The Brew Blog

Golden Bean Americas — how the largest professionally judged coffee roasting competition in North America works, what its medals signal, and why it matters,

Golden Bean World Series — the global final of specialty coffee roasting competition, why a World Series medal is one of the strongest credentials in the industry, and what it signals for buyers.

Bourbon is the varietal that defined modern specialty coffee — sweet, rounded, complex. Here's the full story of Bourbon and its mutations (yellow, pink, pointu).

Typica is the original Arabica varietal that spread coffee around the world. Here's its history, flavor profile, and modern relevance to specialty coffee.

A guide to the competitions and awards that define quality in American specialty coffee — from the US Coffee Championships to the Golden Bean, Good Food Awards.

Coffee varietal is one of the most powerful flavor variables in specialty coffee. This complete guide covers every major varietal from Arabica fundamentals to Geisha.