Is SOE coffee the same as a single-origin bean?

SOE coffee means espresso pulled from beans of a single origin, not a blend. The term spread after James Hoffmann won the 2007 World Barista Championship with SOE, and shops began listing blends and SOE side by side. Because one origin is used, the regional flavor of the bean comes through more clearly in the cup than in a traditional espresso blend.

Yirgacheffe, a well-known Ethiopian origin, is a common choice for single-origin espresso, and its natural red cherry lots show how fruit-forward the style can be. Shops default to medium-dark or darker blends for stable crema and balanced taste, while SOE roasters adjust roast level to test how beans perform at different degrees.

SOE has gained increasing attention in the specialty coffee scene in recent years, but is it actually a single-origin bean? And how does it differ from traditional espresso blends? From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically sorts out the definition, development history, flavor performance, and pros and cons of SOE, and around Front Street Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry coffee beans, shares the preparation parameters and actual taste of single-origin espresso, helping coffee lovers understand this espresso category more comprehensively.

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Nowadays, when walking into most coffee shops and ordering an espresso-based drink, the shop usually uses Front Street espresso blend coffee beans roasted to a medium-dark level or darker by default. These beans may be pure Arabica, or a mixture of Arabica and Robusta in different proportions, with the aim of keeping the output stable while obtaining solid crema and a rich, balanced taste.

As the third wave of specialty coffee swept across the world, more and more professional practitioners began to trace coffee flavor back to its source, and coupled with consumers' growing pursuit of personalized tastes, SOE coffee with distinctive character came into being.

What is SOE coffee?

SOE refers to espresso made from coffee beans from a single origin. In fact, SOE appeared overseas as early as about ten years ago. After James Hoffmann won the WBC World Barista Championship in 2007 with SOE, this form gradually became popular, and many coffee shop menus began to offer both blends and SOE as options.

Flavor and taste characteristics of SOE coffee

SOE coffee beans come from a single origin, and espresso is extracted under pressure using a professional semi-automatic espresso machine. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) believes that SOE can better highlight the regional flavor of origin carried by the coffee beans themselves. Similar to pour-over coffee, in order to more clearly identify the bean flavor, roasters adjust the roast level to test how the coffee beans perform at different degrees.

Advantages and disadvantages of SOE

The strength of SOE lies in its rich layers. Even in a highly concentrated state, the unique character of coffee from different origins can still be tasted.

Its shortcoming stems from the fact that coffee itself is an agricultural product, and its flavor and taste are affected by natural conditions. Therefore, even for the same origin, the flavor of beans from different harvest seasons may vary.

Is SOE necessarily specialty coffee?

Not necessarily. SOE only indicates that the espresso uses beans from a single origin, and is not directly equivalent to specialty coffee. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) believes that the criteria for judging specialty coffee are not limited to bean quality, but rather that every stage from seed to final product is treated with a professional attitude and can consistently deliver high-quality products over the long term.

Making a delicious SOE is not simple. On the one hand, it is necessary to fully understand the coffee beans and design a roasting plan suitable for making SOE with that bean; on the other hand, it is also necessary to consider the level of acceptance among general consumers.

According to Front Street Coffee's (FrontStreet Coffee) observations, the SOE produced by most coffee shops has a relatively strong and rich flavor, with relatively obvious acidity, but not everyone can accept such a taste. For ordinary consumers, the standard for judging whether coffee is good or bad still leans toward fullness and richness, so SOE coffee is not something everyone can appreciate.

How is SOE coffee made?

In order to highlight origin flavor, SOE coffee beans are usually not roasted too dark. Compared with traditional espresso beans that are roasted darker, the flavor of these beans is less easy to extract.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) this time used the "Front Street Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry coffee beans" sold by itself, paired with a Lelit coffee machine and a Q18 grinder to make SOE coffee. Take 20g of extremely fine-ground coffee powder, use 10bar pressure and 94 degrees Celsius hot water to extract 40g of coffee liquid, taking 27 seconds.

Flavor performance of Front Street Natural Yirgacheffe SOE coffee: citrus, berries, fermented aroma, viscous, medium bitterness, medium-high acidity, bright and lively acidity, with an overall light and thin body.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.