Blends vs Single Origin Coffee - What's The Difference?

There can be some debate on whether blends or single origins are best, but do you know what exactly makes them so different?

Beyond their origin, there are lots of factors that make each coffee stand out and perform better with specific brew methods, so we're sharing some of the key components you need to know...

BLENDS

Blends are traditionally made up of 2 single origins or more, helping to create a more consistent taste and flavour profile but also control the cost of production.

Non speciality brands typically don’t have consistent spot checks, so over-roast coffee to cover up any defects. This practice has led to 2 things: 1) customers think ‘dark’ aka burnt coffee is the norm and equals depth of flavour, 2) it eliminates the flavour characteristics of each coffee, rather than blending them to create something new and unique.

We pride ourselves on roasting in small batches to allow for dedicated bean spot checks both before, during and after roasting, host weekly cupping sessions to ensure consistent quality, and medium roast to develop well-balanced profiles that stand out for the quality they hold.

In terms of brewing, blends are well suited to espresso and aeropress as the brewing process can be quite harsh and cause imbalance in the profile. Therefore, blends are crafted to ensure balance and well-rounded flavour so every cup is enjoyable.

SINGLE ORIGIN

SIngle origins are exactly that - a coffee of one origin (typically a region or country). Our single origins sometimes come from one farm, or are the work of a co-op from within the region that use the same processing methods.

The term ‘single origin’ has often been coined to imply status - a higher grade, more speciality, better flavour, but the term itself is not an indicator, as it is the work of the farmers and mills to ensure the quality of the beans and roasters to make the components sing. If we worked on this basis, you could buy a crop of single origin beans that are under developed or defected, and there would be no hope in salvaging the taste.

Speaking of taste, single origin coffees all have distinctive flavours based on the region or country they are grown due to environmental factors including:

• Farm elevation

• Rainfall / drought

• Soil quality

• Processing methods

An African coffee tends to be juicy and fruity, whilst Brazilian coffee has more traditional chocolate and nutty notes, so if you have a particular favourite flavour profile then single origins may be better suited to your brew!

With brewing methods, single origins brew better on V60, filter and cafetiere as they all have a manual brewing process that allows for specific notes to be highlighted with more care. Be sure to have the correct grind, as this can impact the final taste - a coffee that brews too slow may end up bitter, whilst too fast gives you watery and thin taste.

Still deciding which coffee is best? Take our coffee quiz to find the best flavours for you!