If you pay close attention to the packaging of specialty or single-origin coffee you’ll notice a strong emphasis on where the coffee comes from. Whether it’s Brazil or Colombia the name of the country and sometimes even the region is proudly displayed in bold letters at the front of the label. You can see that it’s not just a marketing ploy. Just like with wine knowing where your coffee comes from can give you a pretty good idea of what it will taste like. This phenomenon is known as “terroir” which in French means “sense of place.”
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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Coffee | Chandler Graf | TEDxACU
Like any plant coffee trees and their cherries are greatly affected by the environmental conditions in which they grow. The loamy soil the altitude the temperature the amount of rainfall and so on — all leave their mark on the final beans. In general the brew tastes better when the seeds develop under favorable conditions. You’ll notice these flavor nuances most in single-origin coffees which are guaranteed to come from a single geographic area. Of course taste is a subjective experience so you’ll have to try each variety for yourself to truly understand how their flavors differ. That said here’s a broad overview of what you can expect from single-origin coffees grown in each of these notable countries.
Brazil is currently the largest coffee producer in the world producing approximately 54 million 60-kilogram bags (about 7.1 billion pounds) of coffee in 2023 according to Statista. The vast majority of the produce grown here is arabica although a few states such as Espírito Santo and Rondônia also grow canephora varieties also known as robusta. The flavor of the coffee varies quite a bit depending on which state you get it from. But no matter where you get your coffee from Brazilian coffee is generally considered to have very low acidity.
Unlike other South American coffee growing countries that grow their beans at elevations of over 5000 feet Brazilian plantations are typically found at lower elevations — around 3600 feet. The lower altitude translates to lower acidity in the beans as the higher the coffee plants are grown the slower they mature (meaning they have more time to build flavor). Because of this Brazilian coffee is known for its very smooth flavor often with pronounced nutty notes complemented by hints of spice and chocolate.
