Coffee Blends - Gourmet Coffee Blends

Blended Coffee

Coffee beans can be blended together and roasted to enhance the flavors and traits of individual coffee bean varieties. Blended coffees are not to be sniffed at, offering a well-rounded dimension to the taste of good coffee. If single origin coffee is thought of as a single exquisite note in the sensorial symphony that is a cup of gourmet coffee, then a good coffee blend must be considered a mélange of pleasing tones that accompany it.

The process of creating coffee blends is carried out by combining different coffee beans to create the perfect blend coffee.  This is no mean feat when you consider the fact that there are more 100 different types of coffee that each possesses their own unique characteristics.

For a coffee roaster such as Volcanica, creating the perfect house coffee blend has been elevated to an art form. To blend coffee beans, one carries out the task in order to create a well-rounded flavor that is accompanied by a balanced aroma. There is also a science to the art of blending coffee beans as the coffee roaster is an artisan who also has to be analytical so he can determine which coffee blend combinations bring out the best traits of the coffee beans used.

As the name suggests, coffee blends are created from different varieties. The most commonly used beans used to create artful blends such as Volcanica's House Coffee Blend are Arabica coffee beans. A single origin beans, Arabica beans brew coffee with an unforgettable aroma and flavor. When used in coffee blends, they produce a distinctive flavor that is immediately identifiable and unmistakable. Signature blends are also another term for a unique house coffee blends. Volcanica's House Coffee Blend is composed of a combination of South and Central American coffees whose distinctively bold yet sweet tastes are immediately recognizable to connoisseurs.

We don't blend coffee beans just for fun though. Each perfect blend coffee we create, whether a house blend or a breakfast blend perfect for starting the day, is combined all with the aim to create a taste that exceeds the sum of its individual components. When it comes to a coffee blend, our roasters use different types of coffee to obtain the best aroma and flavor possible.

Blending Coffee

When it comes to creating a perfect blend coffee, roasters often mix a combination of light and medium roasts to marry different flavors together. The flavors involved are usually those that can't be obtained from just one type of coffee bean from a single region. To decipher the terms when you want to buy coffee blends, just remember that a light coffee bean roast results in a brighter, some might say acidic, and more complex flavor while a dark roast can increase the intensity and rounds out the flavor of a particular breakfast blend.

A roaster who wants to blend coffee beans will of course have to consider the characteristics of each roast. To add to the general terms explained above, one can expect milder, yet crisp flavor from a light to medium roast. Light or medium roasts retain many of the characteristics of the region in which the coffee bean was cultivated.

Conversely, medium to dark coffee bean roasts contain more intense flavors by virtue of the longer duration for which they are roasted, which allows the sugars on the outside of the beans to caramelize to a higher degree, hence the darker color. This also means that a medium to dark roast is less easily identifiable to the region of its origin. However, medium to dark roasts should not be wholly excluded from your decision to buy coffee blends because they add body and intensity and can result in a more enjoyable and smooth breakfast blend.

Even though blended coffees combine the best traits of individuals coffee types, a coffee drinker can enhance his experience and appreciate the expertise that goes into coffee blending when he has knowledge of the particular coffees that go into one coffee blend. For instance, our house blend combines the excellent variety of South and Central American flavors. Costa Rican coffee has a bright, yet somehow smoky flavor. A dimension of lightness is added with the presence of Colombian coffee, which has a sweet light flavor. Likewise, medium-bodied Guatemalan coffee provides balance and aroma with its spicy chocolaty overtones.

Coffee that can stand on its own as a single origin coffee can also add more dimension to its original flavour when blended with another. For example, Yemen Mocha coffee is known for its bright taste and wine-like overtones, but for some people, its medium bodied flavor lacks punch. On the other hand, coffee beans from Java are appreciated for their full bodied flavor, yet have a lower acidity. Together though, these two coffees merge to form an especially individualistic blend.

The distinctive taste of Mocha Java blend is one of the more unique coffee blends available from Volcanica. The blend is composed of coffees from Yemen and Indonesia, both of which are countries in which there is a long tradition of coffee cultivation. It is well-known and appreciated by aficionados for its rich spicy flavor and bittersweet chocolate overtones.

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is one of the rarest coffees in the world. Volcanica's Jamaican Blue Mountain blend is the only blend of its kind to be approved by the Jamaican Coffee Board. This blend promises the same well-balanced flavor with a rich, full-bodied taste coupled with a light acidity and a smooth chocolaty finish.

The Roast Matters Most in Coffee Blends

There has been some debate as to whether coffee beans should be blended before or after they are roasted. Discussion holds that blending should be carried out after roasting because different varieties of coffee beans may require different roasting temperatures to obtain the best results. This is true when you consider that some coffee beans have a denser structure, or when there are large variations in the size of coffee beans that go into a blend.

Volcanica takes care of niggling details like that because we have established blend recipes. Take your pick of our carefully blended selections when you need to buy coffee blends. Whether it's a deep, smoky French roast or a sweet and spicy espresso roast that brings complexity and intensity to your morning, you can be sure of finding the ideal blend among our range of coffee blends.