What is single origin coffee?

Single origin coffee is basically what it says on the tin. It’s simply coffee that comes from one place (single…origin – get it?) and therefore, hosts a unique taste. Single origin coffee can be traced to a single farm, farmer, producer, crop or region in one country.

What is single estate coffee?

Differing slightly to single origin coffees, single estate coffees can be traced even more specifically.  You might find that you’re buying from a small holding or a farm (and probably paying a lot more for this privileged information). This is why coffee is shaped by the levels of rain, the farmers’ traditions, specific growing conditions and processing methods. All of this means that single estate coffee is a unique product of a particular time and place.

Single origin coffee vs coffee blends

Coffee blends are a mixture of coffee beans sourced from different locations and processed together. The vast majority of coffee blends combine beans that come from two to four places, and some might even mix eight or nine. They could come from different regions in the same geographic area, or completely separate countries.

What’s special about single origin coffee?

Single origin coffees have unaltered and unique flavour profiles. They tend to have an exotic taste, and are bolder and more robust. Guessing a coffee origin simply by the taste can be a very cool party trick.

What are some examples of single origin coffee?

Now that you know what single origin coffee is, we’ve put together some examples and noted what they taste like. Very helpful, we know. If you love travelling and trying worldwide coffees, you can do this from the comfort of your home by trying single origin coffees!

Take a gander and pick out your favourites.

Columbia

Colombia only grows Arabica coffee and there’s a few departments in country where they grow. Depending on the department (i.e., what part of the country it’s grown in), you’ll get different notes and flavours.

• Southern departments: Higher acidity with complex flavour profiles, and floral aromas

• Central departments: Mellow acidity, with a well-rounded body, gentle sweetness, and nutty/chocolate flavours

• Northern departments: Deep flavour notes and a full body

There’s so much to choose from.

Brazil

Brazilian coffee is known for being smooth-bodied with low acidity. It’s sweet and often has hints of chocolate, caramel, or nutty notes that shine through. If you love a sweet coffee, pop this one on your list!

Ethiopia

Ethiopian single origin coffee, one of the birth place of coffee, has a light to medium body with high acidity. You can get notes like jasmin, cantaloupe, cherry, grape, lime, green apple, or peach along with a silky mouthfeel, like velvet, or a syrupy, honey-like texture. Our mouths are watering!

Kenya

Full bodied with a high, yet sweet acidity, Kenyan coffee is rich and fragranced with citrus and floral notes. It also boasts a luxurious texture. Kenyan coffee is known as the “connoisseur’s cup” and we are connoisseurs after all, so definitely give this one a try.

India

Indian single origin coffee is made up of a pronounced body with a mild acidity. It has subtle earthiness with spicy notes such as nutmeg, pepper, clove, cardamom and maybe even tropical fruits. What a variety!

Java

From the Island of Java in Indonesia comes Java coffee. It has a rich and intense body and a bright flavour. You should be able to taste notes of raisin, walnut and caramel.

Ecuador

With a complex body and aroma, Ecuadorian coffee has high acidity. The notes consist of sweetness, fruitiness, and floral notes. In the south, Loja produces coffee with defined acidity, medium sweetness and a delicate aroma. I guess you have no choice but to try them both…

Now if this guide doesn’t make you want to try single origin coffees from around the world, we’re not sure what will!

We hope you enjoyed our guide on single origin coffee and hope it prompted you into a world of single origin discovery! We’re sure your bound to find a single origin roast that you’ll need to shout about. Check out our guide on what different roast levels mean, next.