Issue link: https://www.cominghomemag.com/i/1376023
15 Our approach to roasting is to find the sweetest point in that coffee and bring out its best regional qualities. " chocolate—are already there, and I like to roast in a way that brings them forward. For instance, if I roast a bean lightly, it might get more pronounced acidity and less body, and that can be good for coffees with delicate flavors like jasmine. 3. Is there a flavor difference between a bag of ground coffee versus whole bean coffee? Jonathan: A whole bean is a protective shell that keeps all the good flavors inside. The moment you grind it, that aroma and flavor dissipate. Whole beans keep the coffee fresher and ensure the coffee tastes its best. When you grind it, it starts the expiration process. Kevin: Once the coffee is ground, it begins to oxidize from exposure to oxygen. Essentially, it goes stale. This can happen quickly, so you should grind right before brewing. The main difference you'll taste is that the ground coffee will be flatter and blander by comparison. 4. How can you tell when coffee has gone bad? Jonathan: Coffee doesn't expire in the sense that it's dangerous to consume, but what we see is that about a month after roasting, it tastes noticeably stale. It'll be sour or starchy and continue to go downhill after that. While it's a general rule to keep coffee stored in an airtight container in a dark, dry place, it's difficult to prolong the life of coffee after a month. Kevin: The oils in the coffee can go rancid, especially in dark roasts where the oils push out to the surface of the bean. A few weeks after a coffee is roasted, its flavors start to fade and you know it's getting old when it begins to lose its aromatics. Also, it won't "bloom" (release carbon dioxide) very much when you brew it. 5. What's your best-selling coffee right now, and why do you think it's so popular? Jonathan: Our Elevation blend is a combination of Salvadorian and Guatemalan coffee, and it's our number-one seller. I think people are more comfortable with blends. Blends have been around a lot longer—think breakfast blends—and people generally think about coffee in that way. Single- origin coffees will each taste completely different, but you get something exciting when you blend them. Kevin: Our seasonal blend is always a hot seller. Currently, for spring, our seasonal blend is called "Bloom." It's a great balance of chocolate notes and caramel. We used a coffee from Panama that had juicy floral notes, and I think that really drives home the spring aspect. 6. Is there a region that you think might be overlooked for its bean cultivation? Where is it, and what makes it special? Jonathan: One area to really watch right now is China. Coffee has been grown in China for a long time, but they're just now starting to export it. Similar to coffee you'd taste from Central America, coffee from China has a lot of caramel and chocolate notes, and a nice, bright acidity—characters you'd find in Costa Rican, Guatemalan, or Salvadorian coffees. It's surprising because it's unexpected. Kevin: There are so many great coffee-growing regions. We'll be offering our first coffee from Vietnam in a few months. However, there are countries like Burundi, in East Africa, with excellent, but often underrepresented, coffee. 7. Do you have any tips for making better coffee at home? Jonathan: Use filtered water, grind your own beans, and then weigh your coffee grounds. Not all coffee is the same size or density, so weighing it gives you a truer idea of how much you're actually using. Also, measure the amount of water you use. The more precise you are, the better result you'll get. Kevin: First and foremost, keep your brewing equipment clean. Always look for whole bean coffee with a "roasted date" on it, not a "best by date," and select one that's anywhere from two days to 30 days from when it was roasted. Lastly, let your coffee cool a little before drinking it—so much more flavor and complexity will come out of it. A BO U T JONATHAN & KEVIN Jonathan Meadows is the owner of Cultivar Coffee, a business he started 12 years ago. He has spent time traveling to Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and back to Dallas, TX, to source the most sustainable, high-quality coffees offered at his store. For more information, visit www.cultivarcoffee.com. Kevin Sprague is the co-owner of Noble Coyote in Dallas, TX, established in 2011. Kevin, the head roaster, has had a passion for coffee since he was a kid, and believes in the noble practice of ethical trade, sustainability, and fair compensation for farmers. For more information, visit noblecoyotecoffee.com.