Cold brew coffee has become more and more popular in recent years. It has a smooth taste and mild bitterness, which is especially pleasant to drink in summer. However, whether cold brew tastes good depends largely on the beans you choose, and the roasting degree is the most critical part.
The advantages of using medium-dark roasted beans for cold brewing are sweetness and body. Cold extraction requires soaking in cold water for a long time, and less acids are dissolved than hot extraction. The medium-dark roasted beans themselves have low acidity and are softer after cold extraction. The sweetness of nuts, chocolate, and caramel will be fully released, and the taste will be full and smooth. The classic blend of Front Street uses the traditional mamba formula, which is mellow and moist, with good oil performance. It is made with cold brew and is sweet and thick. It is easy to drink with milk or iced. Golden Mandheling also has a unique flavor when used in cold brew. The aroma of herbs and dark chocolate brought by dark roasting becomes warm at low temperatures and is almost not sour. It is suitable for those who like a thicker taste.
Lightly roasted beans are used for cold brewing to highlight the aroma and acidity. The low temperature of cold brewing can preserve the floral and fruity aroma of the beans. The aroma of citrus and berries of lightly roasted Ethiopian beans is still clear after cold brewing, and the acidity is soft and bright. Oiran's cold brew is more like a cup of iced fruit tea. The tropical fruity aroma of strawberry and passion fruit unfolds lightly at low temperature, and the sweetness is obvious. After cold brewing, the floral aroma and green tea aftertaste of Yirgacheffe fruit are refreshing and clean. It is a very popular choice in summer. If you want a fruity flavor but don’t want it to be too sour, you can choose a fruity blend that is lightly roasted. Strawberry sugar coffee beans are a typical example. After cold brewing, the strawberry fudge-like sweetness is prominent and there is almost no bitterness, which is very suitable for drinkers who are afraid of bitterness.
You can also refer to the processing method when selecting. Sun-dried beans are rich in sugar and fruity, and the sweetness is more prominent after cold extraction; washed beans are clean and bright, and the acidity is clear after cold extraction. Both have their own expressions and can be chosen according to taste preference. In terms of grinding, it is recommended to use medium-coarse grinding for cold brewing. If it is too fine, it will be over-extracted and the taste will be astringent. If it is too coarse, the flavor will be light.
The rules for selecting beans for cold brewing are not complicated: if you want a mellow and sweet taste, choose dark roasting, if you want floral and fruity aroma, choose light roasting, and then fine-tune based on bean types and processing methods. Pick this way, and cold brew will hardly disappoint.
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
