"Welcome to Five Senses Coffee"

On a recent coffee crawl, I couldn’t help but notice that the coffees I tasted were much cleaner, livelier, and more interesting than they were just a couple of years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I think the focus has always been on quality, it’s just that in recent years it feels as though there’s been a surge in the number of coffee professionals who are ready to break some boundaries and re-evaluate their options when it comes to providing a memorable coffee experience.

Firstly, it’s no longer just about great coffee. In specialty cafés, great coffee now feels like more of an expectation. All the information you need is out there and anyone with a serious interest in or desire to create great coffee doesn’t need to look too far. Things like grinding to order, consistent dosing / distribution, handling grinder adjustments and knowing exactly when your blend is at its peak are all part of the day to day business of good coffee now. In fact, those things are the absolute minimum required just to keep up. Now that most cafés find themselves on a level playing field in terms of equipment and techniques, the one variable left to consider and play around with is the coffee itself.

I think the differences that we taste today have a lot to do with a couple of key factors. Now that we are solely focused on the coffee, there has been a lot of emphasis on fresher green beans. Roasters are tightening their parameters, buying smaller amounts, storing less and holding really fresh crop. Although that can mean small, noticeable changes in crop more often, the general understanding between the café and roaster is that it’s worth it; quality is what we are all most concerned about.

Most coffees arrive at our doorstep with around 10 – 12% moisture levels, after being harvest pulped and almost completely dried. If they are stored for too long, moisture levels decrease, dulling the sweetness and flavour profile, and creating hints of what we call ‘bagginess’. Bagginess is an aftertaste directly related to spending too much time in a jute bag —a bit of a dusty coating on your tongue. The change to fresher green accounts for the cleaner and livelier cup we now taste.

The recent drive in cafés has revolved around searching for new ways to differentiate themselves. Cafés no longer feel that they need to serve something heavy bodied, smooth and chocolaty. While this option is still a good one, baristas are experimenting and showcasing coffees which are the exact opposite of that traditional profile. Bright, clean, light, tangy, fruity coffees have been making regular appearances in the hopper, and customers are slowly being introduced to an unexpected new experience.

The more we change the definition of our ‘perfect’ coffee, the greater the need to pass on information to the end user, the average café drinker (your customer). Things like single origin grinders, micro lots, tasting notes and blend information are some of the ways that we can create interest and excitement about straying from the ‘norm’ and appreciating something different. It’s not always easy, and there will always be people who refuse to accept change, but if you remain gently focused on quality, people will take notice. Luckily for us, this industry is charged by passionate, enthusiastic personalities whom customers are always drawn to.

I can’t wait to see where we are five years from now!