CRAFTING COFFEE BLENDS AT CREMA
Let’s talk about blends.
At Crema, many of our coffees are single origin, meaning all of the beans in that bag of coffee came from one farm or small geographical area. But, some of our best-selling offerings are blends — a combination of single origin coffees — and we’d like to give them their time in the spotlight.
Blending coffees gives our head roaster, Winston, the chance to be creative with how different coffees can complement each other. We love that they give us a consistent and reliable profile that tastes great in a variety of methods, from espresso to V60.
We approach blends the same way we approach our single origin offerings, with care and consideration for the transparent sourcing, coffee quality and roasting of each component. We roast each coffee separately and combine them after roasting. This allows us to dial in the roast of each specific component so we can get the best qualities out of each coffee. Each blend is thoughtfully curated and has their own mix of distinct flavor profiles and components. Our goal is to have two blends available at any given time: Tres Banderas and a seasonal offering, typically Blue Heron (Fall/Winter-ish) or Tortoise and Tiger (Spring/Summer-ish).
Join us in as we dive into the specifics of each blend, its components and general taste profiles.
TRES BANDERAS
Flagship Blend (Available year-round)
Composition
50% Central American Coffee
25% Ethiopian Coffee
25% Central/South American Coffee
Taste Profile
Chocolatey body, subtle fruit and soft floral characteristics
Tres Banderas (“Three Flags”) Blend is aptly named because it features coffee from three different countries. The components change throughout the year due to the seasonality and relatively small lots of the coffees we source. Our head roaster looks for components that fit a general taste profile with a deep chocolatey body complemented with subtle fruit and soft floral notes. This blend was originally crafted specifically with espresso in mind. But, over the years, we’ve slightly tweaked the roast to make it both a fabulous espresso and fantastic drip option. It’s our #1 selling coffee for a reason!
TORTOISE AND TIGER
Seasonal Blend
Composition
50% Ecuadorian Coffee
50% Sumatran Coffee
Taste Profile
Earthy, heavier body tamed with a complex sweetness
Tortoise and Tiger is our version of the idiom ‘opposites attract’. Named for the endangered animals native to Ecuador and Sumatra, this blend pairs a light-bodied Ecuadorian offering with a rich and earthy Sumatran offering to create a beautifully balanced final cup. While the offerings may slightly change from year to year, this blend will always feature coffees from Ecuador and Sumatra. Tortoise and Tiger’s general taste profile will have a heavier bodied, herbaceous quality balanced with a sweet drinkability of the Ecuadorian component.
BLUE HERON
Seasonal Blend
Composition
50% Natural-Processed Coffee
50% Washed Central American Coffee
Taste Profile
Pleasantly fruity, balanced sweetness
Blue Heron Blend is named after the almost mythic-like great blue heron bird that our head roaster, Winston, frequently sees on his walk in the park. Like its namesake bird, this blend is beautiful, bright and magical. When crafting Blue Heron, we look for both a natural and washed processed coffee. The natural-processed component, typically from Mexico or Ethiopia, brings a pleasantly juicy fruit characteristic that’s rounded out with the balanced sweetness and drinkability of a washed-processed Central American coffee.
HELIOS
Seasonal Blend
Composition
50% Natural Latin American Coffee
50% Washed Latin American Coffee
Taste Profile
Creamy, smooth and sweet with a hint of fruit
Named after the Greek god of the sun, our newest blend — Helios — is crafted get you through those hot days of summer. It’s an easy-drinking and refreshing coffee that’s creamy and sweet — thanks to a well-balanced Latin American offering — with just a hint of fruit courtesy of the naturally-processed component. We think Helios tastes delightful over ice, perfect for those days when it’s 90 degrees for 9am and the thought of putting a hot liquid into your body makes your mind melt.
Each of our blends brings something unique to our coffee line-up. The next time you sip on one of our blends, we hope you’ll appreciate the thought, care and creativity that went into creating it.
