Quintessence Custom Coffee - Made to Order Fresh Roasted Coffee

Welcome to Alien Bean's® Interactive Coffee Guide

Alien Bean is the leading authority on all things coffee. Each origin and roast style present their own individual personality in a cup of coffee. Central American beans provide balance and body to your cup. African coffees are characterized by fruity sweetness. Indonesian beans are earthy and rich. Dark roasted beans have a fuller flavor and less caffeine and light roasted coffees have higher acidic tones and retain more caffeine. By blending coffees you can create a cup perfect for you. Generally, coffees are blended to create either a more complex cup or a more balanced cup. A Mélange blend makes a complex cup ideal for Filter Drip Brewing. Espresso Blends seek to create a balanced cup with subtle complexities. This guide provides some general guidelines, but the best approach is to sample each origin and roast style individually and then try blending a few origins and roast styles until you find the perfect cup. Each blending approach also includes a few recipes to get you started.


Moka-Java : The Original Blend	Creating an Espresso Blend	Creating a "Half-Caff" Blend

Coffee Origins

Origin	Origin Flavor Profile	Blending Suggestions
Brazil	Smooth Flavor, Medium Body with Moderate Acidity	Provides a solid body to your cup. Use as a foundation for any blend. Use a medium roast for balance.
Columbia	Mild & Aromatic with Balanced Acidity	Another origin providing body and balance. A light roast will create a highly caffeinated cup with zip.
Costa Rica	Full-Bodied, Bright Richness	Adds an acidy snap. Try blending with dark roasted Mexico & Columbia beans for a cup with dark roast flavors, good body, and an acidy snap.
Ethiopia	Gentle, Delicate & Aromatic, Mild Acidity	This delicate, acidic bean blends well with rich origins. Blend with Sumatra to create your own Moka-Java blend. Try with with decaf Sumatra for a lightly caffeinated blend.
Guatemala	Smoky, Rich with High Acidity	Blends well with most origins. The strong body provides an excellent foundation for any Espresso Blend.
Jamaica Blue Mountain	Balanced with rich flavor, full body & smooth acidity	Considered by many the "Best Bean in the World". Enjoy this luxurious bean alone or blend with Guatemala or Brazil for a less costly, but still delicious cup.
Kenya	Sweet, Smooth & Strongly Acidic	Strong acidic flavor creates to a perfect Mélange when blended with well balanced Central American Beans. Not recommended for Espresso Blends.
Kona	Aromatic & Sweet, Mild Acidity & Full Flavor	Wonderfully flavored, Kona adds gentle, complexity to any blend. Try Brazilian, Mexican or Columbian beans for a sweet, even cup.
Mexico	Aromatic & Sweet, Mild Acidity & Full Flavor	A great base for an Espresso Blend. Creates a sharp & sweet foundation. Blend with Sumatra, Ethiopia or French Roast for depth and balance.
Sumatra	Exotic, Sweet & Earthy	Adds body & sweetness. Blend with an acidic bean such as Ethiopian, Kenya or Costa Rica for a complex & balanced cup. Use in an Espresso blend for rich, sweet cup.

Moka-Java : The Original Blend

Beans from different origins have been blended since ancient time. Moka-Java is the original blend of African and Indonesian coffees. These complimentary beans create a deliciously, complex cup. The beans are usually blended in equal parts 50-50, or with more Indonesian beans. Add our pre-blended Moka-Java to your blend to create a more complex cup or try these recipes and create your own Moka Java blend.

Moka-Java Recipes

50% Kenya Medium Roast , 50%Sumatra Medium Roast : Excellent version of the Moka-Java blend, with a wonderful floral aroma, fruity acidity, and a medium-full body.
50% Ethiopia Medium Roast, 50% Dark Roast Sumatra: A more aggressive Moka-Java, with a deeper, fuller body, and more earthiness in the bass notes. The roast's bittersweet adds to the complexity, and reduces the Ethiopian acidity.
25% Ethiopia dark roast, 75% Sumatra dark roast : A dark, rich, chocalatey & sweet Moka Java blend.

Creating an Espresso Blend

Espresso Blends focus on richness & balance. Some beans which make excellent Mélange Blends are too overwhelming for an Espresso Blend. Central American coffees tend to add sharpness and sweetness, but take away from the crema and body. Guatemalan and Mexican beans provide and excellent Espresso base however. Sumatra provides excellent body and takes away the acidity. Ethiopian contributes an fruity, pungent bite and adds to a great crema. Kenya is generally considered too acidic and Kona to light and mild to make a good Espresso.

Espresso Recipes

50% Brazil Dark Roast, 50% Guatemala Dark Roast - a sweet & clean Espresso
50% Brazil Light Roast, 50% Guatemala Dark Roast - a bright &sweet Espresso
50% Guatemala Dark Roast, 50% Sumatra Dark Roast - a rich & earthy Espresso
33% Guatemala Dark Roast, 33% Sumatra Dark Roast, 33% Ethiopia Dark Roast, - a chocalately & rich Espresso
50% Guatemala Dark Roast Decaf, 50% Sumatra Dark Roast Decaf - a rich decaf Espresso

Creating a "Half-Caff" Blend

You can create a lightly caffeinated or "Half-Caff" Blend by mixing regualar and decaf beans.
Dark roasted coffees have less caffeine and are perfect for very low caffeine blends.

"Half-Caff" Recipes

50% French Dark Roast, 50% French Dark Roast Decaf - lightly caffeinated French Roast
50% Costa Rica Light Roast, 50% Guatemala Light Roast Decaf - a light, sharp blend with a light zip
50% Guatemala Dark Roast Decaf, 50% Sumatra Dark Roast - a low caffeine Espresso with rich flavor
50%Guatemala Dark Roast Decaf, 50% Ethiopia Dark Roast, 33% Columbia Medium Roast Decaf - a low caffeine Mélange

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