Blend Building 101
There is no doubt that blending coffees is a long and well established practice in our industry, but it surprises me how often it’s done poorly. There are two approaches to blending, ‘Active’ and ‘Passive’ blending.
Active blending requires theorizing the intended flavor, then sourcing the correct coffees to meet the intention. For example, you may intend for the blend to taste of cherry ripe, the dominant flavors being cherry and chocolate.
Active blending, if done well, can result in blends that maintain stability and integrity for long periods of time, in some cases, many years. As origins come and go, this approach requires maintenance. It requires a commitment to continually source the right coffees for the blend to maintain its flavor integrity. The country of origin is less important compared with the actual qualities presented in the cup. For instance, a really good Guatemalan coffee that tastes of cherry could be replaced with a well processed Ethiopian coffee. It’s about finding the same flavors regardless of which country they come from.
I recommend you develop a strong relationship with your coffee buying team or engage with a team like ICT that specializes in helping you source the kind of coffees you need to maintain blend integrity.
One of the challenges is that new origins often mix with others in unpredictable ways so it’s necessary to have a well-established QC program to test new coffees and their suitability in the blend. Customers that appreciate stability in their coffees tend to gravitate towards this approach. The coffee is reliable and unchanging in their eyes.
A well put together blend using this approach should achieve 3 things:
1: Meet the flavor profile intended.
2: Should be sustainable.
3: Should be to the tastes of your customers.
Passive blending, by contrast, is the reverse of active blending. You start by putting two or three coffees together and testing the blend to see what it tastes like. This can be a fun and exciting blending process as the outcome can be incredibly exciting! However, it can also incredibly frustrating if the combinations don’t work well together.
This approach has a shorter lifespan than the active approach. Once the origins are no longer available, the blend has reached the end of its life and then the process must begin again.
Often, this approach reflects the ‘seasonality’ of coffee and is popular with consumers that are adventurous and looking for thrills in their brew. This approach, often, can catch consumers off guard. As they get used to the flavor, they may be surprised by the sudden change that they were not expecting. It’s vital that you communicate strongly about this to your customers whenever changes occur.
A well put together blend using this approach should achieve these 2 things:
1: The flavour should be well balanced, every component should be in harmony with the others.
2: should be in line with consumer preferences.
3: Any changes should be well communicated so that no one is caught off guard.