Gourmet coffee is coffee that is picked at the peak of freshness, processed in small batches, and treated with special care at every step in order to produce the best flavor and aroma. Gourmet coffee also tends to be quite expensive. Part of this has to do with the extra work and cost involved in producing gourmet coffee. Part has to do with gourmet coffee producers being able to market as being not only of high quality but also available only in small quantities. The fact of the matter is that gourmet coffee at budget prices is available if you know where to look!
What Makes Gourmet Coffee Better Than Average Coffee?
First of all, gourmet coffees start with the highest quality arabica coffee plants. Then these plants are cared for with special attention in order to ensure sustainability and prevention of coffee diseases and pests. Then these coffees are picked at the peak of their ripeness. Typically, gourmet coffees come from microclimates that are ideally suited for producing the best coffee. This includes the most fertile soil and climate conditions. As these coffees are processed special care is taken to remove inferior or damaged coffee beans and then roasting is done in small batches to ensure an optimal roast for every batch and every coffee bean.
Just like with a fine wine, a fine coffee brings with it the flavor and taste of the environment in which it is grown. This quality is often missed in mass produced coffee where too many damaged, inferior, or poorly processed coffee beans pass into the final product. Fine arabica coffees have the potential for complex flavors and aromas and an attentive process used for gourmet coffees ensures that these qualities find their way to your cup of coffee. Folks who drink regular, non-gourmet coffee rarely notice subtle notes of florals, fruit, or chocolate in their brew while this is common and sought after in the world of gourmet coffees.
Where Can You Get Gourmet Quality Coffee at a Reasonable Price?
A fine gourmet coffee that is effectively marketed can easily cost $50 a pound or much more for rare brands. These are generally fine coffees that command a high price partly because they require more work and expense to produce and market. However, there are coffee growers and coffee roasters who produce the same high quality coffee and sell a pound of roasted coffee within the $7 price range. This is commonly the case in the Colombian coffee growing region where great coffee is a family farm tradition and not a marketing gimmick.
Gourmet Coffee From Colombia
The coffee growing region in the west of the Andes mountain range in Colombia has many microclimates that are ideal for growing coffee of the highest quality. This region does not grow robusta or lower quality coffee that is hardier than arabica. All coffee is either standard old arabica strains or more recent hybrids that preserve the quality of fine arabica but are more resistant to coffee leaf rust and other coffee plant diseases. These include Colombia, Castillo, and Tabi coffee varieties. A personal favorite of ours is gourmet coffee produced by Café Quindío. This excellent gourmet coffee sells whole bean roasted for $7 a pound at the source Colombia and for only slightly more when ordered directly in the USA. For more info contact us at admin@buyorganiccoffee.org.