Rainfall has a big impact on the flavour profile of the coffee that ends up in your cup.

TLDR: This week we explore the impact of rainfall on the terroir of specialty coffee, which determines the particular flavour profile of coffee beans. Coffee trees need a given amount of rainfall to develop properly, and differing rainfall patterns in different places result in distinct flavour characteristics. Rainfall is taken into account by specialty coffee roasters while picking beans and roasting them to bring forward the greatest flavour attributes. A professional barista can also use their knowledge of rainfall and terroir to choose appropriate beans, advise on brew procedures, and tweak the brew recipe to make the greatest cup of coffee.

In last week’s post we introduced the concept of terroir, and how it effects the distinct flavour profile of specialty coffee. Today, we'll look more closely at one of the natural aspects that influences terroir: rainfall. Rainfall is an important feature of coffee growing since it influences the flavour of the coffee beans. We'll look at how rainfall affects coffee terroir and how specialty coffee roasters and baristas deal with these variances to bring out the best in each cup of coffee in this blog post. Understanding the impact of rainfall on terroir will hopefully enhance the depth of flavour in the cup and give you an understanding of why. So let’s get into it!

How does rainfall impact flavour?

Rainfall is an essential part of coffee farming since it influences the quality, growth, and development of coffee plants. Coffee typically grows best in regions with regular rainfall patterns, averaging 1,000 to 2,000 mm per year. While excessive rainfall might cause the coffee cherries to mature too quickly and produce an imbalanced flavour profile, insufficient rainfall can result in drought stress, stunted growth, and poorer production. The distinctive rainfall patterns in each part of the world give rise to distinctive flavour profiles in the coffee that is grown there.

For instance, in places with distinct wet and dry seasons, like Colombia and Ethiopia, the coffee trees experience a period of water stress during the dry season, which causes the cherries to mature slower and results in a more complex and subtle flavour profile. In places where it rains consistently throughout the year, like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and parts of India the coffee beans have a fuller body and a gentler acidity as a result of the quantity of water. For coffee roasters and baristas to choose and brew the greatest quality coffee, it is crucial to understand how rainfall affects coffee terroir.

While choosing which beans to roast, specialty coffee roasters must take the amount of rainfall in the region into account. Roasters are aware that the right amount of rainfall at the right times can give the coffee beans distinctive flavour qualities. As we mentioned before, coffee beans from places with a distinct dry season typically have a bright, fruity acidity and a floral aroma, whereas those from regions with steady rainfall have a deeper, more chocolatey flavour. By collaborating closely with coffee growers, roasters can guarantee that the beans they buy have been produced in a way that will yield the optimum flavour profile that they’re after (stay tuned for a post on ‘monsoon’ processed coffee). They can also use different roast profiles to emphasise the distinct taste undertones produced by particular rainfall patterns.

How does rainfall impact my cup?

So that’s all well and good for growers and roasters, but what about me?! How does the rainfall in Kenya or Yemen impact my early morning brew? Well, trust your barista to work that out. As we’ve discussed, rainfall impacts terroir, therefore it impacts roasting and thus, it should impact the way the barista treats the beans to brew the best cup of coffee for you. Barista’s need to think about;

Selecting the proper beans: A barista's understanding of rainfall patterns in the coffee’s origin country will assist them in selecting beans that are suitable for their brewing process in their cafe.
Advise you on brew method: Coffee’s from different origin’s with different rainfall will lend themselves to particular brew methods. For example a light, floral, fruity coffee is excellent for a pour over, v60 style brew. Whereas for an espresso you might want something with a bit more body.
Changing the brew recipe: A trained barista can (and should) modify the brew recipe based on the flavour profile of the beans, of which rainfall patterns play a large part. In order to bring out the greatest flavours in the beans, they can choose the best brewing method, alter the grind, and manage the timing and temperature of the brewing process.

A good barista can bring out the particular flavours and fragrances of specialty coffee by using their understanding of rainfall and terroir, delivering you a really remarkable coffee experience.

Ask a barista

The next time you go to your favourite coffee shop or Google "best barista near me," Have a chat to your barista about the origin and terroir of the coffee their using and how it influences the way they brew it for you. More then likely they will LOVE to talk coffee with you. This might not be a good idea if you’re running late!

So, rainfall has an important role in shaping the flavour profile of specialty coffee, and a barista's understanding of rainfall and terroir have a considerable impact on the quality of the coffee they serve. Knowing the connection between rainfall and coffee can help coffee roasters choose the best beans, and expert baristas can utilise this information to make the perfect cup of coffee for their customers. In this post, we hope to have encouraged you to continue to appreciate the subtleties of specialty coffee and to seek out the best coffee and baristas in your area. Stay tuned for our next post in this series, where we'll delve deeper into the world of terroir and explore how soil types affect the flavour of coffee beans.

Want to try coffee that has had this much thought put into it? Click here!

Thanks to these guys who helped us out with this one: