MEET THE BEANS / ROAST

Developing coffee’s aroma through roasting

Roasting is the process of heating green coffee beans. When we smell unroasted beans, we cannot detect the familiar aroma of coffee because their characteristic aroma and flavour develop during roasting.

Understanding roasting is essential to making a rich, satisfying cup of coffee. Even the same beans can produce different aromas and flavours depending on how they are roasted.

01 / ROAST LEVELS

Light Roasting

When green coffee beans are heated, their chemical composition changes and their volume increases. During the early roasting stages, the beans become light brown. They retain strong acidity, but many of the aromas and flavours associated with roasted coffee have not yet fully developed. These roast levels are often used to assess the beans’ quality.

Suitable origins:

Kenya

Guatemala

Light Roast — Pronounced acidity

This roast produces strong acidity, but the smooth mouthfeel and distinctive flavours associated with coffee have not yet developed fully.

Flavour

Acidity (Bright / Tangy)

Light roasts retain the highest level of natural acids from the bean. Instead of a harsh or unpleasant taste, good acidity feels like a juicy snap of citrus, green apple, or berries.

Sweetness (Clear / Fruity)

The sugars in the bean are preserved rather than caramelized or burnt. Sweetness often presents as honey, stone fruit, or floral undertones.

02 / ROAST LEVELS

Cinnamon Roast — Used for tasting and evaluation

Named after the beans’ cinnamon-like colour, this roast produces light brown beans with strong acidity.

Flavour

Sour / Acidic

Very high, sharp acidity that can lean sour or tart, often compared to under-ripe fruit, green apples, or citrus.

Other Notes

Frequently tastes grassy, green, peanutty, or vegetal, with a very light, tea-like body.

2. Medium Roasting

Medium roasting includes several stages. As roasting progresses, the beans become darker, acidity decreases, and sweetness and bitterness develop. These stages offer a balance between acidity and bitterness, allowing the beans’ individual characteristics to emerge.

Suitable origins:

Costa Rica

Colombia

Tanzania

Guatemala

Cuba

Puerto Rico

Brazil

Jamaica

Medium Roast — Smooth acidity

The beans become chestnut brown. Acidity remains noticeable, accompanied by a familiar coffee aroma.

Flavour

Sweetness

As the beans roast into the medium range, natural sugars caramelize. You will often taste notes of caramel, milk chocolate, toffee, honey, or toasted nuts.

Sourness / Acidity

Medium roasts have a mellow, balanced acidity (often compared to a bright squeeze of citrus or red fruit) rather than a sharp, aggressive sourness. If a medium roast tastes overtly sour, it is usually due to under-extraction or water that is not hot enough during brewing.

Bitterness

Bitterness is subdued and minimal compared to dark roasts. It provides a clean backbone to balance out the natural sweetness without tasting burnt, charcoal-like, or overly harsh.

Body and Mouthfeel

Medium roasts have a smooth, rounded, and approachable body that sits right between the bright, tea-like lightness of light roasts and the heavy, smoky oiliness of dark roasts.

High Roast — A balance of acidity and bitterness

This is a slightly more developed medium roast. The beans turn brown, acidity becomes milder, and sweetness increases. It is a common roast level because acidity and bitterness combine harmoniously, allowing the beans’ characteristics to be expressed fully.

Flavour

Bitterness

High. Longer roasting breaks down carbohydrates and increases deep, roasted bitterness.

Sweetness

Caramelized and heavy. Natural sugars transform into deep, rich notes like dark chocolate, molasses, and brown sugar.

Body & Texture

Full-bodied, heavy, and thick in the mouth.

Common Notes

Smokey, woody, earth-toned, dark cocoa, toasted nuts, and sometimes a hint of spice or tobacco.

City Roast — A balance of bitterness and acidity

The beans become dark brown. Acidity weakens, bitterness becomes more noticeable, and the aroma grows richer. This roast is popular and commonly used by coffee shops.

Flavour

Sweetness

Features natural sugary, caramel, or nutty undertones as the roast starts developing past the first crack.

Acidity (Sourness)

Retains a bright, crisp, or fruity acidity because the beans are not roasted too dark.

3. Dark Roasting

Dark roasting includes Full City, French, and Italian roasts. The beans become dark and glossy. Acidity decreases significantly, while bitterness becomes more pronounced. The coffee develops a rich body, and oils gradually move to the surface of the beans, producing a strong aroma. However, this aroma fades quickly, so the beans should be stored carefully.

Suitable origins:

India

Kenya

Brazil

Indonesia

Papua New Guinea

Bolivia

Full City Roast

Flavour

Sweetness

High and smooth. Sugars caramelize well at this roast level, bringing out rich flavors like caramel, toffee, and milk or dark chocolate.

Bitterness

Mild to moderate. It is present as a pleasant, roasty, or bittersweet note (similar to dark chocolate), rather than a harsh or burnt bitterness.

Body / Mouthfeel

Full and rich. The coffee feels heavy, creamy, and satisfying on the tongue, often with a light sheen of natural oils on the surface of the beans.

French Roast — Strong bitterness

The beans become nearly black, with visible spots of oil on their surface. The coffee has a pronounced bitterness and is suitable for drinks made with milk, such as café au lait.

Flavour

Smoky & Charred

Features strong notes of smoke, charcoal, toasted wood, and dark roast depth because the beans are heated past the second crack.

Bittersweet

Delivers a deep, pronounced bitterness balanced by caramelized sugars and hints of dark chocolate or bittersweet cocoa.

Sweet (Caramelized)

Natural sugars inside the bean caramelize during the high-heat roasting process, adding a subtle, toasted-sugar or dark-caramel sweetness.

Body

Leaves a thin-to-full body with a glossy, oily surface and a smooth, mellow finish on the palate.

Italian Roast — Mainly used for espresso

This is a very dark roast. The beans become deeply black and oily. The resulting coffee has a strong roasted flavour and very pronounced bitterness.

Flavour

Bitterness (High)

Italian roast is one of the darkest roasts available (nearly black with an oily surface), which brings out a prominent, bold bitterness and roasted, smoky, or charred notes.

Learn more: National Coffee Association