I compared single-origin coffees brewed with cold brew!

This column is a report of a small experiment! At Base Coffee, we offer several unique single-origin coffees. The single-origin series, where each coffee's unique characteristics are maximized by light roasting... This time, we compared these as cold brew coffee! What kind of flavor does cold brewing produce? Which coffee tastes best when cold brewed? We'll delve into these questions!

Experiment Method

The method used to extract single-origin coffee as cold brew this time was the tea bag method, which we introduced in a previous column on cold brew coffee.

Just leave it: Cold Brew Iced Coffee

What we prepared:

20g coffee beans (medium grind)

200ml water

Mug cup

Cold brew coffee bags & tea bags

First, put the ground beans into a bag and place it in a mug. Pour water into the mug, put it in the refrigerator, and leave it! This time, we left it for about 6 hours. Then, we tasted the finished cold brew coffee and compared the differences in flavor! Also, this time, I recently found "cold brew coffee bags" at a housewares store, so... I also compared the difference between using "cold brew coffee bags" and regular "tea bags"!

Flavor Comparison

After patiently letting it sit for 6 hours, it was time to taste the cold brew coffee! I'll describe what I felt for each.

Ethiopia Natural (Tea Bag)

The "berry notes," which are the biggest characteristic of Ethiopia Natural, were present, making it very fruity! The extraction was just right, resulting in a clean and refreshing taste. It became afruity iced coffee that made me feel refreshed when I drank it.

Ethiopia Arka Natural (Cold Brew Coffee Bag)

This one also had berry notes, but perhaps due to the difference in bags, the extraction was more pronounced for the same extraction time. Combined with a slightly stronger astringency and acidity, it had arichness similar to red wine! The aroma spread gently through the mouth from the first sip, making it the most impactful. Click here to purchase Ethiopia Arka Natural beans

Ethiopia Arka Washed

Ethiopia Arka Washed, which differs in processing method from Ethiopia Natural, had aclean and clear taste, just like when brewed hot! It had a floral aroma and good balance, making it very easy to drink. What was interesting was that while it gave a fruity impression when brewed hot, cold brewing made it feel a bit more subdued, like vegetables. Click here to purchase Ethiopia Arka Washed beans

Rwanda Huye Mountain Gako

Rwanda's cold brew coffee was clean and refreshing like the others, but with a pleasant richness. I felt atea-like aroma and brown sugar-like sweetness, and cold brewing seemed to bring out Rwanda's inherent flavors even more. Click here to purchase Rwanda Huye Mountain Gako beans

Indonesia Arul Bada

Honestly, I felt that it wasn't very suitable for cold brew coffee, as it couldn't bring out the sweetness and depth that it has when brewed hot. Compared to hot brewing, the bitterness was more pronounced, and it had a strong impression of anatural taste, reminiscent of leaves and earth. Click here to purchase Indonesia Arul Bada beans

Conclusion

Comparing the beans, the commonalities were that cold brewing resulted in a crisp taste with good acidity and a fragrant coffee with well-developed flavors. Considering the intensity of the flavors... If you want a refreshing iced coffee that you can drink easily → "Ethiopia Arka Washed" If you want to enjoy the flavor and unexpectedness of coffee → "Ethiopia Arka Natural" are recommended! Also, comparing the different bags, both commercially available tea bags and bags specifically labeled for cold brew coffee can extract coffee similarly, but it was found that the extraction degree varies depending on the bag, making it important to adjust the steeping time. When preparing cold brew coffee at home using bags, I think you can enjoy it even more by adjusting the extraction time (making it longer or shorter) based on your impression after tasting the finished coffee! Overall, my impression after trying single-origin cold brew coffee was that it had a refreshing quality more like flavored water than coffee, which was a very interesting result. As the weather gets warmer, I highly recommend preparing single-origin cold brew coffee and drinking it outdoors for a refreshing experience!