When you pick up a new bag of coffee, do you read the labels on the package? If not, now is the time to start! You can learn so much about your coffee by reading the packaging, including where it was grown, when it was harvested, roasted, and sometimes even who was involved in making it!
However, sometimes the coffee terminology used on packaging and in product descriptions can be confusing or have more than one definition. So, we're here to shed some light and aloha on what these common coffee concepts mean and how you can buy and brew a better cup when you get to know them.
What Does Single Origin Mean?
Single origin is a popular term you'll find on coffee packaging and in product descriptions, but what does it really mean? In this case, single origin refers to where your coffee was grown. It is a broad term that could refer to a single producer, crop, or region within a country. For example, the Hawaiian Islands contain several coffee-growing regions, also known as origins.
The Island of Kauai is an origin, as is the Kona Coast of the Big Island. All 100% Kauai Coffee products are single origin coffee because it is grown and harvested from one location. Just like the terms single malt and single estate or vineyard in whiskey and wine production denote an enhanced level of quality, the same is true for single origin coffee. When you buy single origin coffee, you can expect it to be from a unique location and that the flavor notes and attributes will represent the soil and growing conditions in that place.
Single Estate and Single Farm
Now that you know what single origin means, it's easy to understand terms like single estate and single farm.
100% Kauai Coffee is grown, roasted, and packaged at our estate on Kauai. So, when you purchase 100% Kauai Coffee, you can be sure it came from one source – our coffee 'ohana! Our
Estate Reserve collection is the top of our crop. If you love
100% Kauai Coffee in our distinct blue bag roasts and flavors, try
Estate Reserve Peaberry,
Kauai Blue Mountain, and Roastmasters’ favorites like
Acaia and
Mundoloa Java today!
Benefits of Single Origin Coffee
Buying single origin coffee is a great way to ensure quality and distinct, flavorful beans. Another benefit of buying single-origin coffee is its traceability.
For most coffee products, the supply chain can be incredibly complex. From
farming and harvesting to processing, roasting, and distributing, your coffee may be handled by numerous companies throughout the supply chain. Because of this complexity, it's hard to know if each step your coffee takes before it hits your cup contributes positively to global sustainability efforts. Food chain traceability and knowing where your coffee comes from is essential to being a
conscious coffee drinker. When you buy single origin or single estate coffee like 100% Kauai Coffee, you know where your coffee has been and how it has been cared for from seed to cup.
What is a Coffee Blend?
Any coffee you buy that is not from a single origin is usually marked and sold as a blend. This means the coffee in the bag is a mix of single origin beans from various farms, growing regions, or countries. Some coffee producers may make blends from multiple farms or estates in specific areas, while others may mix beans from across the world. Either way, blends allow coffee producers to create unique products and flavor profiles that can be recreated consistently and on a large scale if necessary.
At Kauai Coffee, we believe that great coffee comes in many forms and that both single origins and blends can be premium, high-quality products that make an exceptional cup of coffee.
Shop online today and taste the difference island-grown 100% Kauai Coffee can make!