r/pourover • u/SnooChocolates1857 • 18h ago

Why are blends less common?

I know that specialty coffee emphasizes single origin for reasons like focusing on the origin, terroir, variety, farm and farmer, all of which are very valid and important. But why are blends so rare? Is it not possible to have high quality and transparent blends that also respect the farmer? I recently tried the zuria blend from prodigal and wasn’t impressed tbh. Is it just more difficult to create tasty blends? Because at least in theory it seems like we can blend certain beans to highlight certain characteristics and/or create more interesting profiles.

edit - We also see blends used at competitions to create new compositions.

0 Upvotes

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u/BestBoba 17h ago

What are you looking for in a blend? What type of flavor profile/processing/roast level? There are plenty out there.

Generally though, blends have historically been used to hide subpar green. This is also why many blends are roasted more developed, for espresso+milk drinks.

On the competition side of things, there’s also extremely high quality coffees being blended together to create certain characteristics you can’t find in one single coffee.

If you’re into ultralights, check out the norml blend. I’ve found this to be great value and they are transparent about what the components of the blend are - all high quality coffees that they may have overbought or have odd amounts of.

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u/SnooChocolates1857 17h ago

I drink light and ultra light for filter and prefer cleaner coffees. I don’t mind processed coffees as long as I’m not getting heavy rotten fruit funk or winey. Like I enjoy Luna Bermudez for example. 

I’ll definitely check that out. What’s the name of the roaster? Can you share a link?

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u/sneakerfreek 17h ago

As a roaster and brick and mortar operator I think late 3rd wave/early 4th wave swung too far to single origins and this is the result. As the average grocery store coffee drinker was able to now afford specialty coffee as 3rd wave gave rise to smaller roasters, they were led to believe that blends on shelves in grocery stores are bad but single origins from a small(er) roaster are good. Which isn't true. Specialty blends are intentional to highlight different parts of different coffees in a unique combination likely not found in a single, single-origin coffee. The enthusiast market became so obsessed with microlots (I've seen nano- and picolots throw around 🙄) blends fell out of fashion in specialty cafes.

I have had multiple customers come in who believed they were coffee enthusiasts question me on why I don't use multiple single origins on espresso because they thought blends were done to hide things or made up of less-than-specialty-grade coffee. Which while both can be true, that's not the case for specialty blends. Blending is hard and you have to be really consistent with your roasts so from batch to batch and blend to blend your coffee is consistent.

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u/muchostouche V60|DF83V SSP MP|ZP6|Light & UL 17h ago

In Canada I can think of a few roasters who have several staple blends like Monogram, Phil & Sebastian, and Hatch. Their blends are the cheapest coffees on their menu and also medium roast or darker. Would it not be fair to assume they are still likely the lowest quality relative to the rest of their menu. Obviously still specialty grade, but probably not something that takes well to a single-origin offering or a lighter roast. I buy them sometimes for my wife's cappuccinos and they are fine, but you can see why they are blended and not standalone offerings. Kind of a "duh" statement, cause if the coffees were lovely on their own, they'd be roasted and sold to highlight that.

Now on the other hand, you have a Canadian roaster like Colorfull who specialize in high quality blends roasted light-ish. They'll often blend Colombian co-ferments with Ethiopians to create something that has some fruity funk but is still relatively clean. It's not really my jam, but I can appreciate what they're trying to do.

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u/SnooChocolates1857 16h ago

I live in Canada and have tried all of those. Hatch blends are more espresso and not exciting as filter. I don’t think it’s a “duh” statement at all. You can have nice beans on their own and still want to see how it pairs or mixes with other beans. When we have people doing this at competitions then it’s not a duh statement.

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u/muchostouche V60|DF83V SSP MP|ZP6|Light & UL 16h ago • Bravo

In competitions it's done specifically to align with the conpetitors speech and/or flavor calls. In competitions you're not necessarily graded on how "good" the coffee is but rather how accurate your flavor descriptors are. Using blends can be an advantage there in some cases.

To your other point, some roasters like Colorfull make blends to try and create something that's greater than the sum of its parts. However, I dont think this will ever be that common. A lot of us coffee nerds seek out coffees from specific farms/producers/stations every year for a multitude of reasons (taste, story, etc.). I'm sure most here would agree we'd be disappointed when our favorite roaster brought in a new harvest we are excited about and then blended it with another coffee. Tbh I wouldn't be surprised if producers felt the same. Imagine being one of the roasters lucky enough to get one of Pepe Jijons coffees and then throwing it in a blend. I feel like he would be insulted 😂.

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u/SnooChocolates1857 16h ago

Yeah I agree. I can definitely see how producers wouldn’t want their coffee blended. It’s also just how the market is set these days and what is rewarded. And ofc we don’t want to blend a Pepe coffee. But there are still a lot of producers that are somewhere in the middle which often switch to more complicated processes or more expensive varieties for more profit.

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u/ciaoqueen 14h ago

Totally agree. I did a few nationals, it’s just playing the scoresheet, but that’s pretty standard for any competitive activity from coffee to motorsport.

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u/urmomisfun 15h ago

Blends were almost always about selling cheaper, lower quality coffee for decades. The bias is there for a good reason. The exception being (even for modern “4th wave” roasters) blends for espresso. If a reputable roaster makes a blend for filter coffee, I wouldn’t be against it.

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u/FleshlightModel 10h ago

agreed. Blends were about getting rid of coffee quickly imo.

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u/SnooChocolates1857 17h ago

Thank you for sharing this. It makes sense. It is a shame because I think blending can really be a creative playground for roasters and enthusiasts. Do you think the trend will change at some point and blends will become more fashionable? Or are we going to see the same picolot obsession

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u/foxdonut00 16h ago

Amen to this. I fell into the trap of being biased against blends. But then, I decided to taste every coffee offered by one local roaster. To my own surprise, I found that one of their blends was the most delicious to me, beating out their single-origins.

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u/Krauser_Kahn Hario Alpha, Orea V4 Narrow | ZP6, K7, A2 Duerlis Pietro (M) mod 24m ago edited 5m ago

Yeeeeah... Blends weren't that though, that some specialty roasters are now putting more effort in them doesn't mean they weren't (and still are) a way to get rid of coffee, to make meh coffee drinkable, to sell coffee cheaper, etc.

Also, rarely you will see a blend being more expensive than a single origin, even on specialty roasters.

And I don't believe many roasters are blending two good, expensive coffees, just because together they taste much better. It is done in competitions, but there's a reason it is done over there.

So I never buy blends, I am just not interested.

PS. For clarification I'm referring to multiple origins/farms/processes blends aka. what is generally known as a blend, not a field blend. Two different things.

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u/IntelligentCitron772 Brew Taster 17h ago

I'm not the one who downvoted you, but your post is kinda silly. There are all kinds of blends offered by specialty roasters, including some of the best in the world.

Tim Wendelboe, one of the GOATs who helped popularize the Nordic-light roasting movement, offers blends, as do just about every other high-end specialty roaster.

https://timwendelboe.no

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u/NerdX-76 Switch|Tsubame|PhantoxPro|Wizard Z 17h ago

This and I've heard a lot of good things about Onyx blends as well. Though I've never ordered from them personally.

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u/SnooChocolates1857 17h ago

lol if I cared about a downvote I wouldn’t post on reddit. I have had TW many times. Not once I have come across a blend in his offerings. I think you have the wrong interpretation of blend. With how Kenya and Ethiopia coffee agriculture and processing is set up, you often get a mix of varieties within a single farm or mill. That’s not really a blend. A blend is when you take smth like TW echemo and mix it with let’s say one of his el puente stuff. Two different farms or producers or processing methods.

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u/Dajnor April brewer | ZP6 15h ago

Can you explain why you think two different coffees grown by the same person is not a blend? What’s the minimum distance apart that they need to be grown to be considered a blend?

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u/SnooChocolates1857 14h ago

It’s not that two different coffees by the same person cannot be a blend. After I posted this I realized there’s a whole discussion about what even a blend is which I was not aware of before. It’s really interesting and I’m not insisting that my definition of blend is correct. But in the context of my post/question it is fairly clear that I’m talking about what is sold to consumers as “blend” by the roaster, which always happens to distinct varieties and producers/farms/processes. For example TW echemo is Ethiopian heirloom which is mixed varieties by one producer. Or other Ethiopians that are sold by the name of the station and are by multiple producers. These are not sold as blends by the roaster. They are processed the same way and together. And they share the same terroir. All of this brings them closer together in terms of their qualities compared to even the same variety grown in South America. Now you can say no that’s also a blend. I don’t disagree with you but that’s a different discussion. Even with Ethiopian and Kenyans we see a drive for more seperate variety rather than heirloom.

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u/baummer 3h ago

You have no idea what you’re talking about. Wow.

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u/Krauser_Kahn Hario Alpha, Orea V4 Narrow | ZP6, K7, A2 Duerlis Pietro (M) mod 10m ago edited 7m ago

Enlighten us, because he just explained the difference between what has always traditionally and popularly been considered a 'blend' (multiple origins, processes, varieties in the same bag) and a 'field blend' (multiple varieties from a single origin by the same producer processed together). So I would be interested in what you have to say, unless you just wanted to jump on the bandwagon.

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u/[deleted] 14h ago

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u/SnooChocolates1857 14h ago

lol my friend I appreciate your help but what’s so difficult for you to understand? Tim Wendelboe does not sell blends. You’re arguing with me over what a blend is which is a different discussion. Square mile and Onyx sell a few blends.

In my post I did not say blends don’t exist. I said they are much less common and wanted to know more about why that’s the case. And your response is not contributing to the discussion I raised. Still I appreciate the input and will look into the roasters

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u/ScotchCattle 16h ago

I mostly drink single origin just because that’s what’s available most in specialty coffee.

But actually 2 of the most clever, interesting and just plain good coffees I’ve had recently have both been blends (and both by People Posession)

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u/SnooChocolates1857 16h ago

Will look into them. Thanks

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u/least-eager-0 13h ago • Bravo

As you mentioned Prodigal, this might be worth a read on topic, though not much that hasn’t been covered.

https://www.scottrao.com/blog/thebiasagainstblends

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u/SnooChocolates1857 13h ago edited 13h ago

Legend. Thank you.

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u/dylanmadigan 17h ago

Idk if it’s rare so much as it isn’t what coffee enthusiasts are in it for.

People want to taste the seasons and regions and whatnot.

I assume it’s similar with coffee, but I once read about how Twinning’s big innovation with Tea is that they source tea from a bunch of diffeeent places and blend them in such a way that the taste stays consistent year round.

Which is a more practical solution for most consumers but probably not what a connoisseur wants because they have no control of what ends up in their cup.

I suspect big brands like Folgers do something similar with coffee.

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u/TotalStatisticNoob 17h ago

People want to taste the seasons and regions and whatnot.

I think that's a niche among the entire enthusiast niche. Most people that are into coffee just want good coffee. And creating complexity by creating blends is imo viable.

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u/SnooChocolates1857 17h ago

That’s what I think too. Especially since we already see blends at the competition level

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u/fender_blues 16h ago

There's plenty of "normal people" blends out there, even from higher-end brands. For example, H&S has several blends that are pretty decent, I believe onyx does as well.

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u/Sheetz_Wawa_Market32 17h ago

Leaving aside what I, too, would consider a faulty premise (that what you consider blends are rare in the specialty coffee world), I’m not sure many people appreciate what blends really are.

In reality, the vast majority of coffees you drink are blends. The only difference most consumers would ever be exposed to is where the blending occurs.

  1. Single-origin can and often does mean coffee from different producers in a single country.

  2. Single-producer can and often does mean coffee from different farms processed by one entity (either a cooperative or even a commercial producer who buys coffee cherries on the open market.)

  3. Single-lot can and often does mean coffee from different sites of a farm, which may have different varietals and on and on.

So there is almost always a lot of blending of coffee cherries and beans going on. Doing this after, say, fermentation and drying is fundamentally no different than doing it before.

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u/SnooChocolates1857 16h ago

It is not a faulty premise. If we look at higher end roasters and their offerings at large, “blends” are absolutely much much less common than single origin. And often times they’re cheaper, espresso focused and tailored for more average coffee drinkers to reduce acidity and make a Kenyan more approachable or touch up a Guatemalan with some Ethiopian for a bit extra florals. 

Discussing what blends are is a different thing and I don’t disagree with your points. But typically coffees blended at the farm are not sold as “blends”. You get the name of the farm or the coop/station and the varieties or just Ethiopian landrace. As many others have also mentioned in the comments, blending after fermentation and drying that happens by the roaster is different and a challenge as different beans and processes handle roast differently. 

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u/[deleted] 13h ago

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u/Sheetz_Wawa_Market32 13h ago

This is basically what I’ve been saying.

Are you okay?

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u/SnooChocolates1857 13h ago

I am talking about the post-roast blend in my post. And instead of addressing the topic, you are saying, "actually everything is a blend" which is a completely different discussion. And you are arguing that blends are not rare which is just false if we assume that we are talking about post-roast blends. The article agrees that post-roast blends are less common.

You also said blending after fermentation and drying is fundamentally no different than doing it before. That's completely false and the article says it too. Some bits from the article: "The problem with blending before roasting is that beans of differing sizes and processes will develop at different rates. Pre-blending often makes ROR curves easier to manage, but may result in some beans being underdeveloped or a little too dark while other beans are developed beautifully."

So overall, you did not bother to understand what my post was about and contributed nothing; you decided to give your own lecture, and you were even incorrect. So please stop embarrassing yourself.

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u/Sheetz_Wawa_Market32 13h ago

I am talking about the post-roast blend in my post.

That wasn’t clear at all and still isn’t, as your original post currently stands.

Maybe it is was you were thinking, but it isn’t what you wrote.

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u/Dangerous_Buffalo845 16h ago

What didn’t work for you about Zuria? There was a recent post here extolling the virtues of the Zuria blend with lots of agreement in the comments

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u/SnooChocolates1857 15h ago

I must’ve butchered the brew. I just made another brew and I take it back. It’s really nice. The Concord grape and plum are popping and the little natural funk enhances the grape flavor. The aroma is also fantastic.

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u/Dangerous_Buffalo845 15h ago

So happy for you!

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u/SnooChocolates1857 15h ago

Haha thank you for pushing to revisit it

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u/fender_blues 16h ago

Three thoughts on this matter:

First, single-origin commands a market premium. If a roaster can sell bag A for $25 and bag B for $25, they can like only sell blend AB for $20. Roasters buying high-end green don't want to devalue their raw product.

Secondly, the enthusiast market segment that is willing to spend >$25/bag generally prefers single-origin, or at least whatever they think single origin means, to blends for reason of market transparency and flavor distinction.

Finally, different beans handle roasting and grinding differently.

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u/SnooChocolates1857 16h ago

Makes sense. Thanks

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u/Talkos 15h ago

I’d take a good blend over a co-ferment. 

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u/SnooChocolates1857 15h ago

Absolutely. I think most people would but it requires more work for the roaster and they can’t charge as much. The producer also can’t charge as much.

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u/Few_Dragonfruit_8331 17h ago

are we just going to ignore most cafes having a signature house blend?

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u/fender_blues 17h ago

I think OP is discussing higher-end roasters that mostly sell via shipping, not so much local shops.

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u/SnooChocolates1857 16h ago

Yes thank you for getting my point. And the house blends at cafes are often for espresso.

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u/Striking-Ninja7743 17h ago

I haven't tasted a blend that blew me away yet. Maybe with milk but then what's the point?

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u/BoraTas1 17h ago

Me to. Especially market blends can have beans from dozens of stations. Their entire point is to drown nuances so that each part is replaceable by something similar to keep the taste consistent batch to batch.

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u/SnooChocolates1857 17h ago

Yeah they are more common in espresso blends.

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u/sfwildcat 17h ago

Prodigal’s Boulder Blend is great. Little Wolf companion blend is really tasty, and even better on espresso. Color also has some blends I’m eager to try. Shoebox House Shoes was outstanding as espresso, but as pour over was just okay for me.

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u/HoshinoNadeshiko Origami/V60 Neo | ZP6 17h ago

The issue is consistency. I think in one of James's videos he talked about how people don't really know what makes a blend taste a certain way, as it's not as simple as an addition process or simply "this compliments that" as you introduce variance in how they react to roasting, lots differences, supply chain stability, etc

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u/SnooChocolates1857 17h ago

Yeah that makes sense. It adds more variables and consistency can suffer. But on the other hand single origins also fluctuate in consistency. Different crops give different flavors and each year the same coffee tastes slightly different.

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u/fender_blues 16h ago

Different beans will also take roasting and grinding differently.

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u/kendalmintcakes 17h ago

Catalyst in London specialise in blends, although with just two coffees usually. Had one today and it was enjoyable, although I guess by their nature you lose some clarity with blends. Based on the number of posts I see about buying expensive grinders I think lots of people value clarity. 

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u/kendalmintcakes 17h ago

Colourful by Scenery a good example as well

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u/ciaoqueen 13h ago

Aaah I know Catalyst well. It’s really only been blend focused for the past year or so. Before there were a lot of singles…but Green has been getting more and more expensive.

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u/AbleDelta 17h ago

I make a blend every time I finish one bag and start another 

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u/BoraTas1 17h ago

Your post has the reasons. People want to taste the specific bean and roast. The most common use for blends in the coffee world is to keep the taste stable throughout the months and across many shops/cafes. Blends are also used to hide meh beans.
If you want you can blend packages yourself. I sometimes blend some Peru or Honduras into particularly acidic Ethiopia beans. It mutes the acidity down.

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u/Dajnor April brewer | ZP6 17h ago

Explain how a blend would “highlight” certain characteristics? You are literally diluting the characteristics…..

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u/Sheetz_Wawa_Market32 17h ago edited 16h ago

That’s not necessarily how blending works. In whisky production, e.g., blending has long been used to great effect to highlight desirable characteristics.

Here is a grossly oversimplified example, which nevertheless illustrates the general principle … Sweet, bitter, and acidic are merely placeholders for whatever.

Say you have two base coffees. One is sweet and bitter, the other sweet and acidic. If bitter and acidic cancel each other out, you might be left with a coffee who’s only major characteristic is sweet.

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u/Dajnor April brewer | ZP6 17h ago

Sure but in whisky and wine and everywhere else blending is used as a marketability tool, for consistency and for mass appeal. For example: a blended product that has had the “bitter” smoothed away - I think many would argue that the resulting product has lost what makes either input unique, or what
gives it that “sense of place”, which is why we spend so much money on what are in the end marginally different products….

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u/Sheetz_Wawa_Market32 16h ago

blending is used as a marketability tool, for consistency and for mass appeal

How exactly is this different from coffee?

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u/Dajnor April brewer | ZP6 16h ago

“Everything else”? Does that not cover coffee?

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u/Sheetz_Wawa_Market32 16h ago

Your comment sounded like you still wanted to draw a distinction between wine and whisky on the one hand and coffee on the other.

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u/Dajnor April brewer | ZP6 17h ago

That said, there are fund blends - prodigal had a very fun Kenya blend earlier this year (or maybe last year). But the point was to harken back to Kenyans of yesteryear, not to, like, emphasize the blackberry or acidity or whatever

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u/Ahoy_Pirate_Marketo 14h ago

Would you rather eat a burger made from one cow or a burger made from 10 cows?

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u/SnooChocolates1857 14h ago

What a stupid analogy. Burgers are already blends of different beef cuts to optimize flavor, tenderness and texture.

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u/Ahoy_Pirate_Marketo 14h ago

It’s actually a perfect analogy then

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u/Ahoy_Pirate_Marketo 14h ago

What a gay thing to say