Coffee Origin FAQs

See the main section Education FAQ's for more.

Coffee is a Tree!
Coffee trees can grow to heights of up to 12 meters with a branch system that is open.  The fruit or coffee cherry occurs along the branch, interspersed with large dark green oval shaped leaves.  The flowers of the coffee tree grow in small clusters that are white and display a jasmine like perfume.  The fruit or “cherry” contains two seeds, these are the coffee beans.

Arabica coffee versus Robusta coffee
Arabica Coffee (coffea Arabica) was first discovered growing in Ethiopia. It is a coffee that grows at high altitudes more slowly than other varieties and holds place as the premium variety of coffee available.  

Robusta Coffee (coffea robusta) the other main variety of coffee, was discovered in the African Congo.  Its flavour is less desirable than Arabica coffee, however it is widely cultivated for instant coffee as it produces higher yields and displays greater disease tolerance than Arabica.  But it does have double the caffeine content than Arabica.  Jasper coffee does not use any robusta coffee in its single origin or specialty blends, including our Instant.

Why Single Origin coffees?
While there is no hard and fast rule for why people should order Single Origin, coffees from different regions, they are certainly not inferior to blends.

Just like you can taste the difference between a Shiraz from the Hunter Valley versus the Barossa Valley, coffees have unique individual flavours and characteristics.  To borrow a wine term, ‘terroir’ of altitude, soil, climate and processing shape the flavour in the cup.

Whilst blends are a selection of complimentary single origin coffees, much like wine blends. We believe an artisan roaster should roast a Single Origin to its unique profile and only after blend the roasted blends. 

What is a Peaberry?
On occasion a pea berry is formed where only one bean shaped like a football grows inside the cherry.  Pea berries constitute usually no more than 3 % of the total yield of one tree, they can be highly sought after for their concentrated unique flavours.  We have 3 peaberries (piberry) in our range.  Australia, Kenya, New Guinea and our signature Peaberry Blend – African Sanctus.

What is Dry Processed Coffee (wild or natural)?
Coffee is picked and laid out to dry on patios or roof tops. After a period of time the skin, pulp and parchment are removed in one action.

These coffees tend to present more complexity or ‘idiosyncratic’ traits in the cup.  Dry Processed coffees also exhibit a greater degree of body when compared to washed coffees.  Dry Processed coffees can be identified more often as having a yellowish green appearance.  An example of this is the Ethiopian Djimma or Illubabor. 

What is Washed & Wet Method Processed Coffee?
Coffee is picked and then brought to the processing mill.  The cherry is de-pulped and allowed to ferment.  The cherry is washed to remove all pulp.  Coffee is spread over patios or run through an electric dryer.  Coffee is removed of its final skin called parchment and sorted.

Wet processing is used in countries where fresh water is plentiful. The water fermentation is the crux of this method which produces more consistent coffee, with the flavour profile showing clean pronounced delicate acidity.  Wet processed coffees can be identified more readily as having a clean appearance with more familiar green colours.

What is Semi Washed Processed Coffee?
Semi Washed coffees use both dry and wet processing, that being, the skin is removed from the cherry after picking however the pulp is allowed to remain and dry on the coffee bean.  The dried pulp is removed at a later stage with the use of water.

It is said that this methods gets the ‘best of both worlds’.  An example of a coffee that Jasper purchases that is treated in this method is the Sumatran Mandheling / Lintong.