Congratulations to our Blend 3 for winning two awards at the Golden Bean 2020. Get to know this award-winning coffee a little bit better…
Our Blend 3 holds an important place in our core Karvan coffee range
It was the first blend we developed here at Leaf Bean Machine all the way back in 2011. Since its release, the coffee blend has continued to grow in popularity. Renowned for its tropical and toffee flavours, Blend 3 is a delicious experience for coffee lovers. You would have seen the blend appear at many of the best cafes in Perth as well as many homes across Australia. Quietly, these beans have continued to pop up… but now, it’s their turn in the spotlight!
About Blend 3
Brad and Fleur (owners of Leaf Bean Machine) had specific intentions in mind when developing Blend 3. Their goals were to craft flavours that were rich, complex and balanced whilst offering a velvety mouthfeel to the cup. The husband and wife duo knew what they were chasing, and they weren’t going to settle for anything less.
Selection Process
The whole process took several months before Blend 3’s components were finalised.
First, Brad and Fleur sourced a selection of high-grade specialty green beans. These arrived in sample sizes which Brad roasted on a sample roaster (essentially, a baby-sized coffee roaster). With their knowledge of coffee, they already have an understanding of what flavours to expect from each origin. However, there are numerous other factors (the farm’s growing methods, the altitude, soils, climate, processing and so on) that can change the green bean. It’s vital that a wide variety of beans from each origin are sourced, cupped and judged to obtain the very best bean for the Blend.
Alongside tasting different beans, different roast profiles are also assessed. This is to see where the origin really pops and shines through.
Cupping, cupping and more… cupping! Each sample of green beans that is roasted is also cupped. A cupping session is how coffee roasters taste the coffee beans in their raw and pure form. By cupping, you can pick up on the many nuances that make up the coffee. At Karvan, we follow an evaluative form with a list of characteristics we analyse and score. Once the judging process is completed, notes are compared, and the coffee roasters share their results.
In the early days, Brad was the head roaster. He ran all sourcing, roasting, blending and cupping. Over the last 3 years, he’s taken a step back and now our two women, roasters Marte and Savannah run the show.
The Secret Ingredient
Although Brad and Fleur cupped a wide variety of exceptional coffee, there was one bean in particular that really stood out – this was the Sumatran.
This Sumatran bean featured in Blend 3 is incredibly unique due to its processing method ‘Giling Basah’ meaning, ‘wet hulled.’ This coffee processing method is used in two regions in Indonesia: Sumatra and Sulawesi. It’s a unique processing method as it gives the green beans a higher moisture content resulting in lower acidity and fuller body to the coffee. This processing method is more complex to roast, if the correct numbers aren’t achieved, a funky flavour can overpower the bean. It’s crucial the bean is roasted correctly to bring out the wonderful flavours.
With great depth and character, this bean plays a huge role in acquiring the rich and wild rum and raisin flavours. Paired with a high-grade Colombian bean and a tropical Peru, a cup of Blend 3 is smooth, caramelly, earthy and more-ish. Whether you enjoy your coffee black or, with milk, this blend is guaranteed to satisfy and delight.
Golden Bean Awards
We’re excited to announce the success of our Karvan Blend 3 at the 2020 Golden Bean Awards.
The Golden Bean is the world’s largest coffee roasters competition. Every year, coffee roasters Australia-wide enter their coffee beans. Coffees are judged in categories such as
- Espresso (black, single shot).
- Milk (flat white/latte).
- Alternative milk (almond milk/oat milk/soy milk).
- Filter (drip coffee).
We entered our Karvan Blend 3 in the categories Milk and Alternative Milk. To our delight, they awarded a bronze medal for both.
A huge thank you to the organisers of the competition, the many judges who did a blind taste test of all the coffees and to the many coffee lovers globally who support the industry! It’s wonderful to see so many award-winning coffee roasters unite and share a cuppa.
Want to try this award-winning coffee?
If you’re yet to try Blend 3, head over to our website and discover more about this delicious coffee. It’s available in 250g for $13 or for 1kg for $40. Pour into your home grinder or ground it for the filter. These beans are delectable no matter how you prefer your cuppa.
