naturally, giving them a pale off-white color. When they arrived in Europe the beans were found to have a distinct and desirable flavor profile. Monsooning is an exclusive and unique method of processing coffee that is still practiced today in Keezhanthoor. This hamlet of high-end nestled in the Western Ghats is surrounded by small traditional tribal farmers who are committed to producing the best quality beans. They produce a full-bodied, aromatic, smooth coffee with notes like baker's cocoa, syrupy sweetness and a hint of vanilla. It's great on its own or blended with more fruity varieties, and it can also stand up to milk well making it an excellent espresso or cafe creme coffee. It is also an extremely popular choice for pour-overs, like in a Bialetti Moka pot. Monsooned Malabar is also heat resistant due to its lower acidity.