Coffee Lineup Hardy Coffee Co.

FAQs & Answers for our Coffee Lineup

Traditional

Coffee that tastes like coffee

Balanced

Coffee that tastes like coffee, but a bit more adventurous than something in our traditional section. These are great “daily drinker” coffees.

Adventurous

These coffees are more nuanced in flavor. They still taste like coffee, but their other tasting notes will be more prominent. These coffees also tend to be a bit more tea-like in body and texture.

Benchmark

Origin: Guatemala (sometimes a blend, but not currently)
Process: Washed
Lineup: Traditional

Benchmark Dark

Origin: Guatemala
Process: Washed
Lineup: Traditional

Benchmark Decaf

Origin: Guatemala
Process: Swiss Water
Lineup: Traditional

Chiapas

Origin: Mexico
Process: Washed
Lineup: Balanced

Finca Pensamiento (pen-sah-MYEN-toh)

Origin: Guatemala
Process: Washed
Lineup: Adventurous

Guji

Origin: Ethiopia
Process: Natural
Lineup: Adventurous

Hambela Wamena (ham-BEL-uh wah-MEE-nuh) is a district in Ethiopia that is famed globally for producing high altitude specialty coffee.

What coffee do you use for espresso?

Benchmark

“I’m not sure what I like. Which coffee would you recommend?”

Benchmark is a really great coffee that most coffee drinkers love!

“Which one is your smoothest coffee—something that isn’t too bitter or acidic?”

Benchmark is a very versatile coffee that is the perfect blend of not too bitter and not too acidic!

“I usually put cream or sugar in my coffee. Which one would be best?”

Benchmark or Benchmark Dark are great options if someone really likes a traditional cup of coffee. If they are interested in something bit more adventurous our balanced coffees also taste great with cream and sugar!

“Will this coffee work well with my coffee maker at home?”

“When the bag says strawberry or chocolate, is that flavoring added to the coffee?”

What does “coffee processing” mean?

Processing is how the fruit is removed from the coffee seed and the seed is prepared for roasting. The method helps shape the coffee’s flavor.

What are the three main processing methods?

Washed, natural, and honey. The main difference is how much fruit remains around the seed during drying.

What is washed processing?

Water is used to loosen the coffee cherry before de-pulping. The seeds are then washed again to remove the sticky layer called mucilage before being laid out to dry.

What flavors are often associated with washed coffee?

Washed coffees often have clear, clean distinct flavors and crisp acidity. They can taste chocolatey, fruity, or floral, depending on the coffee.

What is natural processing?

The whole coffee cherry dries with the seed inside. The dried fruit is removed afterward and then most often lightly washed to remove the stickiness from the seeds.

What flavors are often associated with natural processed coffee?

Naturals often have pronounced fruit flavors, perceived sweetness, and a more tea-like body. Because the seeds have spent so much time soaking up the juice from the coffee cherry they have more noticeable nuanced flavors.

What is honey processing?

The honey process is basically a hybrid between a washed and a natural. The process begins like a natural where the cherries are left to dry with the fruit on the seed, but usually for a shorter amount of time. Then they are de-pulped and go back out to dry with some sticky mucilage remaining on the seeds, rather than being washed off like the other processes. No honey is added, but this term comes from the stickiness that remains on the seeds and are often yellowish in color.

What is mucilage?

Mucilage is the sticky, sugary layer surrounding the coffee seed inside the cherry.

Is Swiss Water a processing method like washed or natural?

Swiss Water describes decaffeination, a separate step that removes caffeine from unroasted coffee. It doesn’t tell us how the coffee cherry was originally processed, but most decaf coffees we bring in are originally a washed process.