Readers’ Nominations: A Snapshot of Specialty Coffee Trends

Welcome back to The Coffee Blog (TCB), where we celebrate all things coffee! Today, we’re delving into the results of our annual cupping of coffees nominated by you, our readers. This informal sampling offers us a glimpse into the current state of specialty coffee, based on the preferences and recommendations of passionate coffee lovers. So, let’s explore what this early 2011 tasting reveals about trends, preferences, and the ever-evolving world of coffee.

The Enduring Appeal of Dark Roasts

Despite the growing popularity of medium-roasted coffee in urban coffee shops, our tasting indicates that the love for darker roasts remains strong. Out of the twenty-six coffees we sampled, only five were light to medium-roasted. While the trend of excessively dark roasting to outdo big chains like Starbucks has diminished, it hasn’t disappeared entirely. Nearly half of the coffees we received were dark to ultra-dark roasted. The rest were medium-dark, where the roast begins to assert itself, but the green coffee’s character still shines through, albeit gently muted and transformed.

A Dark Roast Done Right

One standout dark roast was Philz Coffee’s Jacob’s Wonderbar Brew (88 points). This ultra-dark roast managed to balance the intense charred wood character typical of very dark roasts with a lively, cedary sweetness and a touch of nuance. It’s a testament to the fact that, when done right, dark roasts can still be a satisfying and complex experience.

Micro-Lots: Small but Mighty

The current trend toward highly differentiated small lots of green coffee, often roasted light to medium, was not prominently reflected in our nominations. Perhaps urban and college-town coffee enthusiasts, who often fuel this trend, were too busy enjoying their micro-lot coffee to nominate it. However, two such medium-roasted small-lot coffees made a notable impression.

Exemplary Micro-Lot Coffees

1. Doma Coffee Costa Rica Las Lajas Natural (93 points): This coffee exemplifies the micro-lot movement. It’s a rare dried-in-the-fruit natural from Costa Rica, a region typically associated with wet-processed coffee. This exceptional coffee showcases rich, fruit-toned characteristics while avoiding the common pitfalls of natural processing, such as excessive fruit ferment or mildew hints.
2. 49th Parallel Ethiopia Sidama Wottona Bultuma Co-op (91 points): A specifically sourced coffee brought to a lightish roast, it highlights distinctive lemony citrus and bright, tart acidity. It’s a perfect example of how a well-executed micro-lot coffee can stand out.

Geographic Diversity in Nominations

Our readers’ nominations displayed impressive geographic diversity, going beyond the usual favorite origins like Kenya, Ethiopia, and Panama. This year, we received intriguing entries from less common regions, adding to the richness of our tasting experience.

Notable Geographical Entries

1. Cup to Cup Alta Mogiana Peaberry, Brazil (90 points): This coffee impressed with its low acidity and gentle, crisply chocolate-toned profile, showcasing the subtle elegance of Brazilian beans.
2. Tas Kafé Dominican Republic (88 points): A sweetly pungent coffee with intriguing black currant notes, often associated with Bourbon-derived varieties from Kenya. This entry highlighted the potential of Dominican coffees.
3. Caribou Coffee Sumatra Samosir Batak (90 points): A true-to-type Sumatra, featuring classic earthy and pungent grapefruit-like notes, deepened and rounded by a moderately dark roast.

The Rise of Sustainable Coffee

Sustainable coffee practices continue to gain momentum, as reflected in our nominations. Five out of the ten coffees reviewed this month carried certification seals, ranging from organic and Fair Trade to Rainforest Alliance.

Leading the Sustainable Coffee Charge

1. Thanksgiving Coffee’s Organic/Fair Trade Mocha-Java blend (90 points): A pioneer in sustainable coffee, Thanksgiving Coffee replaced traditional Yemen Mocha with a similar dry-processed Ethiopian coffee and Java with a traditionally processed Sumatra. The result? A blend that is both authentic and socially responsible, perhaps even closer to the original 18th-century character of Mocha Java.
2. Birds & Beans Wood Thrush Blend (88 points): This blend carries the ultimate in third-party certifications: organic, Fair Trade, and the Smithsonian Institution’s “Bird Friendly” designation. It offers a quiet, caramelly profile while supporting environmental sustainability.

Room for Improvement

While we discovered many excellent coffees, there were also some disappointments. Several submissions from smaller roasting companies lacked the depth of engagement we hoped for. These coffees were often roasted too darkly without the intention of creating a nuanced dark roast experience. Additionally, the quality of the green coffee beans, when the roast allowed evaluation, was not always impressive.

A Call to Action for Roasters

To our dedicated readers: continue supporting your local roasters with the enthusiasm that led you to nominate their coffees. And to the roasters: please strive to meet your customers’ loyalty with higher-quality green coffees and more thoughtful roasting practices. With a bit more attention to detail, we can elevate the specialty coffee experience even further.

Join the Coffee Conversation

We hope this exploration of readers’ nominations has inspired you to try new coffees and appreciate the diversity within the specialty coffee world. Whether you prefer the robust notes of a dark roast or the bright acidity of a light-roasted micro-lot, there’s always something new to discover.

For more coffee insights, reviews, and trends, subscribe to our newsletter. Let’s continue this journey together, one cup at a time. Cheers to great coffee and the passionate community that makes it all possible!