How Terroir Affects Your Coffee

How often have you taken a sip of a coffee only to wish it didn’t have that chocolate note or that it had a bit more acidity?

The coffee’s origin has more to do with its cup profile than you’d realise. 

Granted that its roast level and brewing technique also affect flavours, but the foundation is built by factors like the type of bean, the altitude, the terroir, and the farming method.

In this blog post, we’re going to break down how terroir and, specifically, altitude influence the taste of your coffee.

Terror & Coffee Taste

Terroir is the term used to describe elements like soil, climate, elevation, rainfall, and terrain. It is the combination of environmental factors that affects the crop.

Characteristics like the sweetness, acidity, and body of the coffee are ingrained in the bean as a consequence of the terroir. 

Let’s first look at soil composition. It can be sandy, clay-rich, or volcanic, to name a few.

You’ve probably heard how volcanic soil is great for coffee plants. It is rich in minerals, which boost the growth of the crop and help enhance the quality of the bean. 

Nutrients like zinc, potassium, calcium, and magnesium are crucial in the formation of flavour compounds. It is said that potassium determines the aroma and flavour, magnesium affects the body, and iron can bring out fruity or floral notes. 

Soil that is a good source of these compounds in balance will produce coffee that is superior to others. 

Further, the presence of acids in the soil influences how bitter the coffee is or if it has a more pronounced sour note. 

While it's not possible for you to know just how much calcium or iron the soil had when coffee was grown, you can certainly learn about the soil composition in different regions.

For example, Guatemala and Costa Rica are known to have volcanic soil. Similarly, coffee estates in India tend to have red lateritic or loamy soil.

In terms of climate, coffee is grown best in regions that have a humid, warm temperature between 15°C-28°C with consistent rainfall. 

Such conditions foster the growth of coffee plants and help in the ripening of the cherries. It is also important to have sufficient dry periods so that coffee can be harvested well.

Altitude & Coffee Taste

Altitude is nothing but the elevation at which coffee is cultivated. This is measured in meters above sea level.

As you may already know, some coffee plantations are located in hilly or mountainous regions at great heights and other farms are located at much lower elevations along the sea level. Each has its advantages in terms of farming and also the nature of the crop. 

The elevation determines the temperature at which the crop is grown. 

Coffee farms at higher altitudes are exposed to cooler temperatures, which tend to slow down the coffee maturation. Because of this longer duration, the compounds in the beans develop more gradually. That’s how you get denser beans that have a complex and vibrant profile.

On the flip side, coffee grown at lower altitudes is exposed to warmer temperatures and so matures faster. This produces coffee with nutty or chocolatey notes and a mild acidity.

There can be exceptions, too, but this is generally how the altitude affects coffee.

As a rule of thumb, what you want to keep in mind is to go for high altitude if you want brighter, sweeter or fruitier coffee. Go for low altitude if you want nutty and chocolatey coffee with lesser acidity.

The next time someone talks about coffee origin, you’ll know for sure what kind of tasting notes it can have. And you’ll be able to pick out coffee blends that suit your taste preferences.

Having such crucial knowledge in your arsenal is great for identifying whether you prefer low-grown coffee or high-altitude coffee. 

Before we wrap up this post, there is a myth we would like to clear up -  higher altitude coffee isn’t always better. 

Coffee grown at low altitudes can also be of great quality, especially if it carries the desired profile and is roasted well.