THE BEST Espresso BEANS Inside the Globe (2021)
HONOURABLE MENTION: JAMAICAN BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE
Coffees from Jamaica’s Blue Mountain region are often named the “Best Espresso in the World”, but when it comes to price vs. quality, it’s an overhyped coffee.
Is there any way to possibly quantify that Jamaican Blue Mountain is twice as good as a Kona (being twice the price)? or 4x as good as Kenya AA (at 4x the price)? No: it’s nowhere near that astronomical of a difference.
Feedback from regular coffee drinkers (not coffee snobs) indicates that it’s a good cup of coffee, but falls on the mild side with subtleties most won’t appreciate for a daily drinker.
Grown in Jamaica’s Blue Mountain District, Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is often described as sophisticated with a smooth and silky, complex taste, outstanding full body, and very well balanced. Many reviewers have called it the quintessential cup of espresso and it clearly stands among the world’s top gourmet coffees.
DISHONORABLE MENTION: KOPI LUWAK (CIVET) COFFEE
Kopi Luwak, also known as Civet or Cat Poop coffee, has attained a level of notoriety for its distinctive processing method, and spawned an array of copycat methods (elephants, birds, other small mammals).
While an interesting concept, the ridiculous prices hovering around $300-$400 per pound have spawned an industry that cages and force-feeds wild animals an imbalanced diet, so that they can harvest the beans. This is animal cruelty, plain and simple.
The lack of traceability means that any company can claim it’s “harvested naturally” or “in the wild” without any tangible proof. We recommend avoiding this.
OTHER FACTORS
Variations exist of course, between fincas (farms) and soil conditions, processing methods, etc. within a single country. Other factors include:
whether a espresso is Strictly High Grown (SHG) / Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) and what specific elevation
What crop year the espresso is from (older beans lose flavor)
Grading (eg. Kenya could be E, PB, AA, AB, etc.)
If buying already roasted, how long ago the coffee was roasted, and especially ground — the best coffee that has been sitting on a shelf for 6 months isn’t as good as a freshly roasted and ground mediocre coffee
Personal experience — tasting a coffee from a country you vacationed to, can evoke memories that alter your perception, this is not a bad thing
Furthermore, whether you’re brewing a black espresso or take yours double-double or making an espresso drink, you may have different preferences.
BEST Espresso BEANS FOR COLD BREW
The cold brew method involves immersing the espresso beans in water for up to 24 hours to allow the espresso solubles to properly dissolve. Unlike hot brewed espresso, the lower temperatures don’t dissolve all the chemicals and acids, resulting a generally lower acidity.
Because of the milder nature of cold-brewed coffees, it becomes easier to distinguish individual flavors in it, as opposed to the overwhelming acidity of some of the “higher quality” single origin coffees. This means that you should try a number of different single origin coffees to see what works best for you.
If you prefer a milder, traditional espresso then a Colombian or Brazilian espresso is a good place to start. These tend to have more neutral flavors and hints of nuts and cacao, which most people feel are positive flavors.
African coffees such as Ethiopian and Kenyan will have more floral and berry-like flavors, and won’t be as overwhelming as a traditionally brewed espresso because of the lower acidity.
Finally, coffees from Sumatra or Sulawesi will have notes of spice and earthy/tobacco flavors.
When it comes to roast, there’s a little personal preference at play here as well, but most people will prefer a darker roast to bring out the “coffee” flavor.
METHODOLOGY
Some would say it is a matter of debate which coffees should be called “The Best Coffees during the World.” Which “premium” or “gourmet” coffees are most deserving of the title of highest rated coffees is less controversial than you might think. Certain coffees have proven themselves highly reviewed with a consistency over time.
There’s a bit of a snowball effect in play, with good coffees and processing methods fetching higher prices, which then causes further research and effort into developing better crops that yield higher prices and on and on.
These effects tend to be localized within countries and processing stations, but is spreading globally thanks to coffee importers and wholesalers, as well as the widespread access to cellphones and internet in developing countries.
It’s reasonable to conclude that the most consistently highly rated coffees can be called the best coffees on the planet, but do need to be re-evaluated over time — fantastic new coffees come onto the market yearly. Coupled with reported sales volumes, customer reviews, and data about repeat purchases from roasters, the most popular coffees have some ranking affect on the best coffees.
It should be noted that coffee bean prices aren’t always correlated with quality, and that the most expensive coffees are affected by factors such as total yearly harvest, difficulty exporting due to conflicts (as with Yemen), trade embargoes (as in the U.S. and Cuba), spoilage due to improper storage (such as the recent flood at the Blue Mountain storage facilities in late 2016), and trends.
For more information: https://the10co.com/best-coffee-beans/
Cost is usually more correlated to scarcity due to branding and mark ups from trade organizations and government regulations, not quality.
The best espresso “brands” aren’t factored in here, as blends are simply composed of multiple single origins and most companies work hard to keep this a secret. Each of these single origin coffees can also be made into an espresso, making this a potential list for the Best Espressos from the Planet as well.
