Specialty Coffee & Where to find it in Boston

February 5, 2023 Avalyn S

Essential Boston Third Wave Coffee Shops: Part I

“There is no right or wrong when it comes to your preference for a perfect coffee spot.”

It could be the place within your walking distance, the one close to your house or workplace, or the convenienct chain you have been used to its taste for ages.

Some might like that extra layers of steamed milk and flavor syrup to be added to their coffee for a creamy smooth beverage, some like to taste the bitterness of black coffee with nothing else, some enjoy the ambiance the place offers, and some just want to find a cozy space to work or read a book.

Regardless of reasons that bring you to the coffee shop, I believe taste is one of the essential. The first post of #BostonwithAvalyn is for those who seek the little extra uniqueness to their cup of coffee and for those who eager to venture far more than just their go-to beverages, today we are going to talk about “Specialty Coffee“.

Contrary to what you think you know, coffee is not just coffee. It’s not all grown the same way neither is it roasted or brewed or even drank the same way. And specialty coffee has been the one making the newest waves.

According to the Nomad Coffee Club, Specialty coffee is coffee that focuses on quality, consistency, sourcing and its transparency, roasting and brewing methods of every single coffee bean. It’s a more intimate and beautiful relationship with our favorite drink.

how your coffee is processed?

It started with the cherry-like casing as seen in the above picture I took several years ago in Doi Pang Khon, Chiang Rai, one of the well-known coffee plantations in Thailand. That is how coffee was harvested, as coffee cherries. Coffee needs to be processed after it is picked from the tree and took a great deal of effort, technology, and science to create coffee flavor profiles for the specialty coffee industry.

In this article, I would like to mention four common processing styles we regularly see and how it differs the flavor profiles. (White Horse Coffee)

Natural Process

After harvest, the cherries are allowed to ferment before removing the cherry flesh/ casing and separating the coffee beans.

During this fermentation period, the coffee absorbs some of the fruity flavors from the cherry and this is very clear in the taste. Natural or Dry process is the original way of processing coffee and originated in Ethiopia.

Cup flavour: Rich cocoa, heavy syrup, fruit notes leading to fermented flavours.

Washed Process

In this method the coffee cherry is picked then pulped. This is where the skin and fruit layer is removed, which is then commonly used for cascara. Once removed the skin and pulp from the seeds, the seeds go into tanks full of water. The water ultimately washes the rest of the mucilage and fruit caked onto the seed. Finally, the seeds go onto beds in the sun to dry out.

Cup flavour: Mild body, clean and transparent flavours more clarity

Honey Process

A combination of both the natural and washed methods. It is a rare and demanding method, and not as commonly practiced as the previous two. However, it produces a unique cup of coffee.

During honey processing, the seed is removed from the cherry before it dries out. But, it does not go into a washing tank to get rid of the mucilage. That mucilage, which is what the honey refers to, stays on the seed as it dries in the sun afterwards. The amount of mucilage left behind determines the sweetness, and there are even machines to control the amount on the seed. The seed then finishes out drying on the bed, and also gets raked and rotated to avoid mold.

The cup flavour:

White honey – Almost fully washed, with a fraction of ferment concentration.

Yellow, Orange and Red honey – Somewhere in between.

Black honey – Almost fully natural with a touch more elegance, restraint and complexity than a full natural.

Black Winey Process

The ripe red cherry is picked then the farmer places the coffee into a polystyrene bag in approximately 40kg lots. The coffee is then left to become black and develop a winey character. The coffee is then put on raised beds and allowed to dry to 11% moisture.

The coffee is rested to allow the enzymes to settle down and balance, which takes about four weeks. At this point the coffee is dry milled, cupped, scored, bagged and sold.

The cup flavour: Well balanced ferment and low acidity for a coffee of this style, exceptional enhanced sweetness

After the coffee is processed we go into roasting. Through small-batch roasting, coffee roasters are able to test multiple roast profiles. It takes time and dedication to understand that each coffee needs to be treated differently.

The other side to roasting is how fast your coffee gets to you. Ideally, coffee should be consumed after about 5 days of roasting. This allows the coffee to de-gas (this is that intense coffee smell you get when you buy fresh roast coffee) enough to drink. After that, I would say two weeks your coffee is still perfect, but after that, it will start to stale.

This is why the date the coffee was roasted is such an important piece of information. It lets you know how fresh your coffee is.

Specialty Coffee Shops in Boston

Phew.. That is quite long for an explanation, isn’t it? We have not arrived at the brewing method after we get the perfect coffee beans yet, but I think I will take it to another time. For now, let us start our coffee adventure by exploring the city and see where can we find great specialty coffee shops, in my humble opinion, the three cafes below are my favorites and close to authentic a good coffee ritual can be.

Ogawa coffee

From Kyoto to Downtown Boston. This Japanese coffee artisan offers high quality coffee; Aero Press and Kalita Pour over, with interesting selection of beans including their Kyoto House Blend, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Brazil. For those green tea lovers, Ogawa Coffee also has great Matcha Latte for you too.

Location 10 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02108

Tel. +1 (617) 780-7139

Website

Blue Bottle Coffee

If you have been into specialty coffee industry for a while, you probably heard, or even been to Blue Bottle Coffee before. Ever since it was introduced in San Francisco 2002, Blue Bottle is famous for its expertly roasted coffee beans, perfect pour-overs, impeccably designed cafes, and passionate employees make up a brand that allows people to enjoy coffee at its peak flavor. Not only in the U.S., but Japan, South Korea, China and Hong Kong as well.

Location: Cambridge, Chestnut Hill, Prudential Center, Newbury Street.

Website

George Howell Coffee

Located right next to the Godfrey Hotel, coffee at George Howell is roasted in a small batches everyday. Just like the two previous cafes I mentioned, this European-style espresso bar also has a range of espresso beverages with seasonal specials. Sometimes the coffee tasting sessions and classes also being held in the shop. There are other locations in Newtonville and at the Boston Public Market.

Location: 505 Washington St., Newtonville, and Boston Public Market

Website

Now that we know what is specialty coffee and where to find it in Boston, why don’t we start this little experiment of observing and knowing the story behind a cup not just any day, but today!

Finding the perfect beans and brewing method to fit it takes time and patience. Ever since my oldest sister introduced this magic substance called “Specialty Coffee” to me five years ago, I still enjoy exploring what I like and am eager to see how the barista will brew the cup of coffee I order. This obsession with coffee runs deep in our family and brewing our own coffee every morning has become our ritual.

The slow brewing is not only a fun thing to do, but it calms and trains my mind to focus more at the beginning of the day :)

Credit Sources: Whitehorsecoffee, Nomadcoffeeclub