Single Origin Coffee Subscription UK: A New Origin Every Month

A single origin subscription is like a tour of the coffee world, one bag at a time. Here is how it works, why the coffee changes and how to get the most from every delivery.

What Is a Single Origin Coffee Subscription?

A single origin coffee subscription sends you coffee from one country, region or farm group at a time. Each delivery tells one story, instead of mixing beans from many places.

Most single origin subscriptions change the coffee as the seasons move. One month might be Colombia, the next Guatemala, then Brazil.

It suits curious drinkers who want to taste the difference that place makes. It also suits anyone who wants to know exactly who grew their coffee.

If you want the same taste every single morning, a blend may suit you better. More on that below.

Single Origin vs Blend: Which Should You Subscribe To?

Here is the simple version.

• Single origin: coffee from one country, and often one region, co-op or farm. It is traceable, and its flavour reflects where it grew.
• Blend: beans from two or more origins, mixed for balance. Roasters use blends to keep a taste steady all year.
• Microlot: coffee from a single plot, or a very small group of nearby farmers. It is the most specific of all.

Our Genesis Espresso Blend mixes Brazil and Rwanda for a rich, chocolatey espresso. That is a blend doing its job well.

Our Colombia Planadas is single origin. It comes from 1,325 small organic growers in 25 groups in South Tolima. You can taste that one place in the cup.

Pick single origin if you:

• Enjoy trying new things
• Brew black, by filter, pour over or cafetière
• Want to know who grew your coffee
• Like a monthly surprise through the letterbox

Pick a blend if you:

• Want the same taste every day
• Mostly drink lattes and cappuccinos
• Do not want to adjust your grinder each month

Want the basics first? Read single origin coffee for beginners.

Why Does the Coffee Change Every Month? Harvest Seasons Explained

Coffee is a crop, like apples or grapes. Each country harvests at a different time of year.

A good single origin subscription follows those harvests. It sends each coffee while it tastes its best, then moves on.

Here are rough harvest windows for some well-known origins:

• Brazil: May to September
• Colombia: main crop September to mid January, with a second "mitaca" crop April to June
• Ethiopia: October to January
• Guatemala: November to April
• Kenya: October to January, with a smaller crop May to July
• Rwanda: April to July

Green coffee then has to be dried, sorted and shipped. So it usually reaches UK roasters a few months after harvest.

That is why our Coffee Club selection changes with the seasons. Jon picks lots that are tasting their best right now.

3 Ways Processing Changes the Taste

After picking, farmers remove the fruit from the coffee seed. How they do it changes the flavour a lot.

1. Washed

The fruit is removed, the beans ferment for 12 to 48 hours, then they are rinsed clean. Washed coffees taste clean and bright.

Washed coffee shows off where it grew most clearly. Our Guatemala Jabiru Union Cantinil is a washed coffee from small farms in Huehuetenango. Read more in what is washed coffee.

2. Natural

The whole cherry dries in the sun for three to six weeks before the bean is removed. Naturals taste fruity, sometimes like berries or wine.

3. Honey

The skin comes off, but some sticky fruit stays on while the bean dries. Honey coffees are usually very sweet.

We explain this method in honey processing.

Learn to taste like a pro

James Hoffmann's beginner's guide to coffee tasting is a simple way to start. It helps you put words to what you taste each month.

How to Taste Each New Coffee: 5 Simple Steps

A single origin subscription is more fun when you notice the differences. Try this with each new bag.

1. Smell the dry grounds. Grind a little and sniff. Note the first thing that comes to mind.
2. Smell it wet. Add hot water and smell again. Aromas often change.
3. Taste it black first. Let it cool a little. Flavours show more as coffee cools.
4. Go from general to specific. Is it fruity, nutty or chocolatey? Then which fruit or which nut?
5. Write it down. A few words in a notebook helps you spot what you like.

The Specialty Coffee Association's flavour wheel helps with step 4. Start in the middle and work outwards, stopping when the word feels right.

Our guide to coffee flavours by region shows what to expect from each part of the world.

What to Look For in a Single Origin Subscription UK

Lots of roasters offer a single origin club. Use this list to find a good one.

1. Named origins. You should see the region, co-op or farmers, not just the country.
2. Roasted to order. A roast date on the bag matters more than a best before date.
3. Your grind. Look for whole bean plus grinds for espresso, filter, cafetière, pour over, moka pot and AeroPress.
4. Flexible sizes. 250g, 500g and 1kg let you match your habit.
5. Easy pausing. You should be able to skip a month in a minute.
6. Clear sourcing. Look for a page that explains how the coffee is bought.

Weighing up brands? Our coffee subscription comparison lays out what to check. For our sourcing, read about ethical coffee UK at Creation Coffee.

Meet Some of the Coffees in Our Rotation

Here are single origins from our range, with the details we know about each.

• Guatemala Jabiru: grown at 1,500 to 1,800 metres by smallholders farming around 1.5 hectares. Varieties include Bourbon, Caturra, Typica and Catuai. The beans are sun dried on rooftops and patios.
• Colombia Planadas: organic, washed and grown up to 2,050 metres. It is dried in a greenhouse for 10 to 18 days.
• Brazil Eagle Carmelo: from the Cerrado Mineiro, sourced from women farmers through the Café Delas programme. It is a steady, reliable profile.
• Ethiopia Lala Salama Decaf: from the Sidama region, supplied by about 350 farmers to one washing station. A single origin for decaf drinkers.

Club bags change through the year, so you will not always get these exact coffees. That is the fun of it.

Keep each bag tasting fresh

Store beans in the sealed bag, somewhere cool and dark. Avoid the fridge. Our coffee storage guide has more tips.

Aim to finish each bag within about a month. Pick a bag size that matches how much you drink.

Is a Single Origin Subscription Worth It?

If you drink coffee most days and like variety, yes. You get fresher coffee, a new taste each month and full traceability.

You also save money compared with buying one bag at a time. We ran the numbers in is a coffee subscription worth it.

Want to see how our club works, step by step? Read how our coffee subscription works. Or go straight to our coffee subscription UK page.

Common Questions About Single Origin Coffee Subscriptions

• What is a single origin coffee subscription?

  It is a regular delivery of coffee from one country, region or farm group at a time. The coffee usually changes through the year to follow harvest seasons.

• Is single origin coffee better than a blend?

  Not better, just different. Single origin shows the taste of one place and is fully traceable. Blends mix origins to keep the same taste all year.

• Why does my subscription coffee change every month?

  Coffee is a seasonal crop, and each country harvests at a different time. Rotating origins means each coffee arrives while it tastes its best.

• Is single origin coffee good for espresso?

  It can be, but single origins can taste brighter as espresso. Many people prefer a blend for milky drinks and single origin for black coffee.

• Should I choose whole bean or ground?

  Whole bean keeps its flavour longer, so choose it if you own a grinder. If not, pick the grind for your brewer and order smaller bags more often.

• Can I pause my single origin subscription?

  With the Creation Coffee Club, yes. You can pause, skip or cancel any time, so you only get coffee when you need it.