Americano or Long Black: What Goes Into American Black Coffee?

American black coffee is usually an Americano, but it is not the only version. An Americano is espresso plus hot water, while a long black pours water first and adds espresso on top, so it keeps more crema and a stronger aroma. Either way, the taste comes from the espresso, not the water.

Because water only dilutes, defects show clearly. Over-extraction brings burnt bitterness, under-extraction brings sharp acidity, and too much water makes the cup taste thin. Shops pair different espresso coffee beans with these drinks; blends such as a chocolate-forward or nutty base are common, and the barista's extraction skill decides the final balance.

Many coffee lovers simply equate American black coffee with Americano, but in fact there are subtle differences between the two in concept and method. Starting from the flavor sources of Americano and the brewing differences between Americano and Long Black, this article analyzes how the espresso extraction state affects the taste, and systematically introduces the recipes, flavors, and suitable scenarios of several espresso coffee beans used in Front Street Coffee stores, including Sunflower Warm Sun Blend, Black Cocoa Blend, Specialty Blend, and Commercial Blend, helping readers understand the bean logic and extraction key points behind a delicious cup of American black coffee.

What does Americano taste like? The answer to this question actually points to the same source—the coffee beans themselves.

The method of making Americano is not complicated; it emphasizes convenience, speed, and ease. Compared with espresso, its taste is usually lighter and cleaner, and it is also easier to present the original flavors of the coffee beans. For this reason, Americano has almost become a basic item on every café menu.

However, even though it is all Americano, some shops make it sweet and smooth, while others make it so bitter that it is hard to swallow. Why is the gap so large? Front Street believes the key lies in two points: first, the quality of the coffee beans; second, the barista's skill in extracting espresso.

Americano is made of espresso plus water, which is why Cantonese people call it "plain coffee." Water itself has no color and no taste; it only plays a diluting role, so whether a cup of Americano tastes good depends on the espresso; and the flavor performance of the espresso mainly depends on the beans and extraction. Since the taste is determined by the beans used to extract the espresso, an ideal cup of Americano should be balanced and full-bodied, and should not have defects such as a watery feel, burnt bitterness, or sharp acidity.

One more point: if you feel bitterness when drinking Americano, you can first consider whether the espresso was over-extracted; if you taste sharp acidity, it is mostly under-extracted espresso; and if it tastes obviously watery, it may be because too much water was added.

What methods are there for making Americano?

Since the ingredients are only espresso and water, mainstream preparation methods are roughly divided into two types: one is adding water to the espresso, and the other is pouring the extracted espresso into water.

The former is usually called Americano, while the latter is often called Long Black.

Americano contains only espresso and water, so it can better restore the coffee's original taste. It is neither as intense and heavy as espresso nor so strong that it is hard to accept.

The difference between Americano and Long Black

The method for Americano is to first extract espresso, then add water to dilute it. The ratio of espresso to water is about 1:5 to 1:8. When water is added, the crema on the surface of the espresso is broken up, so from the first sip to the last, the coffee's concentration remains basically consistent.

Long Black, on the other hand, is made by first pouring water into the cup, then pouring in the extracted espresso. In this way, the crema of the espresso is retained, and the ratio of espresso to water is about 1:3. Because espresso and water have different densities, without stirring, a cup of coffee will show a gradual change in intensity from strong to light. Therefore, the first sip of Long Black is the most intense and full-bodied, with a smooth mouthfeel brought by the crema, while the subsequent flavor performance is relatively clear and clean.

The different flavors of Americano and Long Black

In the daily extraction of espresso at Front Street Coffee stores, the Sunflower Warm Sun Blend coffee beans are used. The extraction parameters are 20 grams of grounds extracting 40 grams of coffee liquid in 28 seconds. The flavor performance of the espresso is: sherry aroma, soft berry acidity, vanilla cream-like texture, and a hazelnut chocolate finish.

When made into a hot Americano with a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:6, the flavor and mouthfeel are: obvious and lively sherry aroma, not prominent berry acidity, and a finish with hazelnut and vanilla chocolate.

When made into a Long Black with a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:3, the flavor and mouthfeel are: creamy and smooth on entry, strong sherry aroma, clear caramel and chocolate finish, intense in the front section and clean in the back section.

When making espresso, Front Street Coffee stores use a double shot.

Choosing a suitable espresso blend bean is equally crucial. Blended coffee, also called mixed coffee, is made by mixing multiple single-origin coffee beans so that the strengths of each bean can be fully brought into play. Blend beans are composed of coffee beans from different origins, with the aim of creating a more balanced taste.

For example, if one coffee bean is smooth but lacks aroma, another bean rich in aroma can be added, allowing the advantages of different coffee beans to complement each other, whether complementing or enhancing the flavor, thereby creating a richer new taste with more layers.

Front Street uses the Flying Horse E98 espresso machine, and the extraction parameters are as follows: Pressure: 9 bar Temperature: 90.5–96°C Time: 25–33 seconds Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:1.7–1:2 Dose: 12 grams (single espresso), 20 grams (double espresso) Extracted espresso yield: 20 ml (single), 40 ml (double)

Next, Front Street Coffee will introduce the details of several espresso blend coffee beans used in its stores.

Front Street Coffee believes that before blending, one must first understand the respective flavor characteristics of different coffee varieties around the world, as beans also have their own characteristics depending on origin. Due to differences in variety and origin, different coffee beans show subtle distinctions in acidity, bitterness, sweetness, aroma, and body. Single-origin coffee beans often focus more on showcasing the unique personality of a certain type of coffee.

The advantage of post-roast blending is that after roasting is completed, the flavor performance of each coffee bean can be used to complement one another, and the proportion weights can be fine-tuned according to the actual situation, thereby presenting a stable coffee flavor.

Detailed introduction to espresso coffee bean blending plans (including specific recipes)

What are blended coffee beans? Depending on the type of coffee, the espresso beans created through blending will also have their own characteristics in taste and flavor. Blended coffee beans mix multiple coffee beans from different origins. The purpose of blending is twofold: first, to form a stable taste; second, to produce a taste that a single origin cannot provide. The several espresso coffee beans currently sold by Front Street Coffee are all blend types, namely the espresso bean recommended by many baristas—Front Street Black Cocoa Blend, Specialty Blend, Commercial Blend, and Warm Sun Blend coffee beans.

1/ Basic Blend espresso coffee beans

Flavor: cream, nuts, chocolate Recipe: 60% Brazilian coffee beans, 40% Yunnan coffee beans

Front Street Coffee's basic coffee beans have very high cost performance. Front Street Coffee selects balanced-tasting Brazilian coffee beans, then adds Yunnan coffee beans, whose flavor and mouthfeel are weaker than Brazilian beans, to harmonize them, presenting the most mainstream taste profile. Whether they are beginners just getting into coffee or seasoned enthusiasts who have been drinking coffee for years, they can easily accept this espresso coffee bean.

For this blended coffee bean, Front Street Coffee uses a medium-dark roast. When made into espresso, the taste has slight acidity and light sweetness, a nutty sweet aftertaste, and is overall mild without being too aggressive. The crema is medium and can meet the daily needs of most stores for producing latte coffee.

As mentioned above, Front Street Coffee's specialty espresso coffee bean is a very stable and high-quality espresso blend bean, very suitable for independent cafés as a daily store offering. Front Street Coffee's basic espresso coffee bean is the second high-cost-performance option provided by Front Street Coffee.

Café store operations cannot do without cost control. While keeping costs as low as possible, providing stable coffee output is what every operator hopes for. This basic coffee bean from Front Street Coffee is a bean with very high cost performance, made by blending Brazilian coffee beans and Yunnan coffee beans. Coffee beans from both Yunnan and Brazil lean toward nutty tones, and the Brazilian coffee beans give this basic espresso bean a more solid body and rich crema.

2/ Commercial Blend espresso coffee beans

Flavor: aromatic and mellow, nutty, strong sweetness when paired with milk Recipe: 60% Brazilian coffee beans, 30% Colombian coffee beans, 10% Robusta

This blend tastes rich in crema and body, with caramel-like sweetness, along with nutty, cocoa-like, and dark chocolate flavors. The acidity and sweetness are balanced, with a slight bittersweet note and a lasting finish. Adding a small amount of Robusta coffee beans increases the richness of the crema, and because the amount used is small, it will not greatly change the flavor.

The reason Front Street named this blend bean "Commercial Blend coffee bean" is that it performs very well whether made into Americano or milk coffee, and with its price advantage, it is very suitable for commercial cafés. The espresso has very rich crema, a smooth and slightly bitter taste, and a very full-bodied texture.

3/ Strawberry Candy Blend coffee beans

Flavor: rose, raisins, strawberry candy, cream

In addition to the Specialty Blend and the espresso bean recommended by many baristas—Front Street Black Cocoa Blend—Front Street Coffee also offers a blended coffee bean with a more unique flavor profile. Front Street Coffee's roasters blended single-origin coffees from three production regions—Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ethiopia—and used a medium roast. The iced Americano made from it carries the fresh fragrance of strawberry gummy candy and roses, while if made into a hot Americano, it presents a berry cream-like texture, smooth mouthfeel, and moderate acidity and sweetness.

As specialty coffee gradually became popular and developed, Front Street Coffee's baristas found during store operations that many customers were no longer satisfied with the sense of stability brought by the Specialty Blend coffee. Front Street Coffee reconsidered, thinking perhaps it was time to bring in more fresh blends to invigorate the store's offerings.

In 2019, after multiple rounds of adjustment, this Warm Sun Blend coffee bean finally appeared on Front Street Coffee's bean list and replaced the store's Specialty Blend with Warm Sun Blend coffee beans. Front Street Coffee's baristas believe that among these three blend coffee beans, the Specialty Blend is the choice for pursuing stability, the espresso bean recommended by many baristas—Front Street Black Cocoa Blend—is the choice for high cost performance, and the Warm Sun Blend is the choice for flavor. The three have different goals, so the customers they suit are naturally different.

The unique taste of Warm Sun Blend comes from its Honduras sherry barrel coffee beans. After the coffee fruit undergoes part of the washed processing steps, it is placed into sherry barrels for low-temperature fermentation, and finally dried. This processing method gives the sherry coffee beans an obvious wine aroma, while Front Street Coffee's roasters mixed in 40% sun-dried Yirgacheffe coffee beans to provide more acidity for the Warm Sun Blend coffee beans and increase the layering of the entire blend.

4/ Specialty Blend espresso coffee beans

Flavor: aromatic and mellow, nutty, strong sweetness when paired with milk Recipe: 70% Brazilian coffee beans, 30% Colombian coffee beans

For customers who do not like overly eccentric flavors, do not care for single-origin coffee, but pursue coffee quality, this specialty espresso coffee bean will be the first choice. For this blend, Front Street Coffee uses a medium-dark roast. It is dominated by balanced-tasting Brazilian coffee beans, paired with Colombian coffee beans that have soft fruit acidity and a nutty sweet aftertaste, for a classic flavor.

This blended bean is also the blend bean we have been using in our own store continuously from about half a year after opening until now. When discussing this blend bean, we wanted to use American beans as the main body to enhance the blend's nutty and sweet taste, while minimizing the appearance of overly bitter flavors.

What is Americano?

Americano originated during World War II. U.S. soldiers in Europe were not used to extremely strong espresso, so they added water to dilute the coffee. Therefore, Americano was essentially created to dilute coffee concentration to a level suitable for Americans to drink at that time.

Later, when Italians immigrated to the United States, Italian-style cafés rose in America, and they carried forward Americano based on espresso. In the "adding water" method, they also adopted the order of pouring coffee first and then water, expressing the idea of diluting strong coffee. Until now, there has not been much fuss about the order in making Americano; it is essentially just the difference between retaining the crema and breaking up the crema.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.