The Art of Coffee: What makes great coffee?
Sourcing the Best Ingredients
Coffee beans start out as berries on several different types of coffea plants. The variation in these berries is an important piece of what distinguishes good coffee from great coffee, and it provides the great variety of complex coffee flavors we love.
Two of the main varieties are Robusta and Arabica. Robusta coffee tends to be bitter and carries less flavor than Arabica, and that's why Dolce Vita uses only 100% Arabica beans.
Coffee beans will also vary depending on the region of the world it is grown. Coffees from South America tend to be sweetly acidic and clean, while coffees from the Pacific regions of Asia tend to be more full bodied and nutty. Africa, where coffee was first discovered, produces coffee with fruity aromas and intricate flavors. We source our coffee from all of these regions of the world, hand-selecting only the very best, specialty grade beans. And that's just the first step.
Roasting to Perfection
Coffee beans must be roasted to bring out their unique flavors. When this happens, the beans are chemically and physically changed from green to brown (or roasted). This roasting process is integral to producing a flavorful cup of coffee. The beans must be roasted for just the right amount of time at just the right temperature to achieve the desired result.
After the beans have been roasted, they will begin to slowly lose their flavor after just a few days. That's why freshness is key to a savory cup of coffee. Visit our Micro Roasting Facility page to learn more about our roasting process and our commitment to fresh, micro roasted coffee.
Taste Every Batch
We taste every batch (we know, we're lucky) to make sure it lives up to the Dolce Vita Standard. Coffee tasting centers around three main components: body, acidity, and balance. Body refers to the way the coffee feels in the mouth; acidity refers to the sharpness on the tongue, and balance is the marriage of all the elements of the coffee. In tasting, it helps to sharply sip a small amount of coffee to coat the tongue. We check for these characteristics depending on the batch:
- Depth
- Winey
- Floral
- Fruit
- Citrus
- Pine
- Spice
- Chocolate
- Carmel
- Smokey
- Nutty
- Earthy
- Sweetness
- Fragrance