# Single origin verses blends



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

*Single Origin versus Blends*​
*Only allowed to choose one option! I prefer to drink.........*

Single Origin2772.97%Blends1027.03%


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

I thought it might be interesting to see what folk drink. I appreciate that most of us probably flip flop around, but if you had to make a choice, in a poll would you select Single Origin beans, or Blends? This is regardless of roasting style


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

I cant vote, i drink both and am guided by tasting notes as opposed to how they get there, I am a lot less fussy about blends than i was 5 years ago

Nowadays look for something that says espresso suitable as opposed to omni roasters ( a lot of which I find just too under developed ) .

Ultimately i want something that matches the tasting notes and or that I enjoy


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

I do drink blends from time to time, most commonly for espresso. Mostly I drink single origins as filter.


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## BlackCatCoffee (Apr 11, 2017)

Same here. I enjoy blended coffee. Primarily for espresso.

For filters 9 out of 10 times I go SO.

I think blends are looked down on a little but I think about it like wine. Sure you can get cheapo stuff thrown together to make a crappy blend to hide defects but then there is Champagne!

David


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

I mostly go for origin and expect to match taste notes. Blends now and again out of curiosity. Always in an americano.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

It's a tricky one, I drink single origins to understand and appreciate them, but it also allows me to figure out what would work well together in a 2 or 3 bean blend. I actually intended to go make myself a 50/50 blend now, of Rawandan Nyungwe and Brazillian Daterra Sweet collection. Fortunately with a single doser like Niche or Solo, it's easy.

Would I "personally" buy a blend...no. I prefer to mix together the single origins myself. That's me of course, some people like the reliability of a blend and trust the roaster to do that for them


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## Like Medium Strong Coffee (Feb 18, 2021)

Most of the beans, which we purchased so far are the SO for brews. However, we really liked the blackcat's signature blend over the chocolate point; we are looking forward to trying the signature blend on the V leva.


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## jonr2 (Jan 6, 2021)

DavecUK said:


> It's a tricky one, I drink single origins to understand and appreciate them, but it also allows me to figure out what would work well together in a 2 or 3 bean blend. I actually intended to go make myself a 50/50 blend now, of Rawandan Nyungwe and Brazillian Daterra Sweet collection. Fortunately with a single doser like Niche or Solo, it's easy.
> 
> Would I "personally" buy a blend...no. I prefer to mix together the single origins myself. That's me of course, some people like the reliability of a blend and trust the roaster to do that for them


 oh thats interesting - i had never thought of doing a self blend approach. it does answer one of my questions which is whether bends were done before or after roasting. (sigh - so much to learn)

on the subject of blends - it would be wrong not to mention the half caff blend from @BlackCatCoffee as an optimist i see it as a best of both worlds 🙂


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@jonr2 as for Half caff, agreed, more roasters should do it and I'm surprised they don't


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## pandabear (Feb 12, 2014)

I usually drink blends as a matter of "convenience" so that I can get a tasty profile into my espresso shot to either drink as is or in a flat white.

I haven't gone down the rabbit hole of SO coffee yet... I do wonder sometimes why SO beans are often 20-30% more expensive than a roaster's blend when they often used the same quality (score-wise) in the blends.


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Almost always drink SOs. Haven't found a blend that does it for me - yet.


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## jonr2 (Jan 6, 2021)

am now trying a self made (thanks @DavecUK) blend of @Little Fin Coffee Roastery Swiss decaf and El Fumo 🙂 - a new rabbit hole opens!


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## danielpugh (Oct 26, 2016)

jonr2 said:


> oh thats interesting - i had never thought of doing a self blend approach. it does answer one of my questions which is whether bends were done before or after roasting. (sigh - so much to learn)
> 
> on the subject of blends - it would be wrong not to mention the half caff blend from @BlackCatCoffee as an optimist i see it as a best of both worlds 🙂


 im a regular home-made half-caff blend - first of the day. bulk of caff is signature blend. but main drink through the day is single


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## Like Medium Strong Coffee (Feb 18, 2021)

How do you folks deal with left-over beans from one SO bag, when the other SO pack is opened? Unless it is chucked away (I don't like wasting beans), a blend is automatically created.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@Like Medium Strong Coffee always..


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

Like Medium Strong Coffee said:


> How do you folks deal with left-over beans from one SO bag, when the other SO pack is opened? Unless it is chucked away (I don't like wasting beans), a blend is automatically created.


 If I can't make a dose or something close from what's left I bin them. Maybe I should try making the dose up with some bean that I happen to have.  I had a bit of this using an SGB on a BE and the single. Cleaning the grinder out caused misbehaviour for a number of shots so just put the next one in. Not much a carry over but it could just be tasted for one single shot of ~9g. It did tempt me to try blending myself but never got round to it.


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## Like Medium Strong Coffee (Feb 18, 2021)

DavecUK said:


> @Like Medium Strong Coffee always..


 I do not keep a separate log of taste notes of such auto created blends. Do you to review what works or otherwise please?


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## Like Medium Strong Coffee (Feb 18, 2021)

ajohn said:


> If I can't make a dose or something close from what's left I bin them. Maybe I should try making the dose up with some bean that I happen to have.  I had a bit of this using an SGB on a BE and the single. Cleaning the grinder out caused misbehaviour for a number of shots so just put the next one in. Not much a carry over but it could just be tasted for one single shot of ~9g. It did tempt me to try blending myself but never got round to it.


 Will be interesting to hear what you thought of them. Hopefully, you won't see the need to bin them, because it is a waste of hard-earned resources. 🙂


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@Like Medium Strong Coffee I don't...it's just I hate to waste coffee, so always blend leftovers


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## Irisco (Jun 12, 2020)

DavecUK said:


> @Like Medium Strong Coffee I don't...it's just I hate to waste coffee, so always blend leftovers


 Me too! I've been known to route around on the floor for a single coffee bean that's rolled under something probably horribly grubby. A quick dust off, 3 second rule and its good to go!


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## Irisco (Jun 12, 2020)

Like Medium Strong Coffee said:


> How do you folks deal with left-over beans from one SO bag, when the other SO pack is opened? Unless it is chucked away (I don't like wasting beans), a blend is automatically created.


 Its heresy to throw beans away, you've paid good money for those!


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## Like Medium Strong Coffee (Feb 18, 2021)

DavecUK said:


> @Like Medium Strong Coffee I don't...it's just I hate to waste coffee, so always blend leftovers


 Pleased to hear!


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## Emily (Dec 27, 2020)

I have only tried 1 single origin and 3 different blends but so far I have preferred the blends. I think I will try a single origin next. I have almost run out and haven't ordered anymore but I have dithered and can't decide what to buy 😩


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## jonr2 (Jan 6, 2021)

Emily said:


> I have only tried 1 single origin and 3 different blends but so far I have preferred the blends. I think I will try a single origin next. I have almost run out and haven't ordered anymore but I have dithered and can't decide what to buy 😩


 oh dear don't ask us you will get a million suggestions 🙂


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## Irisco (Jun 12, 2020)

The purist in me would have to say single origin but then I do enjoy a bit of Unkle Funka.


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## winterlight (Feb 27, 2016)

I've only bought a specialty blend once (I think) as I prefer the more natural and authentic experience of single origin. Saying that, when I've had seven or eight grams left over of one bag, I have experimented with my own blends. And they've actually tasted pretty amazing.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

winterlight said:


> I've only bought a specialty blend once (I think) as I prefer the more natural and authentic experience of single origin. Saying that, when I've had seven or eight grams left over of one bag, I have experimented with my own blends. And they've actually tasted pretty amazing.


 To be honest, I think the pre roast/post roast blend issue isn't so much of an issue. If you are well dialled in, a component might be relatively low, a component may be relatively higher in extraction, but 2 different origins at 2 different extractions can taste equally as good...suck it and see


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## Enea (Jun 7, 2020)

Only drink espressos and only going for SOs because I'm still discovering tastes/textures of all the different coffees. Can see this will probably change to blends once I'll have a better idea of I really like.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Enea said:


> Only drink espressos and only going for SOs because I'm still discovering tastes/textures of all the different coffees. Can see this will probably change to blends once I'll have a better idea of I really like.


 That's definitely the best way to go. Learn what you do, and don't like about various single origins. Only then will you be able to work out what sort of blends your going to like, and you're probably going to end up buying the single origins and making the blends up yourself.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

pandabear said:


> I usually drink blends as a matter of "convenience" so that I can get a tasty profile into my espresso shot to either drink as is or in a flat white.
> 
> I haven't gone down the rabbit hole of SO coffee yet... I do wonder sometimes why SO beans are often 20-30% more expensive than a roaster's blend when they often used the same quality (score-wise) in the blends.


 Score doesn't always dictate price on its own, supply of said bean will dictate the price also , along possibility with how much they buy. 
coffee is coffee , there is no rabbit whole per se to single origin , there are all just beans , roasted to brew.


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