Understanding the Labels On Your Coffee
When trying to buy coffee, it can feel pretty overwhelming right? There are so many brands, various roasts, and a variety of labels on each bag. It’s hard to know what it all means. Most bags of coffee will list the roast type, tasting notes, process, and certifications (if any). Some may even have the altitude, variety, and producer.
Let’s take this bag as an example:
A (the coffee is labeled organic)
B (these are the details of the actual coffee)
What farm produced it? Bio Armonia
What type of varietal of bean is it? Catuai and Caturra
What altitude was the coffee grown in? 1200-1400 masl (meters above sea level)
How was the coffee processed? Washed
What are the tasting notes? Honey, Orange, Red Apple
C (the coffee is not a blend from different places, it is single origin)
D (the bag is certified compostable)
E (the coffee is a for profit corporation certified for its social impact)
F (it is fair trade certified)
G (the organic certification is marked)
Jordan’s Tomb’s coffee has more labels than most bags of coffee might have on them, but these are all important to know when selecting the coffee that best fits your needs. The only certifications missing here are Direct Trade, Rainforest Alliance Certified, and Bird Friendly. Roasting level is also not labeled on this particular bag.
Roasting Level
Roasting is what produces the aromas and tasting notes of the coffee. For roasting level, you will generally find > Light, Medium, Dark Roast but there are others like Vienna, Blonde, etc. These levels simply tell you how long the coffee was roasted for and will determine how the coffee tastes when you brew it.
Single Origin Vs BLend
A single origin coffee (like this bag) means the coffee came from a specific region or farm. If it was a blend, this would mean it has a mixture of different coffees in it. Single origin tends to be more high quality and contain unique flavors and aromas. This will also affect what the details of the coffee are.
The DEtails of the coffee
Producer refers to the farm (or farms) where the coffee was grown. Varieties refer to the genetic variation of a single species of coffee (super weird right?). As an example: Arabica is the species and the Caturra and Cataui (noted on the bag) is the variation of the species (Arabica). Altitude is pretty self explanatory. This is just the meters above sea level that the coffee was grown. Altitude can affect the flavor of the coffee. Process refers to how the coffee was “cleaned” after being picked of the coffee tree. Types of processes include honey, washed, natural (and a few others).
Washed - the cherry exterior and mucilage are removed by water and the bean is fully dried (this leaves very little added flavors to the coffee)
Natural - the coffee is slowly dried in the sun with the cherry exterior still on it (this adds a fruity, sweet flavor to the coffee)
Honey - the coffee is depulped (cherry exterior removed) but dried in the sun without washing all the excess mucilage off (this will impact the sweetness and body)
Tasting notes refers to the flavor and aroma of the roasted coffee. This part is up for interpretation. Coffee shops and coffee brands love to get creative and quirky when coming up with these words. You can refer to the coffee wheel for more of a breakdown or read the Science of Coffee Taste here.
Certifications
Fair Trade Certified - This means the coffee has been audited during the supply chain to meet fair trade standards by fair trade organizations (pay farmers above standard C-price)
Organic Certified- This means the coffee plants haven’t been exposed to chemicals or pesticides
B Corporation Certified - This is for, “for profit corporations” certified for their social impact and meeting social sustainability standards
Bird Friendly Certified - This means that the coffee is shade grown under a canopy of dominant tree species at least 12 meters high and means it is good for the bird population
Direct Trade - This was created by large coffee buyers and means they have a direct relationship with the farmer and it is a mutually beneficial trade
Rainforest Alliance Certified - This means the coffee is grown sustainably with a focus on clean resources, pristine water, and ideal farming conditions
Choosing a coffee is overwhelming and sometimes the label does not truly meet the standard rule that it should. Some producers can’t even afford the certifications despite following the rule. I’d suggest starting with what matters to you most. Is it climate change? Is it people? Is it fair pricing? Is it the environment? Is it the quality of the coffee? Or is it just important to know the farmers who grew the coffee? If you still feel stuck, here are a few coffee brands I would recommend as a starting point.
You can also check out this website for more options, resources, and education on coffee (or other products) you are consuming.
