Is it better to be single? Why Patrick’s Beans offers blends.

I have been asked many times why I have bucked the current trend in coffee and went my own way.

Coffee Bean Trends

Starting about 15 years ago in Canada, earlier in the States, people started to get interested in where their coffee came from and the unique tastes intrinsic in each type of bean.

This trend went hand-in-hand with the burgeoning interest in local and artisanal foods. Everyone wanted more information on where the food they enjoy came from and the long slow desire for quality started. Single varietals in coffee are great to taste and try. There is a HUGE difference in coffee from around the world.

Ethiopian Harrar is very different from a Colombian Supremo, if you have taste buds you will notice this. Each cultivar of the Arabica tree has distinct tastes and growing preferences. Coffee is a food crop—like apples, grapes, or anything else—and is influenced by growing conditions. Some years are naturally better than others.

The Taste Pallet behind Patrick's Beans Blends 

Having an awareness of how each coffee tastes and sampling year over year is very important. I have had the opportunity to taste coffees from almost every producing country in the world and to taste the differences that growing conditions can have. This experience has given me a broad pallet for coffee and an expectation of what I will get when I roast a particular coffee a certain way.

This desire for single varietals is important. However, it is tricky and hard for one bean to provide the full range of taste possible in a cup of coffee. I chose to use the single varietals as ingredients, similar to building a recipe.

Patrick's Blends Recipes

In a blend, I can use beans to provide a certain flavour and build a unique taste that is not possible using just one bean. I takes me back to my roots in the kitchen: being able to use a wide pantry of flavours and characteristics to create something unique and targeted to the coffee drinker.

This also allows me to roast for many different cafes and restaurants and provide something unique to each, and not just Patrick’s Beans™ House Blend everywhere. I enjoy tasting what the change of 10% difference in a blend does to the flavour or roasting something a little differently to highlight a bean's unique character.

No two beans are the same, and they change year over year. I have had the chance to be more creative with blends and to create something unique. Single varietals are very important to taste and know but I enjoy the artistic process of blending. It’s like painting with the whole rainbow; not just one colour.