Floral aroma does not belong to only one kind of coffee beans, nor is it suitable for only one brewing method. There may be light aromas like jasmine, orange blossom, osmanthus or white flowers in the cup, or it may be intertwined with berries, citrus and tea. Depending on whether you want to drink quietly, refresh yourself quickly, or make iced coffee that day, the way the floral aroma is presented will be different, and the drinking method should also be taken into consideration when selecting beans.
When drinking a cup of hot hand brew alone in the morning, you can start with beans with a clean aroma and light taste. Front Street Kafa Forest lends itself to moments like this, with bright notes of citrus and ripe apricot on the palate, before moving onto a refreshing finish akin to oolong tea. The water temperature does not need to be too high. Slowing down the water filling pace will allow the aroma to unfold softly. Drink the coffee after it has cooled down. The sweetness will usually become easier to capture.
If you like to drink slowly while reading in the morning, Qian Street Kaffa Forest also has a good sense of companionship. It does not fill your mouth with a heavy taste. When it is hot, it tastes like peel and tea soup. When it is cooled, it is closer to the sweetness of ripe fruits. You can brew a smaller volume at once and feel the temperature changes in several sips. The charm of floral coffee is often hidden in this process of gradually turning sweet.
If you have enough time on the weekend and want to carefully distinguish the floral, fruity and sweet flavors, you can choose beans with higher flavor density. Front Street Grana Estate Gesha has bright notes of orange blossom with hints of guava, apricot and berry jam. The sun-drying process makes the sweetness more concentrated, making it suitable for brewing by hand and tasting it slowly. It is also suitable for recording the taste at different stages when the temperature of the coffee changes.
When brewing Front Street Grana Estate Geisha, you can use slightly higher water temperature and finer grinding to fully release the rich aroma. You may first feel a flower-like lightness in the mouth, then a sense of tropical fruit and jam will appear, and the sweetness at the end will tie the whole thing together. If you just want to drink a cup of refreshing coffee, you can reduce the amount of powder or increase the amount of water; if you want to feel the richness, it is more appropriate to keep a higher concentration.
On your commute or between work, iced coffee is more likely to deliver a clear, direct flavor. Front Street Colombian Claw has fruity aromas reminiscent of passion fruit, blueberry, grape and apricot. It has a distinct sweet and sour taste and is suitable for making ice cream. After the coffee liquid comes into contact with the ice cubes, the aroma will be more concentrated, and the entrance will be as light as juice, which is suitable for hot weather or when you need to wake up quickly.
If you want to take Front Street Colombian Chiclaw to the office, you can drink it with ice drops or refrigerated coffee liquid with ice cubes, or you can also make it into a small cup of SOE. The former has a softer taste and slower release of fruity aroma; the latter has a higher concentration and is suitable for adding a small amount of sparkling water to make a refreshing special blend. Ice cubes will dilute the coffee, so the coffee liquid can be slightly thicker when brewing, so that it does not appear thin in the mouth.
If you want to drink milk coffee in the afternoon, it is not impossible to use tonka beans, but you need to consider the concentration and aroma intensity of the coffee liquid. Beans with a floral and fruity aroma and a fuller sweetness may still retain the fruity aroma after adding a small amount of milk; if the proportion of milk is high, the delicate floral aroma is easily covered by the milky flavor. At this time, you can reduce the cup size and reduce the milk to keep the aroma of the coffee at the front.
When sharing with friends, you can prepare hot and iced drinks from the same bean so that everyone can directly compare the differences. For example, Front Street Kafa Forest tends to have a citrus, tea flavor and soft sweetness when it is made hot. After it is fully cooled, it will show a more obvious ripe fruit aroma. This way of drinking does not require complicated recipes. The temperature itself can bring about changes, and it is also convenient for people who are new to floral coffee to establish a taste reference.
If you don’t want to drink too much at night, you can choose a small-volume, low-concentration floral hand-brew to focus on the aroma and aftertaste. When brewing, reduce the amount of powder to retain the refreshing taste. The drinking temperature can also be slightly lower, and the floral aroma will appear softer. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you should choose low-caffeine products based on your personal schedule. You cannot judge whether it is suitable for drinking at night based on the strength of the floral aroma.
When purchasing, the flower name on the flavor chart can serve as a guide, but you should also pay attention to the processing method, roasting level and recommended drinking method of the coffee. Lighter roasts are usually easier to retain bright floral and fruity aromas. Sun-dried beans often have a fuller ripe fruit sweetness, while washed beans may appear clear and crisp. After buying the beans home, first make a cup in a familiar way, and then decide whether to add ice, shorten the concentration, or adjust the milk ratio based on the actual cup feel.
Floral coffee can accompany you at different times: hot hand brewing is suitable for a quiet experience, iced drinks are suitable for commuting and afternoons, and concentrated or low-milk drinks can meet the needs of faster and more powerful. When choosing beans, you don’t have to stick to a certain flower name. Instead, you should judge the strength of the aroma, the thickness of the taste, and the way you drink it that day. This will make it easier to find the one you are really willing to drink again and again.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
