Coffee labels can be confusing. There is jargon that is used specifically in the coffee industry, and it can be hard to decipher what everything means for the purpose of knowing what your coffee is all about. For these reasons, we’ve broken down how to read your coffee label here.
1. Origin
The origin is where the coffee comes from geographical. For our coffee specifically Atok is the municipality and Benguet is a province in Luzon, the northern part of the Philippines.
2. Varietal
The varietal refers to the type of coffee plant. Our coffee comprises of various varietals such as Typica, Bourbon and San Roman, all coming from the same origin. Coffee varietals have long histories behind them and affect the quality potential of the cup. The species of our coffee is currently Arabica, which is grown in high altitudes and offers nuanced flavors.
3. Process
The coffee process describes how the green coffee, coffee from the cherry, was processed. Our coffee is a washed process coffee. Though coffee processes are extensive, a main part of the washed coffee process is allowing the coffee cherries to float in water, depulping the coffee cherry to remove the skin, and then fermenting the coffee in tanks for up to three days. If you’re interested in learning more about the washed process, read this great article from online coffee publication, Sprudge.
4. Producer
The producer describes the organization/farmer that led the production of the coffee. In our case, we source our coffee directly from Kalsada, which manages a group of farmers to ensure the highest quality of Philippine Coffee.
5. Notes
Our notes section describes the tasting notes of our coffee. There are no added flavors in our coffee, rather the tasting notes are reminiscent of these foods, sugars, spices, etc. This is a similar practice to the wine industry.
Hopefully, this blog helped you understand our coffee better and other coffees you might be drinking. Coffee cheers!