Coffee 101

Some time before the first millennium, around the Horn of Africa, in a region now considered to be Ethiopia, a goat herder named Kaldi was surprised by the unusual behavior of his goats.  The goats seemed more lively and frolicky after having eaten the leaves and berries of a nearby bush.

This intrigued Kaldi, who upon inspecting the bush tried the berries himself; the result was a feeling of increased energy and alertness.

News of the coffee tree and the stimulatory effects of its berries or cherries spread rapidly.  Many legends abound over the centuries, from the Mocha region of Arabia to the Ottoman Empire, but it was not until the 1500s that cultivation became widespread in Yemen.   Even then, its properties continued to be mysterious and a closely guarded secret and was used mainly for medicinal and ritualistic purposes.

This mystique continued and the Turks, who are credited for creating modern day brewed coffee even considered coffee an aphrodisiac adding flavors such as cinnamon and clove.  Coffee and coffee houses then made their way east to India and west to the old world of Europe.

As the stimulatory effects of coffee became relished in Europe, coffee houses sprouted across the continent providing an informal forum for intellectuals, politicians and artisans to debate and discuss the issues of the day.  Coincidentally, this was around the period known as the Enlightenment.

From Soil to Cup...

To truly appreciate the nuances of the world's finest coffees it is important to have a basic knowledge of coffee, from the soil to cup.

There are generally two types of coffee plants - arabica and robusta, with variants of each. Arabicas are considered the more flavorful, with lower content and is usually grown in higher elevations primarily in mountainous terrains with appropriate shading. Robustas are grown on vast plains and have a higher caffeine content.

As with grapes, the environment in critical to the development of specific flavor tones within the coffee bean. The DNA of individual arabica plants remains constant, but the soil and climate can lead to enhanced of the flavor. The nitrogen-rich soil of the Jamaica Blue Mountains, the result of prehistoric volcanic activities, coupled with moisture from the cloud capped mountain range and the ripening effect of the golden Caribbean sun is the perfect example of this phenomenon.

On our Reggie's Roast farms each coffee plant is individually nurtured from the planting process to maturity. The average coffee plant begins to bear 3-5 years from seedling. The bearing process begins with the blossom which evolves into a beautiful white flower which has a characteristic jasmine scent. The resultant green cherries are nurtured by the abundance of natural elements uniquely found in the rain forest of Jamaica's Blue Mountains, the end product being the rich red mature coffee cherry.

Each cherry is then individually hand-picked by the skillful and hard-working crew of pickers, generally along dangerous mountain terrains.

Processing of Coffee (Moy Hall Blue Mountain Factory Method)

In essence, the red coffee cherry is a fruit, which has to be converted into the commodity that is called Green Coffee. This process varies, but will ultimately impact the roasted and brewed coffee beverage. Most of the premium or gourmet coffees of the world are processed using the wet method. After the coffee cherry has been picked, it is “floated” or immersed in water, where the good ripe cherries will sink. The floaters are separated out.

The cherries are then passed through a pulpery, where the skin and pulp is removed by pressing the fruit, by machine, in the water through a screen. At the Moy Hall Processing factory in the Jamaican Blue Mountains, natural spring water is used for this process.

A single red cherry typically produces two coffee beans; however on rare occasions (~3%) a single peaberry bean is derived. The bean devoid of skin and pulp is now encased by silver skin and parchment. After passing through the pulpery this wet parchment must be dried to reduce the moisture content to ~10-11%. This process is usually done by the sun on large concreted patios called barbecues, or by drying machines. In the Jamaican Blue Mountains an additional process of aging is utilized to allow for manufacturer of the intricate and unique flavor nuances of the coffee bean.

Upon manufacture, the “dry” parchment, as the bean is now called, is passed through a huller, which revives the silver skin and parchment. The green coffee beans are then sorted by size and shape and placed in appropriate grades.

Grades - Classifications of Blue Mountain Coffee

• Blue Mountain No. 1 - 96% of beans must have a screen size of 17/18. No more than 2% of the beans have significant defects.
• Blue Mountain No. 2 - 96% of beans must have a screen size of 16/17. No more than 2% of the beans may have significant defects.
• Blue Mountain No. 3 - 96% of beans must have a screen size of 15/16/17. No more than 2% of the beans may have significant defects.
• Blue Mountain Peaberry - 96% of beans must be peaberry. No more than 2% of the beans may have significant defects.
• Blue Mountain Triage - Contains bean sizes from all previous classifications. No more than 4% of the beans may have significant defects.

For some premium coffees, such as Jamaican Blue Mountain, a of polishing of the beans is done and a labor intense hand sorting of individual green bean is performed to revive bad or misshapen beans. This culminates the processing and is the standard for Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee.

All green coffee beans shipped from its country of origin, are placed in burlap bags. After going through a stringent process at the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica, Blue Mountain coffee is the only green coffee beans shipped in barrels.

ROASTING

The transformation of green coffee into a savory cup of coffee is the roasting process. IT is an art; like cooking, which employs a master chef, the roasting of gourmet coffee requires the skill of a master roaster, to unearth the unique flavors of each coffee varietal.

There are many mechanisms of roasting. The underlying principle is the heating and cooking of the green coffee bean, which absorbs this energy, expands and goes through a series of chemical reaction that brings to the fore a beans unique sugars and oils, within which is found its particular original flavor. There are many types of roast; loosely classified by the color of the roasted bean. At light the medium roast the bean will display more of the flavor that is created by the soil and climate characteristic of its origin. This is typical of high-end gourmet coffee. At darker roasts, as the bean becomes deep brown, the original flavor is overshadowed by the roasted process.

Gourmet coffees are generally roasted in small batches to achieve maximum uniformity amongst the roasted beans.

THE PERFECT CUP

We at Reggie’s Roast would like to suggest these factors to be considered in an attempt to create the perfect cup of coffee.

A roasted coffee bean continues to undergo a chemical reaction for weeks after being roasted with peak flavor output approximately 24 hours after being roasted, and a gradual but real decline thereafter. A coffee bean peaks at 24 hours and retains most of its flavor for two weeks. Air and primarily oxygen, hastens this degradation.

• A coffee beverage is approximately 98 percent water. The type of water used greatly influences the final taste.
  
• The brewing method, i.e. the type of grounded coffee, which allows for surface contact with water thus influencing the extraction of coffee flavors and ultimate taste, is extremely important.
  

We therefore recommend the brewing of freshly roasted beans (1-14 days), with a coarse grind, done just before French Press brewing, using spring, bottled, or filtered water.

Usually 2 tbs. of coffee per 6 fluid oz of water, but vary the amount of water or coffee to suit your particular desire of coffee strength.

Never reheat coffee...and try Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee without milk or sugar.

• Intense Aroma
• Excellent Body
• Exquisite Flavor
• Great Acidity
• Unusually Sweet and Mild
• Perfectly Balanced