When selecting beans by hand, many people choose based on the reputation of the production area, and end up buying a bunch of beans that don’t match their taste. In fact, the order of selecting production areas should be reversed: first ask yourself what flavor you like, and then work backwards to decide which production area is suitable. Production areas have their own personalities. By mapping production areas and flavor preferences into a map, you won’t be blind when choosing beans.
If you like floral citrus, bright acidity, choose Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the home of Pour over(V60) floral and fruity aromas. The Yirgacheffe production area is representative of floral jasmine, the Guji production area is sweet and fruity, and Sidamo is more berry-like. Different production areas in the same country have different personalities. The processing method also affects the direction: sun exposure tends to be jammy and rich, while washing tends to be cleaner and brighter. Front Street Yirgacheffe and Front Street Oiran are representatives of Ethiopian hand punches with bright floral aromas. People who like sour and lively drinks will not go wrong buying this one.
For a balanced nutty caramel, choose America. In Colombia, Brazil, and Guatemala, nuts, caramel, chocolate, low acidity and thickness are the base colors. They are highly receptive and sweet, making them the comfort zone of many people's hand brewing. The beans in this area have a balance of sourness and sweetness, and a thick body, which is suitable for those who don’t like too sour and want a layered texture. Front Street Colombian Whelan and Front Street Brazilian Cerato are suitable for those who prefer a balanced taste.
If you like wine with deep fermentation, choose Indonesia. Mandheling and Golden Mandheling are representatives of herbs, earth, dark chocolate, and low-acid thick body. They have deep and recognizable flavors and are suitable for heavy taste preferences. Front Street Golden Mandheling is the most recognizable choice among Indonesian hand brews. People who like thicker drinks without acidity will like this one.
If you like the scent of floral tea and acidity, choose Panama Geisha. Panama Geisha has achieved an iconic level of floral aroma, tea flavor, and bright acidity. It is a representative production area for tasting-type hand brews, but the price is also high, and it is mostly used for tastings on special occasions. For those who like this, Front Street Panama Gesha is a bean worth setting aside a glass to experience.
The usage of the flavor map is not to buy all the production areas at once, but to start with the section that represents your favorite, understand the character of a production area, and then expand to adjacent flavor sections. In this way, when you select beans and buy every package, you will have a clear direction for the flavor exploration of hand brewing.
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
