Do coffee beans become more fragrant as they age? Have you ever tasted aged coffee?

We all know that aged cheese has a stronger flavor after fermentation, aged red and white wine and whiskey have a smoother taste after the alcohol evaporates, and aged ripe Pu'er has a stronger and mellower tea aroma. So what about aged coffee? Will it taste more special? Have you tried it?

Where does aged coffee come from?

When coffee was first introduced to Europe in 1500 AD, coffee beans were mainly imported from Yemen and the transportation had to go around South Africa, which was quite time-consuming. Therefore, aged coffee beans were used at that time instead of the green coffee beans that are more common today.

Later, coffee production expanded to India and Indonesia in Asia, but despite the remote geographical locations, the phenomenon of using aged coffee beans remains unchanged.

At that time, Europeans were quite fond of this coffee whose flavor had changed greatly after being stored for a long time and exposed to the air on the sea. Even after the opening of the Suez Canal in Egypt, which greatly reduced the transportation distance, Europeans still resisted fresh coffee beans.

As time goes by, aged coffee is gradually replaced by fresh coffee beans in the European market. The same phenomenon also occurs in the United States, where fresh coffee beans that are more easily available become the mainstream in the market.

In recent years, there seems to be a retro trend of aged coffee beans in the coffee market.

What does aged coffee taste like?

If some foods are stored in the right environment for a long time, they will taste better, such as wine, raw ham, cheese, etc.

This phenomenon is called "fermentation", and coffee will also "ferment" after storage.

Although it is fermented coffee, in most cases, the extracted coffee is not stuffed into sherry and oak barrels and left for several years like grapes.

Generally speaking, coffee tastes best when it is freshly ground and brewed. If it is left for too long, it will be oxidized by time and the flavor will dissipate.

Fermented coffee tastes milder than fresh coffee because the acidity is removed little by little during the long period of standing. But not all coffees will become delicious as they are gradually fermented.

In the new product stage, if beans lacking personality are left to mature, in most cases the coffee beans will lose their flavor.

Some researchers believe that coffee beans that can be used to make fermented coffee often have a strong personality and are difficult to drink.

The fun of fermented coffee lies in the fact that fermentation can bring out the beans with strong flavor and personality to show a stronger taste.

The flavor of aged coffee depends on the variety of coffee beans

There’s no scientific evidence that coffee tastes better when fermented, but experimenting with fermenting your coffee beans in unique ways can yield some surprising results.

For example, aged Kona beans and aged Mandheling are really like Pu'er tea, the older the better!

Europeans love aged Mandheling very much, just as Chinese love Pu'er tea very much. They describe aged Mandheling as a collection of the spirit of time.

The most famous coffee producing area in Asia is the Mandheling coffee produced in Sumatra, Indonesia. Before Blue Mountain coffee was discovered, Mandheling was regarded as the best coffee.

The intriguing taste of aged coffee is definitely the result of careful care and meticulous attention, not old coffee beans. Real aged coffee should be stored at its place of origin, in a tall and cool warehouse. The mature beans are equivalent to "growing" again after being harvested.

In order to ensure quality, the farm owner must also frequently monitor and turn over the sacks from time to time so that each side of the coffee beans can be evenly exposed to air and moisture.

Note that the green beans must be stored in the endocarp. Coffee is mostly grown in tropical regions with humid air. If the endocarp is removed, the green beans will lose protection and easily deteriorate.

The baptism of time will wear away the sourness of Mandheling and increase its purity. At this time, the coffee tastes rounder, sweeter, and has a longer aftertaste.

However, because they are hard to come by, aged coffee beans are usually mixed with freshly roasted coffee beans, which can control costs and balance the steady mellow taste and lively acidity.

Aged Mandheling looks a bit ugly, but the baptism of time will wear away the sourness of Mandheling, increase its purity, and make the taste more mellow.

Therefore, drinking fresh food is a relative truth, not a universal truth.

French writer Duras once said: How many people love your cheerful face when you were young, but I alone love the painful wrinkles on your weathered face.

The most important thing for a good cup of aged coffee is to meet someone who understands it.