Coffee Roasts 101 - What Are You Drinking?

You're new to the world of coffee and you want to digest as much information as possible in the simplest way to consume. You've been drinking your father's Yuban for years and you just know there has to be something better out there. You want to buy good coffee, but you're not sure where to start. This guide will serve as your starting point, your beacon of hope in the night.

Let us begin with simple terminology and then we'll move on to a more refined glossary. There are three 'main' categories of roast. There is the Light Coffee Roast, Dark Coffee Roast, and Medium Coffee Roast. To put it simply any coffee you choose is going to fall upon this range of flavor. Each roast is denoted as such by the time spent in the roaster, the temperature it is roasted at, and the color of the bean after the roast.

Coffee Roasting:

This is the process of transforming a green coffee bean into its more noticeable self, the roasted coffee bean. Coffee roasting can last anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes and goes through multiple stages of low to high heats in order to capture the complexities and flavors that are sought in the final production. Coffee has a large spectrum of flavor and color that denotes its characteristics.

Light Coffee Roast:

A light coffee roast is perhaps the least popular of all coffee roasts, but that isn't to say that it is the least desired coffee or that it is inherently worse than a darker roast. Quite the opposite is true in that a light coffee is more apt to capture the true flavor of a coffee bean. Because its flavors will stay intact a green coffee bean of high quality and desired taste is much more suited to a lighter roast. A lower quality coffee bean will be roasted longer and at higher temperatures to mask its inferior taste.

A light coffee roast will typically have more caffeine than its darker counterpart. As a coffee bean roasts longer the caffeine is 'burned off' thus a lighter roast will keep more caffeine intact.

Certain regions and blends are more apt to produce a high quality light roast coffee. Roasters often choose a particular region of green bean coffee to use in their light roast coffee.

How to tell if you're drinking a Light Coffee Roast?

A light coffee roast is denoted by its light body, full taste, and its bright liveliness. The first impression you will experience is the taste. Because the green coffee bean has been roasted for as little time as possible the true flavors are still in tact. As the coffee is tasted across the palate you will be able to extract the full flavor of the bean. The finishing taste of the light coffee is often described as sweet or lively. A bad light roast will have the acidic taste of grass left on your palate. A good light roast will have a slightly acidic, floral aromatic finish to it often described as citrus or fruity in flavor.

Dark Coffee Roast:

The dark coffee roast is the second most popular of all the coffee roasts, but that isn't to say that it's the best roast available. It is often characterized as a dark roast because of the amount of time spent in the roaster and the temperature at which it is roasted. A coffee bean that has been subjected to longer roasting times and higher temperatures will lose a majority of its true green coffee bean flavor. This results in a more uniformed taste and consistency. Often times lower quality coffee beans will be dark roasted because of this. However, there is still a large difference that can be noted when high quality coffee beans are dark roasted.

Just about any green coffee bean can be dark roasted and still have a drinkable taste. Because the process of roasting a coffee to its breaking point nullifies any of the off tastes and inconsistencies that can be found in a green bean, the region of the green coffee bean is of less importance to the roaster when creating their dark coffee roast.

How to tell if you're drinking a Dark Coffee Roast?

A dark coffee roast is denoted by its full body and its smooth liveliness. The first impression you will experience is that the taste is more neutral when compared to a light roast. As the green coffee bean is roasted longer it neutralizes any off tastes and creates a more uniform taste. The dark coffee will be most noticeably smoother than its light counter part. The longer the green coffee bean spends roasting the less acidity is left to impart on the palate. It will have a finishing taste that is less pronounced and considered smoother as a result.

Medium Coffee Roast:

The medium coffee roast covers the full gambit of coffee that fall somewhere between a light and a dark coffee. Entirely up to the roaster and the region of the coffee bean it can have a medium to full body flavor and either a smooth or slightly acidic after taste. Its goal is to provide the best of both the light and the dark coffee. It wants to capture the flavor of the green bean without leaving its off marks in place. It is a highly artisan practice to create a well balanced medium roast.

You will find that most coffee blends you drink will be considered of the medium roast variety. A roaster will carefully choose which regions to blend together to capture the just the right flavor from the roasting process.

How to tell if you're drinking a Medium Coffee Roast?

A medium coffee roast is denoted by its medium body and its smooth-bright liveliness. Because it covers such a wide range of flavors, the medium roast is perhaps the most popular coffee. It allows the roaster flexibility to derive the most flavor from the green coffee bean. If the coffee you're drinking lingers on your palate and finishes with a lively flavor you're probably drinking a medium roast coffee.

Conclusion:

Coffee comes in all different forms. There is no right or wrong choice, simply put; it is a matter of personal opinion. When choosing your coffee roast a general rule of thumb is that as the sun rises in the morning it is time for a light coffee roast and as the sun sets it is time for a dark coffee roast. In between the two, feel free to drink the medium coffee roast.

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Coffee Basics 101 - Coffee Roasts - What's in a Name?

Having difficulty choosing the "best" coffee roast? Are the coffee roast names confusing you?

The assigning of names to coffee roasts can seem a bit illogical if not confusing at times, but when coffee roast names first began to emerge within the coffee industry, their application was based, to a small degree, on fact. For example, both the French and Italians had (and still have) a tendency to roast their coffee very dark, thus the emergence of the French and Italian Roasts. But, in today's marketplace, standard coffee roast names (if you can call them standard) seem to be giving way to individual roasters offering catchy, private label, brand names that don't really communicate to the consumer what the actual roast style is. And to throw more confusion into the mix, often times the roast style names vary by geographic region. An American roast in one region of the U.S. may not be of the same degree of roast as in another region, or the same degree of roast in one region may have a totally different name in another region. Are we confused yet?

The variety of names used to describe coffee roasts include: French, Italian, Viennese, Turkish, American, regular, regular city, half-city, full city, cinnamon, light-cinnamon, just to name a few. It all seems soooooo confusing -- how does one make sense of it all? Simply by associating the flavor of the coffee, with the color and/or appearance of the coffee beans, rather than relying on the roast name alone.

High-grown Arabica beans are chock full of complex, aromatic flavors that are just waiting to be released by the roasting process. Other than the origin of the bean, the degree of roast is the next most important factor in the flavor of a high-quality, gourmet coffee. The degree of roast is determined by the roaster, based on the origin and type of bean. Roasters try to emphasize those qualities of the bean that they feel are most desirable. But since everyone has different perceptions and tastes, including roasters, coffee roasts can vary to a large degree even when using the same coffee beans. Thus, the end result is that you wind up with a variety of very different tasting coffees.

When choosing a coffee roast, there really is no such thing as the "best" roast. Many factors affect one's choice in a coffee roast, the most important being your own personal taste preferences. What time of day you intend on drinking your cup of joe, or what type of food you will be eating it with, are other important considerations. A good rule of thumb is to follow the sunlight in your day -- lighter roasts go well in the morning with breakfast, medium roasts in the afternoon, and darker roasts in the evening, especially after a rich, spicy meal. But again, your own personal taste preferences will prevail!

Light Coffee Roasts

Light roast coffees are of course light brown in color and the beans' surface is dry. Light roasts often preserve a coffee's origin or flavor characteristics specific to that coffee's growing region. Light roast coffees tend to emphasize the more subtle, complex flavors of a coffee, often floral and citrusy or fruity notes that denote a high acidity. These roasts are light-bodied, somewhat sour, and are characterized as "snappy."

Light Cinnamon -- the beans are very light in color and dry with no coffee oils visible on the surface. The coffee usually has little body and there are noticeable sour notes. There's also a baked or bready taste to the coffee.

Cinnamon -- the beans are still light brown and dry with no coffee oils visible. The hints of toasted grain remain and there are distinct sour, acidic notes.

New England or Half City -- the beans are a little darker than the cinnamon. The taste is still sour but not bready. This style is not as frequently used as other roast styles, but is common in the eastern U.S..

American or Light -- the beans are medium light brown in color. This is the roast used mainly in the eastern U.S. and is the roast style most often used for cupping or professional coffee tasting.

Medium Coffee Roasts

Medium roast coffees are a dark brown color and may have some oily spots on the surface of the beans. The acidity factor, or sour-citrusy flavors are decreased in this roast and the more caramel-like, spicy and or nutty notes are accentuated. Most coffees reach their peak of flavor and complexity with this roast, and it is probably the most common roast used by today's roasters.

Medium or City -- the beans are a medium brown color. This roast style is most common in the western U.S. and is the recommended degree of roast for tasting the different origin flavors in a coffee.

Full City -- the beans are medium dark brown in color and show some coffee oils on the surface. This is also a good roast for tasting origin characteristics of the coffee. The taste is slightly bittersweet with caramel and/or chocolate undertones.

Light French, Viennese, Light Espresso or Continental -- the beans are a dark brown color and are shiny with light surface oil. There's less acidity in this roast and the taste is more bittersweet. There are caramel-like flavors with burnt undertones. This roast is often used for espresso.

Dark Coffee Roasts

Dark roast coffees have slightly less caffeine and are less acidic than lighter roast coffees. In dark roasts, the oils within the beans have been driven to the surface making the beans appear quite shiny. Some of the more subtle, complex flavors of lighter roast coffees are significantly reduced and/or destroyed with dark roasts. These flavors are replaced by more pungent, bittersweet sometimes tangy, dark roasted flavors that include chocolate and caramel notes.

French, Espresso, Turkish or Dark -- the beans are dark brown in color and they are somewhat shiny with surface oil. They have burnt undertones and their acidity is quite diminished. This is the most popular roast for espresso.

Italian, Dark French or Heavy -- the beans are a very dark brown color and the surface is very shiny or oily. There's a stronger burnt flavor to the bean and the acidity is almost gone.

Spanish -- this is the darkest roast of all. The beans are nearly black and very shiny. Burnt undertones dominate and the flavor has been reduced to a few weak, sweet notes. The taste can sometimes be flat, and the body of the coffee thin.

This plethora of roast names just scratches the surface, and often times some of the darker roasts included in the light and medium categories could easily fall into the subsequent category. There's a very fine line that separates one roast category from another -- and again, it's all very subjective, and we can only approximate the categories and the roast names that fall within them.

So if you're still not sure which coffee roast to choose -- take the plunge! Purchase a few coffee samplers from your favorite gourmet coffee retailer and start testing. Look for the degree of roast that brings out the best flavor and aromatic characteristics of the coffee bean. Also keep in mind the type of brewing method you will be using on your coffee -- select darker roasts for espresso, and light to medium roasts for your automatic drip.

While there are many factors to consider when selecting the "best" coffee roast, once you understand the differences in the degrees of roast, and the flavor characteristics associated with each roast style, and you try to ignore those catchy brand names, you will have a much easier time choosing that perfect roast.

Mary E. MacDonald is the owner of The JavaPot, an online tea and coffee shop that offers a premium line of gourmet tea and coffee, with an emphasis on organic products. You will also find more great articles, some unique coffee and tea -related gift items, delicious recipes, and product reviews.

Check out The JavaPot for more details about current gourmet whole bean coffee and specialty loose leaf tea offerings.

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