Pu’er Coffee

 Most of my long posts in February were dedicated to café hopping in Australia. During the month I spent there, I once again found myself marveling at the incredible richness—and rarity—of the green coffee resources available in Australia. If you are a coffee enthusiast who truly values the terroir and regional character of coffee, I strongly recommend putting Australia on your travel list. Among the many cafés I visited, Veneziano Coffee left a particularly deep impression on me. They are the kind of roaster that seems to “hunt” for beans from highly specific micro-regions. In their shop, you’ll find several house espresso blends as well as multiple SOEs permanently on the menu, and each one has its own distinctive flavor profile and memorable character. It’s no surprise that they’ve been listed among the World’s Top 100 Coffee Shops . At the time, I bought a bag of beans that could be used both for pour-over and as an SOE. The beans come from the ARGCAFEE cooperative in Cauca,...

 “Coffee Tasting Banquet” is a kind of tasting experience created for coffee enthusiasts. For coffee shops, this format allows them to test market reactions and collect customer feedback through a sharing-based event. The concept itself provides an excellent setting for both tasting and discussion. At this particular event, they brought six outstanding beans from different origins. Taking advantage of this tasting session, I’d like to share some thoughts about these six coffee regions and the flavor characteristics of their beans. The first bean comes from Roble Estate in Colombia . The farm reaches elevations of up to 1,800 meters and is located in the town of Pitalito in Huila. The owner, Dionel, named this coffee sanctuary after a century-old oak tree that inspired him. The estate places great emphasis on precision throughout the processing stage. After handpicking, the cherries undergo flotation to remove defects, followed by a second manual sorting to eliminate unripe fruit. ...

 When we talk about Colombia as a coffee-producing country, if this conversation had happened a decade or more ago, the first thing that would likely come to mind is water. Thanks to its abundant water resources, Colombia traditionally relied heavily on washed processing methods. For many coffee lovers who were once captivated by the bright, elegant acidity of classic Colombian washed coffees, Colombia left a lasting and positive impression. In traditional espresso blends, Colombian washed coffees also played a crucial role in providing balance and cleanliness of flavor. Yet somehow, at an uncertain point in time, the image of Colombia began to shift. Today, when people mention Colombian coffee, what often comes to mind is a dazzling array of so-called innovative processing methods—especially eye-catching co-fermentations. At one point, simply hearing “Colombia” made people instinctively ask: What process is it? Is it another bold experiment? What exactly happened behind this dra...

 In a gold washed coffee, I tasted unmistakable notes of lemongrass and ginger. A few days ago, I shared a dedicated introduction to what gold washed processing is—a relatively new method that combines the strengths of both washed and natural processing. The first time I encountered a gold washed coffee was last November at the Shanghai Coffee Expo. At the booth of Direct Coffee from Kyoto, this particular coffee immediately caught my eye. That moment marked the beginning of a flavor experience that completely amazed me—one that has stayed with me ever since. I placed an order for the beans on the spot. This coffee is a Gold Washed Red Bourbon from Popayán, Cauca, Colombia. The barista at the booth was also the roaster of this very coffee, and the way he presented its flavors was incredibly impressive. It was the first time I had ever tasted such distinctly clean and vivid lemongrass and ginger notes in a Colombian coffee built on an innovative twist of traditional processing met...

 When choosing coffee beans, many people focus on factors like flavor and origin—but “variety” is another angle some coffee lovers consider. Since our Front Street Coffee shops, both online and offline, specialize in selling beans, we often meet customers who pick their beans based on variety alone. The two requests we hear most often are: “I want Gesha,” or, “I want something special that isn’t Gesha.” And Sidra happens to be one of the varieties we recommend for the second group. Since its breakout performance on the world coffee competition stage in 2022, Sidra has become an absolute star—everywhere and impossible to ignore. The reason is simple: this variety truly is special in many ways. So today, we’re going to dive into what makes Sidra so unique, and how you can brew this distinct coffee properly if you’ve purchased our Front Street Sidra. What Exactly Is Sidra? Sidra (also spelled “Sydra” or “Bourbon Sidra”) is a phonetic transliteration of Sidra , a Spanish word me...

 The coffee that greets our souls every morning, much like wine, carries the imprint of the terroir —the land and climate—from different corners of the world. From a single bean to the rich brew in your cup, every sip tells a story of its homeland. Today, let’s embark on a global taste journey and explore the distinct flavors of five classic coffee origins. 🌍 Ethiopia When we talk about coffee, where else can we begin but its birthplace? On the ancient plateaus of Ethiopia, coffee trees still grow in their most primitive and natural way . The region is home to tens of thousands of coffee varieties, many of which even botanists can't name. When you taste a cup of Yirgacheffe , the first thing that often awakens the palate is a bright, lively citrus acidity , accompanied by notes of jasmine and honey sweetness—a true symphony for the senses. Coffees from the Sidama region, on the other hand, are often fuller-bodied, featuring wild berry notes and a tea-like finish. The most captiv...

  The World Barista Championship (WBC) has long been a stage for showcasing some of the world’s most fascinating and distinctive coffees. In recent years, more and more competitors have chosen to feature lesser-known Arabica varieties — and even different coffee species — in their presentations. Interestingly, many of these coffees come from Colombia . While the country has always been famous for producing high-quality coffee, a growing number of Colombian farmers are now cultivating and exporting rare and forgotten varieties. These beans are increasingly being used by WBC competitors in their championship routines. Even many of the Geisha coffees used on the WBC stage in recent years have come from Colombia. So, why has Colombian coffee become such a favorite among competitors? And will this trend continue? To find out, we spoke with Elias Bayter of Forest Coffee , Maria Alejandra Escobar Huertas of Café Granja La Esperanza , and Daniele Ricci , runner-up at the 2023 WBC. ...