In our first installment of this year’s “RE:” Summer Series we’re diving into a coffee attribute that appears on labels almost as often as tasting notes: elevation. One coffee might be grown at over 1,800 meters above sea level, and another one at 1,000 meters. What does that mean? To many of us, those numbers can feel like irrelevant technical specifications rather than something that tells you what's in the cup.
Yet, elevation can tell you a lot about a coffee's expected flavor character. The reason? Time. At higher elevations, temperatures are generally cooler, which means coffee cherries mature more slowly, giving the seeds inside—the beans we roast and brew—additional time to develop sugars, complex carbohydrates (aka “body”), and other flavor compounds. This slower pace often produces coffees with vibrant acidity, layered sweetness, and remarkable complexity. If you count Poaquil (Guatemala), Planadas (Colombia), or Santuario (Peru) among your favorites, you’re likely a fan of high-grown coffees! Brazilian coffees, by comparison, are often grown at lower elevations, where warmer temperatures allow cherries to mature more quickly, producing coffees that tend toward less complexity but more sweetness. Rather than emphasizing brightness and acidity, Brazilian coffees, like the ones featured in our popular Crema Espresso Blend, showcase flavors of roasted nuts, chocolate, caramel, and a smooth body.
It’s important to note, neither profile is inherently “better” than the other; they’re just different. In fact, one of the most persistent myths in specialty coffee is that higher elevation automatically means higher quality. This is in fact why we at Ethos don’t highlight altitude as an important quality attribute in our labels - it is not. Altitude is not even a “quality” attribute for green beans - bean quality and uniformity, ripeness, absence of defects, density, body, balance, sweetness, and flavor is what counts. Elevation may influence how a coffee tastes, but it does not determine whether that coffee is exceptional.
Perhaps the best way to think about elevation is not as a measure of quality, but as a contributor to personality. Higher-grown coffees often express themselves with brightness, complexity, and elegance. Lower-grown coffees frequently offer richness, sweetness, and body. Both can be extraordinary and earn specialty-grade scores. And both remind us that coffee is one of the world's most fascinating products—capable of expressing place in endlessly different ways.
TRY THIS AT HOME
Brew a cup of high-grown Poaquil or Planadas AND a cup of low-grown Crema or Harmony side by side, take a moment to notice the contrast. Brew them side by side using the same method, coffee-to-water ratio, and water temperature (very important, as all these variables also influence how they’ll taste!)
As you taste both, ask yourself these questions:
Which coffee feels brighter or more vibrant (i.e. has more acidity)?
Which coffee seems sweeter?
Which coffee has a heavier body or mouthfeel?
Which coffee do you prefer in this particular preparation method? (note: the answer may change based on the method chosen, and we encourage you to try them in more than one method if you’re curious!).
Keep in mind, the goal in this exercise isn't to identify specific tasting notes—it's to notice how different growing environments shape your coffee experience. Noticing the details that make a particular cup especially enjoyable for you is what can elevate (pun intended!) your coffee experience to a whole new level… and hopefully keep you Brewing Greatness with us!
Jolian & Lisbeth
