Each coffee varietal and type exhibits its own unique characteristics including flavor, texture, and body. Flavor profiles range from sweet to earthy, fruity to floral, and nutty to chocolaty just to name a few. The texture of coffee can be described as smooth, syrupy, and creamy while the body can be heavy, light, or anywhere in between. The way a coffee is roasted can affect each of these characteristics. The lighter the roast, the more natural flavor, texture, and body of the beans can be observed. The darker the roast, those characteristics tend to evolve into something different.
Roast level also has an effect on the amount of caffeine. A light roast results in more caffeine while a darker roast produces a bean with less caffeine. Look for a lighter roast for your morning coffees, a medium roast for your afternoon focus break, and a dark roast for your after-dinner brew.
Roasting can give new personality to a coffee. A good Roastmaster studies the beans to determine which roast level highlights the best qualities of a coffee bean to bring you the most enjoyment in a cup of coffee. Our CoffeeAM Roastmaster is experienced and passionate about coffee. He has done the work to bring you the finest small-batch roasted coffees with their best characteristics highlighted.
Roasting coffee is a very interactive process. In addition to the aromas given off during roasting, there are also auditory cues in the form of "cracks," and visual cues in the form of color and sheen. Green coffee beans tend to smell green, like grass or hay. The longer they are roasted the more they smell, first, like coffee, then As the coffee beans are roasted, the small amount of moisture still inside begins to heat and expand. As the moisture expands it causes the coffee bean to make a cracking noise. The color of the beans will change from pale green through light brown and, if left long enough, to black. The natural oils inside the bean are extracted in the darker roasts imparting a shiny layer.
Find your preferred roast profile and check out the coffees to find your favorites.