THE ORDER COMES to roast 20 pounds of Peaberry. Your mind shifts gears. The Peaberries drop into the hopper the same as regular beans, although the sound is somewhat different, like the pinging of small ball bearings. You roast slowly, keeping an even temperature. With Peaberries, you have to pay attention to the roasting process—being a smaller bean, things can happen quickly. At the right time, out comes the roasted Peaberry. It looks and smells absolutely wonderful. Twenty pounds in the cooling tray can be mesmerizing.
Peaberries—coffee beans that grow alone in a single cherry—were once considered a defect, a deformed bean. Now, these small round beans are highly prized, and are sometimes even called the “caviar” of coffee.
So, which is the Peaberry? Defect or delicacy?
It depends on whom you ask. For a long time, most roasters didn’t know much about this “black sheep” of the coffee family, just that it looked different than a regular bean—small and round instead of long and irregular. Growers were asked to sort Peaberries out by hand, just as they would any other defect.
Then, roasters began to notice that Peaberry’s single bean had a very concentrated aroma and flavor. Intuitively, it made sense—if the tree was growing just one bean per cherry instead of two, then wouldn’t that bean get twice as much flavor, aroma and acidity? Intrigued, roasters began to ask farmers to separate the Peaberry from the coffee—not as a defect this time, but as a special coffee in its own right.
After a few years, however, the farmers were less willing to sort the Peaberries out. As the farmers of Guatemala Antigua La Tacita said to us one day, after two years of this practice, “We can no longer sort the Peaberry out for you; it’s significantly affecting the flavor of our coffee.” When the Peaberry was taken out, cuppers found that it reduced the cup profile and the cupping scores of the regular coffee began to drop.
In talking about Peaberry, Paul Leighton, president of Cape Horn Coffee, Inc., says, “The Peaberry [in Brazil] is called “moka,” and like in other producing countries, moka or Peaberry is separated and receives a small premium. My grandmother worked, when very young, in a general goods store. She recalled that all the coffee they sold was Peaberry and from different countries. She said it was easier to get a good frying pan roast with Peaberry. This was the later years of the 19th century.”
Thus, the Peaberry has come full circle. From its humble beginnings as the “runt of the litter,” it has now grown into something of a celebrity in the cup.

Botany of the Peaberry

We now know that Peaberries are, in some ways, an actual defect. While most coffee cherries produce two beans, an estimated two to 10 percent of cherries contain only one bean. These are the Peaberries. While no one knows yet exactly why a coffee tree produces Peaberries, we do know that they occur in all varietals, but occur more often in certain countries, such as Africa, although they are also found in Asia, Hawaii and South America. They also typically develop in cherries that are located on the tips of the branches.
By comparing a single Peaberry bean with a typical regular bean (Picture 1), it’s easy to see the physical differences. Unlike the traditional coffee bean, which is flat, varied in size and often at different grades, the Peaberry is round, uniform, smaller and often clean.
The internal differences are more difficult to see. The theory behind the great flavor and aroma of Peaberry beans is that this single bean receives all the nutrients as opposed to being divided into two beans. All the necessary minerals and oils that make a great coffee are now concentrated into a single oval bean. Peaberries have been found to have higher oil content than regular coffee beans, as well as an exceptional blend of essential minerals.
So the same amount of nutrients, oils and minerals that go into a dual pod now go into the single pod, giving it optimum flavor. Perhaps the higher density found in Peaberries also add to this flavor. “When the coffee berry has only one child, it spoils it with extra sweetness and acidity,” Leighton says. “For this reason, the Peaberry is prized.”
Although no research has been done that looks specifically at the Peaberry’s soluble content, this two-into-one is believed to be the reason that Peaberries often have a stronger flavor and aroma, and a higher level of acidity than regular beans.
“I have not seen any information specific to Peaberry, but from my personal view, I would expect more soluble content in the Peaberry as opposed to a normal bean,” says Joseph Rivera, director of science and technology for the Specialty Coffee Association of America. “Why? Well, what was meant for two beans is now concentrated in one. Which is actually what you see by the relative increase in acidity that is commonly found in Peaberries.”
There is even some speculation over whether the Peaberry is a natural phenomena from the unusual dual sex aspect of coffee or just a result of wind, hard rain, man or mechanical devices disturbing a flower and causing it to lose a pistol, thus reducing its reproductive potential. This latter theory is supported by the fact that the Peaberry is found more commonly on the outside of the coffee tree branches and not in the more protected area of the inner branch.

Roasting Peaberries

Is there any difference in the roasting process between the Peaberry and its counterpart, the flat bean? To answer this question, we roasted seven, one-pound samples, altering the temperature and time for each batch. We started each batch at a drop of 350° F, using our one-pound San Franciscan gas roaster. With as many consistent variables as possible, we set out to roast. Table 1 shows our plan, weight loss and temperatures.

Table 1 shows that the weight loss for the regular beans came to an average of 18 percent, and 16 percent for the Peaberry beans (sample size for both was 15 batches).
In theory, the Peaberry’s lower weight loss also means you have lost less organic compounds in addition to water weight, hence the idea that more compounds that contribute to flavor might remain.
We also found that the Peaberries roasted quickly; the beans seemed to capture and transmit heat faster and more efficiently than regular beans.
During roasting, the Peaberry changed appearance within the normal parameters of roasted coffee (Picture 2).

The flat bean also changed appearance, within the normal parameters of roasted coffee (Picture 3).

We found the Peaberry’s roundness offered an advantage. Typical flat-sided coffee beans heat up somewhat unevenly during roasting. The edges of flat beans achieve a higher temperature faster, thus making it difficult to achieve a totally uniform roast. The spherical shape of the Peaberry bean leaves no such exposed edges, allowing for even distribution of heat throughout.
However, because the Peaberry coffee beans typically roast quicker, it is important to listen carefully for the first crack and thereafter to determine your roast preference. The Peaberry’s fast roasting times and small size make it easy to miss your roasting “sweet spot.” The sound is much quieter in the cracks, and there’s a chance you might miss the first crack. So when a crack does sound, check to see if it is the first or second.
When we put the regular beans next to the Peaberry (Picture 4), we found only a few physical differences. But there was a definite difference in the cup. Some of this could have been due to the different growing conditions, climate or even the altitude on the farm itself.
The darker roast of the flat berry displayed more oils than the Peaberry of the same color. A wider gap was found in the Peaberry during first crack. This is partly due to the Peaberry being a single bean, and thus having double the chaff per bean. Also the smoothness of the bean showed more consistency in the Peaberry, giving it a smooth, consistent color throughout.

Cupping

After roasting, we cupped the Peaberry, with interesting results, as outlined in Table 2.

What showed up with varying roast degrees was typically a bright and crisp flavor in the lighter roasts and a smoothness, with chocolate notes, in the medium color. The brightness seems to show itself particularly with the faster roast time (just after second crack), then smooth out further into the roast. Once past the medium color, we got a definite baked flavor (rubbery, in the cupper’s note below). While the faster roast showed some bright acidity, the slow roast seemed to accentuate some harshness.
As you can see, the light (86.3 and 86 average scores) and medium (87.3 average score) came out winners. Both roast levels cupped well, so it would be a personal preference, based on whether you were aiming for a nutty acidity or for smoother chocolate tones.
After roasting and cupping these unusual beans, it’s easy to see why the Peaberry has made its long trek from defect to delicacy. Where else can you find all of the goodness of a coffee cherry packed into one bean? With double the flavor, intensity and aroma, Peaberries, when properly roasted, can be a great choice for blends or stand-alone

ASNAKECH THOMAS

All Amaro Gayo coffee is certified organic. Prices paid for this coffee are at the extreme high end of market, social programs are in the works including possibilities for assistance with capacity building and coffee job creation, schools, clean water and medical care.

Altitude: 5200 feet

Processing Method: Natural

Grade: Strictly Hard Bean

Varieties: 10-15 local varieties, some very long seeds similar to Harar

Processing Method: Natural

Grade: Strictly Hard Bean

Cup Characteristic: Intense honey-like aroma, redolent of flowers and blueberry. Delicate in the cup with a soft, lightly syrupy mouthfeel, balanced acidity and fresh flavors of ripe stone fruit, lemon, tangerine and more flowery honeyed sweetness. Finishes cleanly, developing a quiet sweet fruit-toned chocolate in the long.

Name of Coffee/ Nombre del café:
FINCA LA PROVIDENCIA
Region & Geography/ Región y geografía:
Region: HUHUETENANGO
Geography: Mountainous
Altitude/ Altitud:
1,550 MTS.(asl)
Climate/ Clima
Temperate to cold FRIO
Soil Type/ Tipo de suelo:
Clay
Cultivars/ Variedad de café
CATURRA(75%), also: BOURBON, CATUAI and MUNDO NUEVO
Preparation & Drying Process/ Tipo de proceso:
WET MILL, SUN DRYED AND MACHINE DRYED
Harvest & Exportation Time/ Meses de la cosecha y exportación:
Harvest: January to April; Export: February to June (Depends on contracts)
Farm Size/ Tamaño de la finca:
Farm Total Area: 33.8 hectares; With Coffee: 24.8 hectares
Certifications/ Certificaciones
NO CERTIFICATIONS
History of Farm or Cooperative/ Historia de la finca o cooperative:
FINCA LA PROVIDENCIA IS THE PROPERTY OF THE PALACIOS FAMILY SINCE 1954
A TOTAL OF THREE GENERATIONS HAVE RUN THE FARM
FIRST GENERATION: Mr. MAXIMILIANO PALACIOS (Grandfather)
SECOND GENERATION: Mr. JAVIER PALACIOS FUNES (Father; recently passed away in 2007 at the age of 91)
THIRD GENERATION: Mr. MAX ARIEL PALACIOS VILLATORO (Currently in charge of the farm)
THERES NOW A FOURTH GENERATION OF PALACIOS FAMILY NOW, BUT THEY ARE NOT IN ANY ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTION AS OF TODAY. LEAVING ALL THE RESPONSABILITY OF THE FARM TO Mr. MAX ARIEL PALACIOS, WHOM IS AN EXPERT AGRICULTURIST AND HAS BEEN IN THE FARM FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS.

In a what the heck let’s give it a shot attempt to make the cut in a recent espresso analysis at Coffee Review, we submitted a bag of “who’s yer daddy“. Score 91 points.

Sumatra is the 3rd largest producer of coffee in the world. Iskandar comes from the area surrounding Lintongnihuta with most of the coffee coming from the markets at Doloksanggul and Lintongnihuta. The coffee is picked and depulped on the farm, most farmers do it all by hand using manual depulpers. Coffee is depulped the the same day it is picked and the farmers will let the coffee ferment for 24 hours prior to washing. Washing is done by hand and farmers agitate the coffee in basins until it is clean. After washing, the parchment coffee will be set out on tarps or patios to dry for about 30 minutes to an hour. After drying, the coffee is bagged and sells it to a local coffee collector. The local collector brings their purchased coffee to the local markets where it is sold to producers who are responsible for further drying and hulling the coffee. Iskandar is brought to a testing lab in Medan. Here the coffee is tested for initial quality and then cupped where it will need to meet stringent requirements for approval. The results are a thick and bold body with a distinct hint of butterscotch. An exceptionally clean cup with a woody spice finish.