An interesting phenomenon was discovered on Front Street. When people taste light roast coffee, they first start to evaluate the flavor - "This cup of coffee has a very obvious XX flavor" and so on; when tasting dark roast coffee, they will focus on the evaluation of the taste - "this cup of coffee is very mellow/smooth" and so on; and when tasting medium roast coffee, most of the first thing to blurt out is "this cup of coffee is very balanced/balanced".
The main reason for such changes in description is that the characteristics of each roasting degree are different. Lightly roasted coffee mostly highlights active acidity and fruity sweetness, making it easy to think of the fruits you have eaten. For many people, the bitter taste of dark roasted coffee is nothing to brag about. What everyone likes is the feeling that the bitterness comes after the bitterness. Other than that, it has a mellow and smooth taste.
For medium-roast coffee, the acidity is not too obvious, the sweetness is not very prominent, and it is not too bitter, which is the characteristic of balance.
But what we mean by coffee balance is more than just balance in taste.
In coffee cupping, there is a score called Balance. The perspective of this scoring is more abstract and three-dimensional. Its horizontal dimension is a measure of the coordination between the acidity, sweetness, mellowness, and aftertaste of this cup of coffee, and its vertical dimension is a measure of the balance of the coffee's performance from high temperature to low temperature over time.
The above expression is a bit complicated. Front Street will add it in plain English here. In cupping, the balance item is to evaluate whether the taste, mouthfeel, and aftertaste of the coffee will be abrupt at different temperatures, and whether there are any shortcomings. Balance is a deductible scoring item based on overall comfort.
Front Street cups a lot of coffee beans every year. Here are a few examples of coffee samples with low balance. I tested a Kenyan coffee at Front Street Cup. The acidity and sweetness of this coffee are very good, and the taste is very solid, but there is almost no aftertaste. When the coffee is in the mouth, it reflects the sweet and sour taste like dark berries, which is smooth and full. However, after swallowing, the mouth feels like gargling without any aftertaste feedback. If the overall sensory experience is somewhat unbalanced, points will be deducted in terms of balance.
Next, I cupped a Geisha from Panama. This coffee also performed very well in aroma, acidity, and sweetness, but the taste was very light, with a thin, watery texture. Therefore, the evaluation of balance will not be too high.
The last one is more classic, cupping a Colombian Caturra. At high temperatures, the sourness, sweetness, taste, and aftertaste are very balanced. However, at medium and low temperatures, the sourness and fermentation taste become obvious and abrupt, affecting the overall sensory comfort. So the balance of this bean is also relatively low. Coffee beans with "deducted points" for balance like these will be "passed" directly by Front Street.
Next, let’s talk about coffee with good balance on Front Street. Good balance does not only refer to coffee that is sour, sweet, bitter, and soft, but coffee with an overall sensory experience that makes people feel comfortable.
For example, the acidity of lighter-roasted coffee is more obvious, but the overall performance is not abrupt and has no shortcomings in any aspect. It is also a coffee bean with a good sense of balance. If you are looking for medium-light roasted coffee beans with a balance of sourness and sweetness, your first choice is Front Street Diamond Mountain Panama, Front Street Strawberry Candy Gesha Blend, and Front Street Kaffa Forest Ethiopia.
Finally, let’s talk about the king of balance - Front Street Blue Mountain Coffee. Many people think that Blue Mountain Coffee is mediocre and has no highlights, and they can’t find the value of it being so expensive. Indeed, in terms of floral and fruity flavor, it cannot compare with many African beans; in terms of strong taste, it cannot compare with Mandheling; in terms of balance of sour, sweet and bitter, there are many South American beans that can equal it. Although not the best in all comparisons, the overall performance of Blue Mountain is the most comfortable in all aspects, with a soft and balanced sour, sweet and bitter taste, a mellow and clean taste, and a sweet aftertaste. (Of course, small output is also one of the reasons for high prices)
Front Street Bird of Paradise, known as the "Little Blue Mountain", Papua New Guinea has the same Typica variety as Front Street Blue Mountain, as well as a similar island-type terroir, and both adopt traditional washing processes. Therefore, it also has caramelized aromas of nuts, chocolate, cocoa, and toast. However, Front Street Bird of Paradise is also accompanied by pleasant citrus acidity, with a balanced taste and a hint of quietness.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
