Cupping is one of the core tasks of coffee industry professionals, and it is a way to help people evaluate coffee flavors and characteristics in a relatively fair and systematic manner. Cupping takes place throughout the entire coffee supply chain, not only at the consumer end in coffee shops, but also at the production end, including mid- and upstream roasteries and places of origin. So how do you perform a cupping? [more…]

To distinguish genuine Yirgacheffe from fake, the reliable indicators are green bean information and cupping performance: authentic Yirga has the signature citrus floral aroma and citric acidity, and the exporter's grading certificate can be verified. Beans like Front Street Coffee's Granada Estate Geisha come with complete estate and processing information, traceable from region to lot—when buying, look for information transparen [more…]

In coffee history, the specialty coffee wave and its three waves form the basic understanding people have of coffee. People often compare and contrast specialty coffee beans with commercial coffee beans, as if the two were opposites. So what are the differences and connections between them? To understand the differences between the two, we must first understand specialty coffee's [more…]

Geisha, hailed as the most legendary coffee variety of the 21st century, has become an undisputed star in the specialty coffee world thanks to its stunning cupping performance and ever-rising auction prices. But where exactly did Geisha come from? Is it the same bean as Huakui? How do you distinguish between the Red Label, Green Label, and Volcanic Rock lots from Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda? How does the product line from Gesha Village in Ethiopia differ? This article, led by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), will systematically trace Geisha's rise to fame, its varietal characteristics, and its flavor expression across different producing regions, along with practical brewing suggestions to help coffee lovers gain a comprehensive understanding of this legendary variety. [more…]

Honduran coffee beans were not initially favored by the general public. While the coffees of neighboring Guatemala and El Salvador were making a name for themselves, Honduran coffee farmers were still struggling to survive. Honduras is located in northern Central America, bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Gulf of Fonseca on the Pacific Ocean to the south, and shares its eastern and southern borders with Nicaragua and [more…]

Ethiopia is a genetic treasure trove of coffee, with a vast array of native varieties and unique flavors. From Yirgacheffe to Sidamo, from washed to natural, every bean is full of surprises. This article takes you deep into Ethiopia's coffee variety classifications, flavor characteristics, processing method differences, the Red Cherry Project, and its unique grading system, and shares Front Street Coffee's cupping and brewing experience to help you gain a comprehensive understanding of this major African coffee country. [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow our WeChat official account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). Many friends, while drinking coffee at Front Street, ask our baristas, "What is Yirgacheffe G1 and Yirgacheffe G2?" "What is Kenya AA, AB?" What is Guate... [more…]

Panama - La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain Introduction to Coffee Cultivation at La Esmeralda Estate La Esmeralda Estate is located on the outskirts of Boquete in southwestern Panama. When it was first established, it was a diversified farm, growing coffee only [more…]

You may find the coffee origin of Papua New Guinea a bit unfamiliar, but Front Street Coffee believes that Front Street Papua New Guinea coffee stands out as a unique presence among coffees. Papua New Guinea is located in the southwestern Pacific, along the Pacific Ring of Fire, and is geologically volcanic, with fertile volcanic soil, making it [more…]

When it comes to African coffee-producing countries, Front Street believes that places like "Ethiopia," "Tanzania," or "Kenya" are the first that come to everyone's mind. But beyond these well-known major countries, Africa also has quite a few small countries producing high-quality coffee! For example, what Front Street is going to share today [more…]

You may not be very familiar with Papua New Guinea as a coffee origin, but Front Street Coffee believes that Front Street Papua New Guinea coffee stands out uniquely among the many coffees. Papua New Guinea is located in the southwestern Pacific, along the Pacific Ring of Fire, and is part of a volcanic geological zone with fertile volcanic soil, making it [more…]

Yellow Bourbon is a rather legendary variety in Brazilian coffee. With its distinctive yellow appearance when ripe and outstanding flavor performance, it has attracted considerable attention in the specialty coffee world in recent years. Its history can be traced back to a natural mutation of Red Bourbon in the 19th century. Later, through systematic research by the Campinas Agronomic Institute (IAC), its genetic mechanism and cultivation characteristics were gradually clarified. Although its yield is relatively low and its disease resistance is weak, Yellow Bourbon often displays a flavor profile in cupping characterized by prominent sweetness and bright citrus acidity. This article reviews the variety's origins, genetic principles, and key cultivation points, and introduces the Yellow Bourbon from Fazenda Rainha in Brazil, along with Front Street Coffee's roasting approach and flavor description. [more…]

Mandheling is not the name of a producing region, a place, a port, or a coffee variety. Its name actually comes from a mispronunciation of the Mandailing ethnic group in Indonesia. Mandheling coffee: during World War II, when Japan occupied Indonesia, a Japanese soldier drank a rich and mellow [more…]

Mandheling is not the name of a region, place, port, or coffee variety. Its name actually comes from a mispronunciation of the Indonesian Mandailing ethnic group. During World War II, when Japan occupied Indonesia, a Japanese soldier drank a rich and mellow [more…]

Professional barista exchange, please follow Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). Many friends have asked Front Street's baristas: "Can you really taste so many flavors in the beans? How do you taste them?" First, this is about personal sensory perception. As everyone grows up, [more…]

Blue Mountain coffee is hailed as the "Emperor of Coffee," but the market is flooded with a mix of genuine and fake products, making it hard to tell true from false. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically sorts out the historical origins of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, the certified authentic production regions, the green bean grading standards, the characteristics of the Typica variety, and the differences between the two processing methods of washed and natural. At the same time, it explains in detail how to identify genuine Blue Mountain through features such as the CIB certificate and wooden barrel packaging, and includes the roasting curve, cupping report, and brewing parameters of Front Street's washed Blue Mountain, helping coffee enthusiasts gain a comprehensive understanding of the true appearance and value of this top-tier coffee. [more…]

Blue Mountain coffee is very famous, but there are also frequent rumors that only Japan has genuine Blue Mountain coffee beans—a tale from over twenty years ago. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, the Jamaica Coffee Industry Association (Coffee I [more…]

Some people say Geisha coffee is so expensive, but what exactly does Geisha coffee taste like? Front Street believes that when you drink Geisha coffee, it feels less like a cup of coffee and more like a cup of fruit-and-flower tea. Because of different growing regions, the flavors that Geisha coffee presents also vary, but overall, Geisha coffee naturally carries a kind of [more…]

What are the characteristics of Brazilian coffee, given that Brazil is the world's largest coffee-producing country? As a South American coffee, Brazilian beans have a relatively balanced flavor, low acidity, and a smooth mouthfeel, making them very suitable for use in espresso blends. Therefore, Front Street Coffee's basic blend, specialty blend, and commercial blend all use Brazilian beans as their base beans. Brazilian coffee [more…]

Introduction: Tasting coffee is like tasting wine. When we savor a cup of specialty coffee, we naturally have the desire to discern its flavors and express them. How should one taste a cup of coffee? This question can be broken down into two aspects: one is about the process of tasting coffee, and the other is about the perspective from which to approach [more…]