I'l have to agree with Jeff and Prabhakar.
And to further the point, for one own's learning, blending is a great exercise.
Ken Davids, in his homeroasting book, spells out some basics for blending. I encourage any and all who wish to blend to read it if they've not already; if not merely for the sake of having read a book about coffee.
Single origins are great. Espresso extraction, however, is such agressive tha a single origin will not only give you the good but the bad as well... both being "superchrarged" if I may use the term loosely. And for me, that makes the argument of blending all the more important. Blending can be used to balance and enhance the good characteristics of beans that complement each other while at the same time limiting or doing away with the harsher, less appealing ones.
But don't get me wrong. The extraction process of espresso, I want to believe, is not the same- with respect to taste- as any other extraction method. That is to say, that the good characteristics from one bean, extracted as espresso, are not the same or are a variation of those characteristics one might get from a press pot or drip brewer. For example, hypothetically speaking, a single origin Mexican, roasted to an Agtron 45, might yield in a traditional cupping notes of fruit akin to grapes or berries. Its aroma a pleasant wine-like with a resident smokiness in the background. And one could expect this in a press pot or in a drip pot. However, in espresso, as a single-origin extraction, the brew may have a pronounced acidity; the fruit-like tones may be altered and taste more vegetative or have a hint of turpentine to them. The aroma may lose its wininess and instead take a harshness or, oppositely, flatten to a nothingness.
Again, this is merely a hypothetical example. Does it render cupping for the purposes of blending for espresso usless? Certainly not. Instead, we shoudl be mad emore away that the performance of a bean can change so much when used in espresso (especially as a single-origin) so that we're encourageed with even more weight, to cup more often and with greater runs of samples.
Having said my peace, and believing that I am beginning to ramble, I'd like to suggest some pointers for the initial blending experience.
Here are some questions you need to ask yourself. Do this in priave lest your friends and family think you're nuts.
1. For the sake of simplicity, do you prefer darker roast or lighter roast coffees? Pick a degree of roast you do, or think you will enjoy.
2. Blends can be broken down into bases, blenders, and enhancers. Again, for simpliciy's sake, allow me to recommend a base of either Brazilian or Colombian. Do you prefer one over the other? When you play with blends, stick to one of the two until you're convinced that you must try the other.
3. Africans, minus those that have strongly pronounced acidity, are a common blender. Dry-processed Ethiopians, for example, lend sweetness and body when used correctly. Do you like heavied bodied coffees? If so, you may wish to be liberal with your use of Africans in a blend.
4. Central Americans are often used as blenders and enhancers. Softer Centrals, such as a washed Costa Rican or Panamanian, provide acidity, balance, sweetness, as well as other notes. Do you prefer sweetness and don't mind acidity? If so, then acting liberally with Centrals may be an option.
5. Mexicans, among others, are great balancers. They add a cohesion to blends regardless of what you're shooting for. But not all Mexicans are alike.
Some of use pre-blend while othere will roast each batch separately then blend afterwards. If you've the time and desire, please let me suggest you post blend. You'll learn more about each bean this way. (especially if you cup them independantly)
Well, my soapbox is buckling under the weight and I ought step down now.
All the best,
Gonzo
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From: Jeffrey A. Bertoia[SMTP:jbertoia]
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2000 9:33 AM
To: homeroast
Subject: Re: + Espresso - which blend?
Prabhakar Ragde wrote:
<Snip>
Agreed... Single varietals in espresso are great to determine what's
missing but I've never found one that has everything.
jeff
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