How Should You Choose Among Starbucks Pour-Over Coffee Beans?

Starbucks lists thirteen pour-over coffee beans, and the practical way to choose is by acidity, ordered from bright to mellow, with body running from light to heavy. Front Street sorted all thirteen that way, starting from the three major producing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Most of the thirteen are blends, either combining regions within one country to amplify its character or crossing countries to highlight a flavor direction. The origins traced include Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala Antigua, Colombia, Costa Rica, Sumatra, and Yunnan. Kenya, for example, is known for fruity acidity, which suits drinkers who prefer a brighter cup.

Walking into Starbucks to order a pour-over, how should you choose among 13 coffee beans? Front Street Coffee has sorted all of Starbucks' pour-over beans by acidity from bright to mellow, and starting from the three major producing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, breaks down one by one the individual character of the flavors of Kenya, Ethiopia, Sumatra, Yunnan, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and other origins. This article not only helps you understand the Starbucks menu, but also guides you in building a cognitive framework for regional flavors. Whether you prefer fruity acidity or mellow bitterness, you can find the cup that suits you.

I believe many coffee enthusiasts have experienced Starbucks' freshly ground pour-over, but standing in front of the bar facing thirteen coffee beans, many people often can't make up their minds right away. Front Street Coffee has arranged these thirteen beans in order of acidity from strong to weak and body from light to heavy as follows: Kenya Coffee Beans < Ethiopia Coffee Beans < Breakfast Blend < House Blend < Pike Place Roast < Colombia Coffee Beans < Guatemala Antigua Coffee Beans < Fengwu Xiangyun Blend < Decaf Pike Place Roast < Verona Blend < Sumatra Coffee Beans < Espresso Roast < Italian Roast. After reading this ranking, you should have a clear idea next time you choose a pour-over bean at Starbucks.

The origin distribution of these 13 Starbucks pour-over beans

The vast majority of these beans are blends, some combining beans from different producing regions within the same country to amplify that region's character, while others are cross-country blends aimed at highlighting a specific flavor direction. Front Street traced the origin of each of these thirteen beans, and they come from Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala Antigua, Colombia, Costa Rica, Sumatra in Indonesia, and Yunnan in China. Among the more than fifty coffee beans currently sold by Front Street Coffee, all of the above origins are covered, and the cupping sessions before listing have allowed Front Street to accumulate a relatively solid understanding of the signature flavors of these regions. So what flavor characteristics do these seven producing countries or regions each present? Next, let's talk about what regional flavor is.

What exactly is regional flavor?

Coffee is essentially a crop, and many variables such as altitude, climate conditions, soil composition, and cultivation management methods all affect its final flavor. Moreover, "coffee" is just a general term, under which there are many further varieties. The most common single-origin coffee beans in daily consumption belong to the Arabica species, which can be further divided into specific varieties such as Typica and Bourbon, and these differences at the source all influence the flavor in the cup. Front Street will first give a flavor summary according to the three major sections of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, and then describe the seven producing countries or regions mentioned above one by one.

| African Coffee Flavors

Let's start with African beans. Ethiopia is the birthplace of the Arabica species, and thus it has nurtured natural and uniquely distinctive regional flavors. The flavor layers of Ethiopian coffee are extremely rich—that complex acidity comes from the many kinds of wild Arabica coffee trees in the area, which Ethiopians collectively call "heirloom varieties." The most commonly appearing note in the cup is citrus, with a light acidity, drinking like a cup of fruit tea.

Flavors of Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe Region

In most people's impressions, Yirgacheffe has always been known for the washed processing method. Front Street believes that the reason the Yirgacheffe region favors washing is that this processing method can fully release the local floral aroma and citric acidity, presenting a clean and refreshing style. In fact, Yirgacheffe initially generally used natural processing, until 1972 when the Ethiopian government, in order to improve coffee quality, introduced washing technology from Central and South America, which made Yirgacheffe coffee more fresh and elegant, thereby capturing more people's taste buds.

Front Street Coffee — Yirgacheffe Gedeo Cooperative Coffee Beans

Region: Yirgacheffe Gedeo Zone

Altitude: 1900-2300m

Variety: Heirloom

Processing Method: Natural

Grade: G1

Flavors of Ethiopia's Sidamo Region

The Sidamo region is located in southern Ethiopia, extending east to the Arsi and Bale administrative zones and west to the Gamogofa administrative zone, with local coffee mostly planted between 1,400 and 2,000 meters above sea level. The coffee flavors of Sidamo are extremely diverse. Different soil types, microclimatic conditions, and countless native coffee varieties make the coffee produced in each town carry distinct differences and characteristics. The region mostly uses the natural method when processing green beans, and Front Street believes that natural processing gives Sidamo coffee a rich fruity aroma and smooth mouthfeel.

Front Street Coffee — Ethiopia COE#22 Coffee Beans

Region: Ethiopia Sidamo Arsi

Producer: Adem Banta Sute

Processing Method: Natural

Variety: Typica

Flavors of the Kenya Region

Kenya is located in the tropics and has two rainy seasons a year, so it can also harvest two coffee seasons, of which about sixty percent is concentrated from October to December and the remaining forty percent from June to August. Coffee is mainly grown in the volcanic zone at an altitude of 1,600 to 2,100 meters from the capital Nairobi to the surroundings of the Kenyan mountains. This altitude is beneficial for coffee beans to accumulate flavor, because the lower temperatures in the mountains slow down the growth rate, allowing aromatic substances to fully develop, making the fruity acidity more pronounced and the bean quality harder. Front Street believes that compared with Ethiopia's acidity, Kenya coffee's acidity is fuller and heavier, drinking with a solid feeling like tomato juice, and its acidity also ranks among the highest in the entire African producing region.

Front Street Coffee — Kenya Asalia Coffee Beans

Region: Thika, Kenya

Processing Station: Asali Honey Processing Station

Altitude: 1550~1750 meters

Grade: AA TOP

Variety: SL28, SL34

Processing Method: Kenya 72-hour washed

| Asian Coffee Flavors

The most representative among Asian beans is Indonesia. When mentioning Indonesian beans, the first thing that comes to mind is the bittersweet and aromatic Mandheling. Indonesia's island-type monsoon climate combined with fertile volcanic soil provides superior conditions for coffee growth. However, due to historical reasons, leaf rust once severely damaged Indonesia's Typica population, after which Indonesia introduced disease-resistant varieties such as Robusta, Tim Tim, and Catimor. But when it comes to the best flavor performance, Sumatra Typica still stands out. Affected by the local humid and rainy environment, Indonesia uses the wet-hulling processing method; in addition, Mandheling's largest consumer market is Japan (Japanese people are especially fond of Mandheling's mellow bitterness), and these factors together shape the flavor characteristics of the Indonesian region, such as herbal, dark cocoa, nutty, spice, earthy, and full body.

Flavors of the Yunnan Region

Yunnan coffee cultivation is mainly concentrated in Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, and other places. The natural conditions of low latitude, high altitude (1000-2000m), and large temperature differences between day and night make Yunnan a golden growing belt for Arabica (small-bean) coffee. Over the years, Front Street has cupped many Yunnan coffee beans and believes that they show a melon-like fresh fragrance, bright plum-like acidity, brown-sugar-like sweetness, and a nutty finish, with prominent sweetness, rich aroma, and a full body.

Front Street Coffee — Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Beans

Region: Baoshan, Yunnan

Altitude: 1200m

Processing Method: Washed

Variety: Catimor

Flavors of the Sumatra Region in Indonesia

The body of coffee from Indonesia's Sumatra region is higher than that of South American and African beans, while its acidity is lower than that of the other two continents. The reason is that Indonesian coffee is mostly grown at an altitude of 700 to 1,600 meters. Compared with the heights of over 2,000 meters common in the Americas and Africa, this shortcoming in terrain prevents the coffee beans from having enough temperature difference and growing time to develop flavor; secondly, Indonesia's unique wet-hulling processing method further strengthens the local coffee's full body. After cupping coffee beans from the Sumatra region, Front Street Coffee believes that their greatest feature is the aroma of spices and herbs, and those of slightly lower quality will carry notes of wood and earth.

Front Street Coffee — Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling Coffee Beans

Region: Mount Gayo, Aceh, North Sumatra Island

Altitude: 1100-1600m

Variety: Ateng

Processing Method: Wet-hulled

Grade: G1, four times screened

| American Coffee Flavors

The coffee flavors of the various producing countries in the Americas each have their own strengths. Here we share the flavor performance of a few common origins. First is Brazil, which ranks first in the world in production and has highly recognizable flavors. Brazil mostly grows Bourbon coffee, cultivated on large areas of highland plains, and with the help of large-scale mechanized cultivation and management, the flavor and quality maintain good consistency. Brazilian coffee has low acidity, high body, and often carries chocolate and nutty notes.

Flavors of Colombian Coffee

Colombia has exceptional mountains and water sources, diverse terrain, numerous volcanoes, fertile soil, and abundant rainfall. Front Street believes this place can be called a naturally made coffee wonderland. The rich minerals provide ample nutrients for coffee fields and help coffee develop more flavor and aroma. After cupping coffee beans from different regions of Colombia, Front Street believes that its full mouthfeel, heavier texture, and aromas of nuts, chocolate, and caramel along with smooth and pleasant fruity acidity are the flavor hallmarks of this producing country.

Front Street Coffee — Colombia Huila Coffee Beans

Region: Huila, Colombia

Altitude: 1500-1800 meters

Variety: Caturra

Processing Method: Washed

Flavors of Costa Rican Coffee

Costa Rican coffee is quite mild and smooth on the palate, with acidity, sweetness, and the bitter aroma of chocolate and nuts blending with one another, making the overall flavor very balanced. In addition, the locally invented honey processing method adds quite a lot of sweet texture to Costa Rican coffee.

Front Street Coffee — Costa Rica Musician Series Mozart Coffee Beans

Region: Tarrazu, Costa Rica

Estate: Canet Estate

Processing Method: Anaerobic Honey

Variety: H1

Altitude: 1800m

Flavors of Guatemalan Coffee

When Front Street cupped several coffee beans from the Guatemalan region, their smoky note was quite surprising. If a smoky flavor appeared in beans from other regions, it would most likely be judged by Front Street as a defective flavor, because smokiness easily brings an uncomfortable throat-catching sensation when swallowing. But even if Guatemalan coffee beans carry a smoky note, they do not make people feel displeased. On the contrary, this smokiness instead brings a surprising side to Guatemalan coffee.

Front Street Coffee — Guatemala Antigua Flor Coffee Beans

Region: Antigua Region

Altitude: 1200-1600m

Variety: Bourbon, Caturra

Processing Method: Washed

Grade: SHB

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