Savouring the heady aroma of freshly brewed coffee is how many of us start our day. In fact, each person in Singapore consumes about 2.6kg of coffee a year.

Yet, there is much more to this beverage than its ability to keep us awake. Coffee aficionados will attest to the complex notes that can be discerned from the dark, mellow liquid – much akin to tasting a fine wine.

Take, for example, the new Single Origin Espresso (SOE) Black Cup Gesha series from Luckin Coffee, China’s largest coffee chain. Gesha beans, renowned as the “Legend of Legends”, are exceptionally rare due to their meticulous cultivation process and limited availability.

Luckin Coffee sources its exquisite Gesha beans directly from their birthplace in Bench Maji, Ethiopia, where they are grown at high elevations ranging from 1,909 to 2,609 metres. This single origin sourcing is what earns these beans their prestigious Single Origin Espresso (SOE) designation.

Single origin coffee, maximum flavour

You may think that SOE is just marketing. However, the environmental factors where the coffee beans are grown can greatly influence their quality and distinctive flavour characteristics. Being single origin also means the coffee beans can be traced back to a particular region or even a farm plot.

Another reason SOE is premium is the wide range of flavours and characteristics of different growing regions coffee drinkers can experience, from nutty and chocolatey to fruity and floral. Savour the complex notes of Gesha beans in Luckin Coffee's latest SOE series, expertly crafted and served in their elegant Black Cup, available in a variety of options:

• The Luckin Black Cup Gesha Americano will surely jolt your senses with its unadulterated notes of Gesha – vibrant florals, juicy blueberries, sweet apricots, and smooth macadamia.
   
• Warm up with the Luckin Black Cup Gesha Latte, where the steamed milk brings out the bold essence of plums, subtle toffee-like sweetness, and a velvety finish that feels like a decadent blend of butter and cocoa flavour.
   
• You will need to take your time with the Luckin Black Cup Gesha Flat White, which begins with the soft embrace of foam, like a gentle cloud. What follows is a heavenly choir: creamy toffee is paired with hints of sweet berries, lingering as white chocolate on your palate.

Keeping it fresh with new brews

For those who crave for more variety, Luckin Black Cup is bringing back its fan-favourite Hambella SOE beans on April 19. Known for their elegant sweetness and distinctive fruity flavours, these Ethiopian beans come from the renowned Guji Hambella region, which has altitudes as high as over 2,000m.

Come May, the earthy yet clean-tasting Sumatra Gayo will make its Luckin Coffee Singapore debut, alongside the award-winning Yirgacheffe coffee beans. Caffeine lovers will be spoilt for choice with this introduction to the Luckin Black Cup SOE Series.

Since its opening here in March 2023, the brand has introduced more than 50 products in various categories. These include its Luckin Black Cup SOE Series，signature lattes, the fruity Americano series, the vanilla-based smoothie Luckin Exfreezo, and even non-coffee beverages like the Matcha Series. This averages to a new product launch every two weeks.

Its selection of coffee beans has also won Luckin Coffee the gold medal at the IIAC International Coffee Tasting Competition for five years in a row, from 2018 to 2022. The Luckin Black Cup SOE Yirgacheffe beans have also won the IIAC Platinum Medal Award in 2021 and 2023.

This is only made possible because behind each storefront of Luckin Coffee is a team committed to bringing better-quality coffee to consumers around the world.

In 2023, Luckin Coffee embarked on its ambitious Global Bean Hunting Initiative, led by a team of World Barista Championship (WBC) champions. This initiative aims to discover the freshest harvests and best beans for coffee enthusiasts to savour. 

Mr Anthony Douglas, the 2022 WBC champion, has been at the forefront of this professional bean-sourcing team, guiding them on journeys to premium coffee-producing regions and renowned coffee estates worldwide. The team participates in various stages of coffee cultivation, from harvesting and bean processing to quality control, so you can have a better cuppa.