Specialty Coffee packaging - what does it look like and why?

What should you look for on a speciality coffee pack? How can you be sure that the product you're holding comes from a good roaster and contains good quality beans? What information should be on the coffee packaging and why should it look a certain way? In this article, we'll answer these and other related questions to help you choose your coffee.

Contents:

Characteristics of packaging
Origin of the beans
Bean processing
Information about the plantation
Botanical variety
Sensory profile

A package of coffee from a speciality roastery

The main difference between a package of high-quality specialty coffee from a roastery and a package of lower-quality coffee lies (besides the contents) in the information provided on it. Every specialty coffee package should include basic information about the beans, such as the roast date, country of origin, coffee processing method, the altitude where it was grown, and the botanical variety. Additional information, such as the sensory profile, roast level, primary flavor notes, region, plantation, or washing station, is optional but welcome, as it helps create a clearer picture of what the coffee might taste like before you even open the package.

Taste

Coffee reaches its maximum flavor potential about a week after the roast date and maintains it for about five more weeks. After that, the intensity of the brews will decrease, and the flavor notes will become noticeably weaker. Woody notes will come to the forefront, and the sensory profile of the brew will be muted. Acidity and overall flavor intensity will also decline.

Origin of the beans

Including the country of origin on the label is important for the consumer. The flavor and aroma of coffee develop in three stages: enzymatic (also known as botanical), during processing, and through roasting. Therefore, the country from which the coffee originates largely defines what you can expect in the cup.

Processing method of specialty coffee beans

The processing method of specialty coffee refers to how the coffee cherries are "pitted." In other words, it is the method used to separate the seed from the pulp, as it is the seed we are primarily interested in. Depending on whether the coffee cherries are sun-dried, fermented in water tanks, anaerobically fermented, or monsooned with winds from the Indian Ocean, this information largely creates a sensory image in our minds, indicating the expected balance of acidity and sweetness in the coffee, although the topic is more complex.

Information about the plantation

The altitude of the plantation where the coffee was grown also tells us about its quality. In the case of very high-altitude farms (> 2000m above sea level), we can expect higher acidity and that the beans were hand-picked. Above a certain altitude, mechanical harvesting is not feasible. Hand-picking ensures not only a higher price for these beans (due to the difficulty of the process) but also initial selection (such as ripeness) of the coffee cherries.

Botanical variety of the beans

The botanical variety also gives us an idea of the flavor of the brew, although there are so many variables affecting the taste that the sensory characteristics of specific botanical varieties are not yet scientifically confirmed.

Sensory profile

The package of specialty coffee should also indicate the roast profile of the beans through symbols representing the dedicated brewing equipment. For light roast coffee (for filters), you will see symbols of alternative brewing methods like V60, Aeropress, Chemex, Kalita, Syphon, French press, Clever Dripper, etc., or the word "Filter." For dark roast coffee, the package will show symbols of manual/automatic espresso machines or the word "Espresso."

You know everything*. So what’s next? Let’s shop!

*At a basic level, of course, since a blog post can't cover all coffee knowledge, but it will certainly help you choose your next package of coffee. If you want to know more, we invite you to our coffee courses with our indispensable Trainer Michał.

This article was prepared for you by Michal Żmuda, JAVA University trainer.