The highlands of Huehuetenango in Guatemala, with their fertile volcanic soil and unique cloud-shrouded valley microclimates, give rise to specialty coffee with rich layers of flavor. This time, Front Street Coffee brings us the washed green Bourbon beans from Miravalles Estate, a farm founded by Benjamin Villatoro in 1970 and now carried on by Jorge Villatoro, which has achieved outstanding results in the C.O.E. and Huehuetenango highland competitions for many consecutive years. This coffee uses a blend of Bourbon, Catimor, and Caturra varieties, grown at 1,500 meters and given a medium roast, presenting an elegant profile interweaving honey, wild ginger flower, sugarcane sweetness, and malic acidity. This article will provide a comprehensive analysis of this coffee, which represents the Huehuetenango style, from the estate's background and the terroir of the growing region to its flavor expression. [more…]

Green coffee beans are the starting point that determines the flavor of a cup of coffee. From color and luster to moisture content, every detail reveals the quality code of green beans; the terms "new crop," "current crop," "old crop," and "aged crop," named by harvest year, record how time shapes flavor. During transoceanic shipping, temperature and packaging methods also influence the fate of green beans—low-temperature containers, temperature-controlled storage, and vacuum aluminum foil bags are all effective means of extending good flavor. The ultimate preservation challenge points to a simple yet expensive answer: vacuum packaging followed by freezing. This article systematically organizes the complete knowledge of green beans from identification to storage, and includes practical advice from Front Street Coffee, taking you deeper into understanding this green seed. [more…]

This article begins with the fact that in 2022, the wholesale price of Arabica coffee beans on the New York Intercontinental Exchange fell below $1 per pound, reviews the current price situation in the green coffee bean trade market, and explores in depth the sanitary handling, storage conditions, and purchasing channels for green beans. The article also offers suggestions on practical issues such as green bean washing and temperature and humidity control, while reminding industry practitioners to raise their awareness of coffee bean food safety, helping coffee enthusiasts and industry professionals gain a more comprehensive understanding of the key stages of green beans from import to before roasting. [more…]

Many coffee enthusiasts know that roasted beans should be drunk fresh, but green beans also have their own levels of freshness. Beans harvested in the current year are called new crop, those from the previous year are old crop, and those stored for more than a year are aged beans. The moisture content of green beans directly affects roasting difficulty and flavor performance. Washed beans usually range between 11.5% and 12.5%, wet-hulled Mandheling can reach 13%, and sun-dried Mocha varies widely. Beyond the usual freshness changes, there are also deliberately extended aging processes and monsoon-aged weathered coffees. This article focuses on the freshness classification of green beans, differences in moisture content, methods for judging appearance and aroma, and the handling logic behind aged beans and monsoon beans, to help you make more accurate judgments when buying and storing. [more…]

Until recent years, all coffee beans were packaged in burlap sacks and transported in shipping containers, only reaching roasters several months after the beans had been processed. If roasters and importers occasionally wanted to cup coffee beans from the place of origin, or taste a "pre-shipment sample," what they received instead would be stored [more…]

Black tea and green tea share the same origin yet have vastly different flavors, and the fundamental difference lies in the degree of oxidation during processing. Black tea undergoes complete oxidation, presenting honey, caramel, and ripe fruit aromas; green tea, through fixation (kill-green), retains its fresh green character, with a light flavor carrying bean or nutty notes. The two teas also differ greatly in storage: green tea, due to its high moisture content and tendency to continue oxidizing, is best stored sealed and refrigerated; black tea is dry and stable, and can be kept sealed at room temperature for over a year. This article systematically sorts out the similarities and differences between black and green teas such as Lapsang Souchong and West Lake Longjing from four dimensions—tea plant varieties, production processes, storage key points, and taste characteristics—and includes Front Street Coffee's purchasing and preservation suggestions to help you better understand the tea in your cup. [more…]

Colombian coffee occupies an important place in the world of specialty coffee, and its green bean grading system is based primarily on defect rates and bean screen size. When buying Colombian coffee, what exactly do the words "Supremo" and "Excelso" commonly seen on burlap sacks mean? This article will systematically sort out the grading rules for Colombian green coffee beans from multiple angles, including export standards, defect scoring, and screen-size classification, and explain the specific differences among the three grades UGQ, EP, and Supremo. At the same time, the article will also introduce common Colombian coffee bean brands on the market, including product information recommended by Front Street Coffee, to help coffee lovers more clearly understand the grade and quality of the bag of beans in their hands. [more…]

In the TV drama Ode to Joy, a conversation about "Green Mountain Coffee" and "Blue Mountain Coffee" led many viewers to believe that Green Mountain is a knockoff of Blue Mountain. In fact, there really is a coffee brand in the United States called Green Mountain, and it is completely different from Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. Starting from this plot, this article first clarifies the real background of Green Mountain Coffee: it is a brand from Vermont, USA, which opened up the office market with Keurig single-serve coffee makers and K-Cups, taking a convenient and affordable route. Then it turns to Blue Mountain Coffee, explaining why it is expensive, what grade Blue Mountain No. 1 occupies within Jamaican Blue Mountain, and the flavor, pour-over parameters, and tasting method of Blue Mountain No. 1 recommended by Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Although Geisha coffee rose to fame in Panama, its place of origin is actually Ethiopia. Starting from the variety's origins, this article traces Geisha's spread from the Gori Forest to Panama, introduces the background behind the establishment of Gesha Village as Ethiopia's first coffee estate and its grading system, and focuses on comparing the Green Label from Hacienda La Esmeralda and the Green Label from Gesha Village in terms of variety, processing method, and cupping flavor. Front Street Coffee presents the two distinctly different profiles using actual cupping data, helping coffee lovers clearly distinguish between these two Green Label Geishas that are often confused. [more…]

When purchasing Colombian coffee, what exactly do Supremo and Excelso, commonly seen on burlap sacks, represent? What is the relationship between the two? This article will systematically sort out the grading system for Colombian green coffee, interpreting one by one the specific requirements of grades such as UGQ, EP, and Supremo, from defect rates and screen sizes to FNC export standards. It will also introduce derivative grades such as Extra, Premium, and Minama, as well as the use of Product of Colombia for coffee that does not meet export standards. The article also includes an actual naming example of Front Street Coffee's Huila daily drinking beans, helping readers understand the compositional logic and traceability methods of Colombian green coffee names. [more…]

Geisha coffee has long been the focus of the specialty coffee world, and the relationship and differences between Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda and Ethiopia's Gesha Village often leave enthusiasts puzzled. Front Street Coffee recently acquired both Hacienda La Esmeralda's Natural Green Label and Gesha Village's Green Label, conducting a flavor comparison through both cupping and pour-over methods. This article will trace the naming origins of "Geisha" and "Gesha," analyze the distinctions between Hacienda La Esmeralda's Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label alongside Gesha Village's auction, Gold Label, Red Label, Green Label, and Chaka grades, and fully present the specific performances of the two Green Label Geishas in dry aroma, wet aroma, mouthfeel, and aftertaste, helping readers understand each one's respective tonal direction. [more…]

The quality of green coffee beans depends not only on origin and processing method; their packaging and storage methods are equally crucial. From the most common jute bags to vacuum bags, grain bags, and even frozen storage, different packaging methods vary significantly in their protective effect on green beans and their cost. Over the past decade, specialty roasters have driven innovation in packaging and transportation methods, using faster and more scientific approaches to lock in the freshness of green beans. This article will systematically review the advantages and disadvantages of commonly used packaging, the requirements of the storage environment, and explore the concept of "seasonality," which has attracted much attention in recent years. Whether you are a roaster or a coffee enthusiast, understanding this knowledge can help you better judge and preserve coffee beans. [more…]

The grading of green coffee beans not only affects trading prices but also, to a certain extent, reflects flavor tendencies. For this reason, each producing country establishes its own grading rules based on local conditions. This article focuses on Colombia's green bean grading system, with emphasis on explaining the meaning of the Excelso export grade, the defect scoring method, and the specific standards based on screen size classification, while also introducing the differences among the three common export grades: UGQ, EP, and Supremo. At the same time, Front Street Coffee will share the flavor characteristics and brewing suggestions for Supremo-grade coffee beans from Colombia's Huila region, helping coffee enthusiasts extend their knowledge of grading into the actual drinking experience. [more…]

When discussing Japan's finest green tea, one inevitably comes to Uji in Kyoto—regarded as the true birthplace of Japanese green tea. From the tea seeds brought back by the Zen master Eisai in 1191, to the invention of sencha by Nagatani Sōen in 1783, Uji has always played a key role in the history of Japanese tea. What exactly does "Uji" in Uji matcha mean? Why has it become synonymous with high-quality matcha? And how are the grades of Uji matcha classified? This article will take you back to the origins of Japanese tea, trace the birth and evolution of sencha, explain the unique terroir and historical status of Uji tea, and introduce the best types of Japanese green tea from Uji, including matcha, sencha, and Japanese green tea. [more…]

In the vast world of specialty coffee, the variables that influence flavor go far beyond origin and processing method. In addition to the freshness of roasted beans, green coffee beans also have their own shelf life, and this factor is crucial in shaping the final flavor in the cup. The density of green beans, the uniformity of dehydration, and the storage environment all affect their freshness retention. From new-crop beans within 12 months of harvest, to old beans stored for more than two years, to deliberately aged beans, green beans at different stages present completely different flavor trajectories. Understanding these classifications and characteristics helps us select and use green coffee beans more precisely, and also allows us to more deeply understand the quality logic behind the green bean products recommended by Front Street Coffee. [more…]

In the world of specialty coffee, the Geisha from Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda is undoubtedly a benchmark existence. Front Street Coffee has recently simultaneously launched two Geisha offerings—the Natural Blue Label and the Natural Green Label—sparking curiosity among many coffee enthusiasts: both are naturally processed Geisha, so what exactly is the difference between the Blue Label and the Green Label? This article will begin with the origins and rise to fame of Geisha, outline the classification standards for Hacienda La Esmeralda's Red, Green, and Blue Label Geisha, and focus on comparing the similarities and differences between the Natural Blue Label and Natural Green Label in terms of altitude, production region, and flavor performance. At the same time, Front Street will also share the brewing parameters and tasting experience for the Natural Green Label, guiding you through a comprehensive understanding of the unique charm of each of these two Geisha offerings. [more…]

Colombia's coffee grading system is more complex than that of most Central American producing countries. It is based not only on altitude, but also on a set of export standards built around defect rates and screen size. The Excelso grade adopted by the FNC is the highest export grade for Colombian green coffee. The burlap sacks are marked with "Excelso-Café de Colombia" and accompanied by a quality certificate. This article covers everything from the grading logic, screen size requirements, and defect deduction rules to the three most common export grades, and uses a washed Caturra from the Huila region as an example to explain green coffee traceability and cupping flavor performance, helping coffee enthusiasts understand the meaning behind Colombian green coffee labels. [more…]

From the moment green coffee beans leave their place of origin and reach the roaster, the packaging and storage methods directly affect the final flavor. In the past, burlap sacks were the mainstream, but today specialty coffee has driven a series of more refined packaging and storage technologies, including vacuum bags, grain bags, and even frozen storage. This article will systematically introduce the commonly used green bean packaging methods, their respective advantages, disadvantages, and costs, and discuss warehouse environment management as well as different understandings of the concept of "seasonal." Whether you are a roaster or a coffee enthusiast, you can learn from this how to better maintain the freshness and quality of green beans. The burlap sacks commonly seen at Front Street stores are also mentioned in the article as one of the most economical options. [more…]

When many coffee enthusiasts hear the word Geisha, the first thing that comes to mind is Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. But the Geisha variety actually originated in Gesha Village in Ethiopia. Front Street Coffee recently acquired both Hacienda La Esmeralda's naturally processed Green Label and Gesha Village's Green Label Geisha, and conducted a detailed flavor comparison of these two Green Label coffees through cupping and pour-over brewing. This article will guide you through the differences between Gesha Village and Hacienda La Esmeralda in terms of grading systems, variety origins, processing methods, and roasting approaches, and present their specific performances in aroma, acidity, sweetness, and aftertaste, helping you more clearly understand the relationship and differences between Geisha and Gesha. [more…]

Following the "Greener Store" in Shanghai, Starbucks' second "Greener Store" in mainland China officially opened in Suzhou on January 14, marking the launch of its nationwide Greener Store development plan. Such stores must obtain the highest level of LEED certification and meet strict standards in energy conservation, water conservation, and waste treatment. For example, they use mercury-free LED lighting and low-flow faucets throughout, recycle 100% of coffee grounds, and make employee aprons from recycled PET plastic bottles. The Suzhou store also purchases green electricity through a green certificate subscription platform, and its interior uses reclaimed wood and red bricks. Compared with regular stores, each Greener Store can reduce carbon emissions by about 10.57 tons and save about 301.7 tons of water per year. Starbucks has long encouraged customers to bring their own cups, and its first Greener Store, the "Greener Store," was also the first to use paper straws and strictly implement waste sorting, setting an example for the industry. [more…]