We have previously briefly touched upon what infused or co-fermented coffee is in our blog post about trends in the coffee industry.
Today, we’re going to dive a little deeper into this space and help you decide if infused coffee is something you’d want to try.
The Backstory of Infused Coffee
When coffee is processed alongside other ingredients such as fruits or spices, the beans pick up the flavour compounds from those ingredients, resulting in what is known as infused coffee.
The earliest record of infused coffee goes back centuries, as communities in the Middle East would add spices like cardamom and cinnamon to ground coffee.
This practice took shape in other parts of the world too, and slowly coffee producers began to realise that they could not only cater to diverse customer preferences but also fetch better prices for coffee that carries certain flavour notes.
As such, producers began to experiment with ingredients that could be used in fermenting green coffee.
While infusions are typically added at the processing stage, some infused coffee is also crafted by roasting beans and incorporating flavour oils that get absorbed into the beans.
Why the Community is Divided Over Infused Coffee
Much like the debate on light roasts and dark roasts, the community is divided over infused coffee.
On the one side, you have the supporters, people who believe that co-fermenting coffee allows consumers to enjoy unique flavour profiles and adds to the exclusivity of the product since some of them are limited editions.
On the other hand, a part of the community strongly refuses to accept infused coffee, stating that it masks the origin notes and challenges the integrity of coffee.
While each stance is crucial to further developments in the industry, it is also important to understand that both sides have significantly different priorities.
Since some coffee experts and specialty coffee advocates consider the origin and the terroir notes to be indicative of quality, the idea that flavours can be manipulated externally would seem like a subversion of standards.
Infused coffee can then appear to be inauthentic, and if not communicated properly, it affects the transparency of the bean-to-cup process.
On the flip side, one argument that is made for co-fermented coffee is that it upholds the essence of innovation and furthers the ability of coffee manufacturers to strive for better results, since experimentation is a cornerstone of progress.
Should You Try Infused Coffee?
As you can probably make out from the previous section, infused coffee isn’t for everyone.
To put it simply, if you are adventurous in your coffee journey and approach every discovery with an open mind, you’d find yourself keen to try infused coffee too.
Coffee lovers who are also fascinated by the bold, unique café beverages that flaunt interesting flavours would find co-fermented coffee to hold such immense potential because you can brew delicious cups of coffee from the comfort of your home.
Lastly, if exclusive coffee launches excite you, the world of infused coffee is yet another niche left for you to explore.
That said, if you are a coffee purist through and through (so much so that any level of artificial processing is the stuff of your nightmares), infused coffee is certainly not for you.
The same holds true for people who prefer terroir-focused single origins and those who want their daily cup of joe to be consistent, because one of the biggest disadvantages of co-fermented coffee is that it lacks consistency.
To wrap up this post, the debate about infused coffee is one about tradition and innovation.
While it isn’t fair to completely dismiss attempts at fueling progress in the coffee industry, one must remember that innovation shouldn’t compromise the foundation on which excellence is built.
What do you think about infused coffee? Comment and let us know.