The fact is..it is impossible for the subtle flavors in the coffee beans to remain present for all that time. Time, airflow and light are the main enemy of flavor loss in coffee. So imagine this timeline of events that canned, generic and bagged coffee go through…
The green coffee beans (if generic, most will be less flavorful robusta beans which are higher in acid and caffeine)
-will be roasted, coded then packaged
-if ground and canned..its already stale once its canned
-then sent to a warehouse for distribution
-then finally being put on the shelf for sale
I would think the timeframe for this process from roast to shelf is 1-6 months. Here’s the bad news..Coffee looses its subtle fruity, nutty, caramel notes before it even reaches your cup!
For a great flavor analogy, here is an excerpt from my friends at www.BurmanCoffee.com (where I purchase my green beans and roasters). We share the same passion in coffee and roasting. Here is their great mantra:
“Home Coffee Roasting using the world’s finest green coffee beans is our passion here at Burman Coffee Traders. We believe the key to great coffee is fresh green coffee beans and the ability to roast our coffee at home just the way we like it.
Home Coffee Roasting provides a simple way to enjoy the aromas and tastes of freshly roasted, super premium, gourmet coffees. Think of the wonderful flavor and smell of fresh bread right from a bread maker, compared to that of store bought bread. Fresh roasted coffee provides a similar experience. Roasted coffee stales very quickly and is dramatically diminished in days, so home coffee roasting ensures your coffee is always fresh.”
So in closure, after tasting the difference between store bought (high end bagged) and fresh roasted coffee I realized I wanted to roast my own beans! I love being able to control the roast levels and create new roast profiles for new arrivals. For example, my Kenya AA will be roasted to pick up the citrus and blackberry notes with a caramel undertone.
I said to myself, “Hey, you may never have the nicest car or fancy toys, but I can and do freshly roast and drink the finest coffees in the world every day! Join me! You can too! That’s why I started this.
Stay tuned for the next post ..”What’s the big deal about “Blue Mountain Coffee.”
