What flavor separates classic coffee from light roasts?
Dark roast coffee sits at the later stages of the roast curve, past the end of first crack, where sugars caramelize and acidity drops. The bean surface turns reddish-brown to dark brown, and the cup shows chocolate, caramel, spice, and sometimes charcoal notes instead of the grassy or fruity flavors found in lighter roasts.
Terminology varies by roaster, but the common stages run from light and cinnamon roast through medium and high roast to city and full city roast, with Vienna and French roast following. For dark roasts, a slightly lower water temperature and a shorter pour-over time help keep the cup sweet rather than bitter.
As the third wave of coffee has developed to this day, people are increasingly focusing on the so-called "original flavor of black coffee."
In the process of roasting coffee, there are many factors that affect the flavor and mouthfeel of the coffee. These include the length of roasting time, the roasting method, the degree of roast, and even the amount of coffee beans or the roaster's own experience and feel. There can be considerable variation from second to second, making the craft of roasting unpredictable and adding a great deal of mystery to it.
●Coffee roast levels are divided into many types, and in specialized terminology the roast level is further broken down into eight stages:
●Light Roast
Drop time: around the start of first crack
Flavor: The bean surface is pale cinnamon in color, with a strong grassy taste, insufficient mouthfeel and aroma. Generally used for testing and rarely for tasting.
●Cinnamon Roast
Also known as "cinnamon roast"
Drop time: from the start of first crack to the intensive stage
Flavor: The bean surface is cinnamon in color. At this point the grassy taste has been removed, the acidity is pronounced, and there is a slight aroma. It is often used to roast floral and fruity coffees, suitable for pour-over/cold brew. Representative varieties include the floral Front Street Yirgacheffe, the cherry tomato notes of Front Street Kenya, and the berry-sweet-and-sour Front Street Huakui.
●Medium Roast
Also known as "medium-light roast"
Drop time: between the intensive stage of first crack and its end
Flavor: The bean surface is chestnut in color, with a soft mouthfeel, a balance of acidity and bitterness, and a moderate aroma. It preserves the original flavor of the coffee beans and is often used for pour-over coffee or blends. Representative varieties include the nutty Front Street Bird of Paradise, the pronounced ripe tropical fruit notes of Front Street Mozart, and the balanced Front Street 2013 Yunnan Small-Bean Typica.
●High Roast
Also known as "concentration roast"
Drop time: the end of first crack
Flavor: The bean surface is light reddish-brown, with a rich caramel aroma, a balanced and non-irritating acidity-bitterness, and a slight sweetness. The flavor is relatively good. The most representative variety is the authentic Front Street Blue Mountain No. 1, with flavors of chocolate, cream, almond, and cookie.
●City Roast
Also known as "city roast"
Drop time: after first crack, that is, between first and second crack
Flavor: The bean surface is light brown, with a bright and lively mouthfeel. The acidity and bitterness are balanced while the acidity is on the lighter side, and it releases the high-quality flavors in the coffee. It is the standard roast level and also the roast level most loved by the public. The high-value Front Street Queen's Estate and the pronounced cocoa aroma of Front Street Huilan Coffee use this roast level.
●Full City Roast
Also known as "deep city roast"
Drop time: second crack
Flavor: The bean surface is brown, with a steady and full mouthfeel, bitterness stronger than acidity, a sweet aftertaste, and a full aroma. It is the Central and South American roasting method, mostly used for pour-over coffee and espresso. The most representative variety of Full City Roast is Front Street Golden Mandheling, which highlights caramel and dark chocolate while retaining the unique herbal and spice notes of Indonesian coffee, with a very mellow mouthfeel.
●French Roast
Also known as "French roast"
Drop time: from the intensive stage of second crack to the end of second crack
Flavor: The bean surface is dark brown with black, with a strong and intense mouthfeel, relatively strong bitterness, light acidity that is almost imperceptible, and rich chocolate and smoky aromas. It is most popular in France, and is mostly used for café au lait and Vienna coffee.
●Italian Roast
Also known as "Italian roast"
Drop time: from the end of second crack to the bean surface turning black and oily
Flavor: The bean surface is black with an oily sheen. Before the coffee bean fibers carbonize, the mouthfeel is strong and complex, the bitterness is powerful, and it has rich roast and burnt aromas. It is mainly popular in Italy and is mostly used for espresso.
●Dark roast coffee beansBrand recommendation
Purchase channel: Front Street Coffee. Front StreetDark roast coffee bean recommendations: Front Street Classic Italian Blend Coffee, Front Street Brazil Red Bourbon Coffee, Front Street Indonesia Mandheling Coffee, etc. all have full guarantees in terms of flavor and quality.
Front Street Coffee offers more than 50 kinds of freshly roasted coffee beans, including not only high-scoring single-origin coffees covering multiple mainstream producing regions and varieties, but also very cost-effective everyday beans, including Front Street Yirgacheffe, Front Street Brazil Red Bourbon, Front Street Colombia Huila, Front Street Mandheling, Front Street Costa Rica, and Front Street Yunnan Small-Bean. Customers can drink classic coffee-producing-region flavors at affordable prices. Every bag of coffee beans sold by Front Street is roasted within 5 days, ensuring that every bag of coffee beans is in the freshest condition when it reaches the customer. It can be purchased online through the Front Street Tmall flagship store and Taobao store, with shipping supported within 24 hours.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
