If you ask a coffee buyer what flavour notes characterise a really good coffee, the answer will often be: Blackcurrant. But why is this flavour so sought after?
- A good Kenyan flavour profile has complex flavours of blackcurrant. "Coffee from Kenya is sought after for its juicy, complex flavours and scores highly on the cuppa table," explains our coffee buyer Morten Sletten.
Quality signs in coffee
Alexander Scheen Jensen elaborates:
- You won't find notes of blackcurrant unless the coffee has complexity. That's a sign of quality.
- If there's a hint of blackcurrant in your coffee, you know it has more complex flavours.
Both Morten and Alexander are certified Q-graders. This means that they have undergone extensive training and testing to be able to evaluate coffee quality in an objective and standardised way. Q-graders use an internationally recognised scoring system developed by the Coffee Quality Institute, where the coffee is evaluated on various parameters such as aroma, flavour, balance, body, acidity and aftertaste.
In other words: Morten and Alexander know what they're talking about. So when you feel hints of blackcurrant in your cup, you know you're dealing with a coffee that offers something more. It has depth, quality and a complexity that makes it coveted by coffee lovers.
Read more about how to cup a coffee here.
Blackcurrant tips in the coffee hunt
If a coffee roaster, such as Solberg & Hansen, finds hints of blackcurrant when the coffee is cupped before production, it will always be mentioned on the coffee bag's label.
Are you looking for coffee with blackcurrant flavours? Then you should first and foremost look for coffee from Kenya. In our classic range, we always have a wet-processed coffee from Kenya. For this classic, we strive to buy coffee that has a distinctly Kenyan flavour profile, with flavours of blackcurrant.
