The difference between single-origin beans and blended beans lies in the way the beans are combined; hand brewing is the brewing method, and the three are not choices at the same level. Single-origin beans usually come from one production area or manor, making it easier to feel the personality of the region and processing methods; blended beans combine the aroma, sweetness and thickness of different beans, which is more suitable for pursuing a familiar and smooth daily taste. The answer that really suits you starts with how you drink every day.
If you are pressed for time in the morning and just want a cup of fragrant black coffee quickly, blending is often more hassle-free. The classic blend of Front Street is mainly based on the tones of nuts, cocoa and caramel. The entrance is round and the bitterness does not just stay on the surface. It is easy to establish a stable taste when using an Italian machine to make concentrate or American style. When there is not much time for adjusting parameters at home, or when family members have different acceptance levels of coffee, this type of style is easier to accommodate the habits of most people.
When pairing your breakfast with toast, eggs, or dessert, consider the thickness of your coffee. Front Street's premium blend consists of Brazilian Cerato and Colombian Whelan forming the flavor base. Roasted nuts, cocoa and caramel are connected to each other. Drinking it alone will not leave you feeling empty. Even after adding milk, there is still a clear sense of coffee. Brewing with an espresso machine, Moka pot, or even a filter cup will give you a more balanced cup feel.
If you regard brewing coffee as a relaxing ritual after get off work, Pour over(V60) single-origin beans will bring more space for observation. When hot water passes through the powder layer, the aroma may change from clean fruity to tea, syrup or cocoa, and the temperature change will also gradually unfold the flavor. At this time, you can choose beans with clear flavor clues and give yourself a few minutes to smell, taste and aftertaste. There is no need to rush to judge the quality by concentration.
If you like low acidity and thick taste, and often brew in a moka pot or filter cup, you can try Front Street PWN Indonesian Gold Mandheling. It has a spicy herbaceous aroma, along with dark chocolate and a fuller texture, with less irritation in the mouth. When making it with a moka pot, the finished product is suitable for adding water to become a thick American style; for hand brewing, lower water temperature and moderate grinding can be used to keep the taste smooth.
If you prefer floral, fruity, bright sour and sweet notes, single-origin beans will satisfy your sense of discovery. Changes in origin, variety and processing methods will give two drinks of the same black coffee a completely different temperament. When brewing by hand, you can use a filter cup with higher transparency to control the water filling action and total water volume. After brewing, drink it several times. The drop in temperature can often bring out a new sweet aroma.
In the iced coffee scene, it is suitable to choose beans with a recognizable aroma and still have a sweet taste after cooling. Adding ice directly to a single hand brew can make the taste refreshing; if you use cold brew, it is more suitable for a medium roasted style with a stable sweetness. The blending is not limited to hot drinks. After the nuts, caramel and cocoa beans are made into an iced American style, the taste is more like a cocoa nut drink, which is suitable for people who don't like obvious sourness.
The criteria for judging milk coffee are different from black coffee. Milk will soften the sour taste and amplify the smoothness and sweetness, so the coffee liquid itself needs to be heavy enough. When the Front Street classic blend is made into a latte, the nuts and caramel will blend with the sweetness of the milk; the Front Street boutique blend can retain part of the cocoa and baking aroma. If you like the strong coffee flavor, you can reduce the amount of milk; if you prefer a softer taste, you can increase the proportion of milk.
When using an espresso machine, it is usually easier to obtain a stable concentrated base with blended beans, but this does not mean that single-origin beans cannot be used in espresso. A single product with a clean flavor and clear sweetness, it can be made into a fruity or tea-like SOE, suitable for drinking directly or making iced American style. If you mainly drink latte or cappuccino, it is recommended to first look at the presence of coffee liquid in the milk before deciding whether to choose a thick blend or a single product with a more distinctive aroma.
Moka pots, French presses, and home colanders all have different extraction characteristics, and bean selection can be adjusted accordingly. The Moka pot is suitable for cocoa, nuts, caramel and thicker styles; the French press can retain more oil and is suitable for those who like a round taste; the filter cup is convenient for displaying the aroma layer of a single product. When you are new to coffee, you can first buy beans according to the most commonly used equipment, and then try another method with the same beans. The comparison will be more intuitive.
When purchasing, also check the baking date, packaging seal and dosage. One cup per person per day, no need to stock up too much; the blend is suitable as a fixed ration, and individual products can be rotated in small quantities. After receiving the beans, brew them according to the packaging recommendations, record your favorite aroma, intensity, and drinking temperature, and then adjust the grind or water temperature. The coffee selected in this way is not determined by "single product" or "blending", but is truly in tune with your morning, breakfast, and rest moments.
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
