Coffee Reviews

If you wander into any good coffee house these days, you will see a plethora of coffees to choose from. Not only is there a grand variety of coffee forms - lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, espressos and the like - but there is also a wide range of coffee blends and types from which you can make your selection. In some circles, connoisseurs are developing who taste coffee with the same skill and craft of a wine-taster.

So what sort of coffees are on the market? Here we will look at three types.

First, let`s consider an expensive and exclusive brand. Civet coffee can demand high prices and can demand some of the highest prices in the coffee world, amounting to some $160 per pound. What is it exactly? Civets are furry ferret-like animals that live in places such as Indonesia. Civet coffee is rather unusual as it is created from the coffee beans which have passed through the digestive systems of the civet, hence the name of the coffee; once it has been cleaned and prepared. Of course, the residue is plucked from the droppings and thoroughly cleaned and is then dried in the sun, roasted lightly and used in coffee.

What makes this coffee so desirable? The civets choose to eat coffee berries which have a fleshy pulp. Although the type of blends can vary (Arabica, robusta and liberica for instance) they are said to have a particular aroma and flavour, which notably lacks bitterness.

Secondly, let's take a look at Columbian coffee. This South American country has long been revered for its excellent coffee. It has been noted on a global scale that the coffee from Columbia has a high quality and often has an extremely smooth taste. Countries such as America, Germany, France, Italy and Japan are all keen importers of the stuff.

One of the most recognised brands of Columbian coffee in the US is Juan Valdez, a brand of coffee which is grown on the mountains of the country. The coffee in this brand often uses a mix of the Arabica bean and also the robusta variety.

A third variety is the Ethiopian coffee product. Did you know, rumour has it that Ethiopia is the home of coffee? It is said that a goatherd, Kaldi, made the discovery in the 800`s after observing the effect of coffee berries on his grazing flock. These days, it is a big industry in the country and around a quarter of the Ethiopians are involved in it. The export of coffee in 2006 amounted to over a third of the nation`s export. The main areas of plantations are Harar, Sidamo, Yirgacheffe and Limu, each of which trademark their own varieties.

Of course, whichever blend of coffee you choose, for the freshest taste it is always worth using bean to cup coffee machines, for a truly great flavour.