The taste of a cup of coffee is created by many factors, from the origin, variety and processing method, to roasting, and finally brewing. Each factor plays an important role in its own right, but they are also closely linked. The lack of any one of them will affect the final performance of the coffee.
As for roasting degree, it first determines the acidity and bitterness of coffee, and affects the removal and retention of caramelized substances, aromatic precursors, organic acids, and sugars. Proper roasting degree can not only give full play to the advantages of coffee beans, but also weaken its shortcomings, allowing the flavor to be better displayed. So how does the degree of roasting affect espresso? Today Front Street will talk about this topic~
Light roast → espresso
Light roasting can be said to be a very popular level of roasting in the past ten years. Its emergence is inseparable from a concept, that is "specialty coffee". Specialty coffee refers to high-quality coffee beans that are cultivated under the microclimate and soil conditions of the production area to produce the unique flavor of the place. For example, the bright citric acid of Yirgacheffe, the rich berry flavor of Kenya, the floral tea flavor of Gesha... these are all classic features that many coffee fans are familiar with.
In order to highlight the regional flavor of these coffees, roasters must choose a lighter roasting degree, firstly to avoid excessive conversion of substances into bitterness, and secondly, to retain more essential aromatic substances and organic acids, so that they will not be masked by the bitterness of the coffee.
Friends who like to drink Pour over(V60) coffee know that Ethiopia is the most famous coffee producing country in Africa. Among them, Yirgacheffe’s washed coffee beans are the most famous, and Front Street Guoding is one of the representatives. When formulating the roasting curve, Front Street hoped to highlight the citrus sourness and white flower aroma of the Yirgacheffe production area, as well as the sweetness of honey and nuts, so he chose a light-to-medium roast. When brewed by hand, it will show clear fruity-sweet and tea-flavored flavors, with clear layers and a low-bitter and refreshing taste.
Parameters of Front Street Fruit Ding Ding Extraction Espresso
Coffee powder: 19g
Coffee liquid: 38g
Liquid discharge time: 4 seconds
Extraction time: 20 seconds
Grinding degree: Galileo Q18-2.0 grid (time controlled at 20~30 seconds)
Making hot American style: 1:4 (add 150g warm water)
The overall flow rate is fast, the extraction time is short, the oil is only around the cup wall, the color is light yellow, and it smells of butter and nuts. The hot American has higher acidity and lacks the support of coffee flavor, so it tastes monotonous. At this point we can find that the difficulty of using light roasted coffee to make espresso is that under the same conditions, light roasted beans have a short heating time and high hardness. Even though they are ground to the thickness of espresso powder, it is difficult to fully extract them. The most direct manifestation is that the rapid flushing of hot water leads to ultra-high acidity, even to the point of sourness, lack of body and sweetness, but at the same time it has the lowest bitterness.
Medium roast → espresso
Medium roasting is the favorite category of many baristas because it not only retains part of the flavor of the coffee beans themselves, but also has the caramelized flavor brought about by roasting. The overall taste can achieve a balance of sourness and bitterness, and roasted substances are more likely to provide obvious sweetness. It is very suitable for people who pursue a taste that is not sour or bitter.
Medium-roasted beans often appear in American production areas. For single-origin coffee, the first choices are Front Street Brazilian Queen's Manor, Front Street 2013 Yunnan Tiepica, and Front Street Bird of Paradise. For blended coffee, buy Front Street Strawberry Espresso. The caramelization reaction makes them form a deeper color on the bean surface and create aromas such as fruit, caramel, and nuts. Front Street here uses freshly roasted Front Street 2013 Yunnan Tiepica, which comes from Front Street’s own planting estate and is sun-dried and medium-roasted, aiming to let everyone experience the quiet flavor of Yunnan coffee.
Parameters of Front Street 2013 Sun-Dried Typica Extraction Espresso
Coffee powder: 19g
Coffee liquid: 38g
Liquid discharge time: 6 seconds
Extraction time: 24 seconds
Grinding degree: Galileo Q18-2.0 grid (time controlled at 20~30 seconds)
Making hot American style: 1:4 (add 150g warm water)
The overall flow rate is medium to fast, and the concentration has a thin layer of coffee fat with brown tiger spots, exuding the aroma of brown sugar and chocolate. The hot American style tends to have a balanced tonality, and there is no particular aspect that is particularly outstanding. However, the acidity of the ripe plums and the slight sweetness and bitterness are very harmonious. After the temperature drops, you can still drink it with a tea-like aftertaste. The fly in the ointment is that espresso made with medium-roast coffee still has a low mellowness and cannot support the American taste. Therefore, the flavor threshold is low and the aroma is not long-lasting.
Dark roast → espresso
There is no doubt that light roasting corresponds to dark roasting. It takes longer to roast (baking at a higher temperature). Most of the substances are involved in the caramelization reaction. The beans are loose and have a very strong roasting taste. At the same time, they have high body and obvious bitterness. They are most suitable for friends who don’t like sour coffee. Front Street believes that if light roasting is to better show the flavor of the coffee production area, then dark roasting is to restore the classic "coffee flavor". The most representative single product is Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling.
Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling has unique flavors such as herbs, wood, and spices. These characteristics are not only attributed to the Sumatra production area and wet planing method, but also the rich roasting aroma and mellowness brought by close to dark roasting, making the final flavor three-dimensional. But when it comes to dark roasted Italian coffee, people generally think of blends. For example, Front Street Classic Blend, Front Street Black Cocoa Basic Blend, Front Street Commercial Blend, etc. are all representatives of dark roast beans worth recommending on the list.
The classic blend of Front Street is a tribute to the once popular "Mamba Coffee", which is a combination of Indonesian Mandheling beans and Brazilian Italian beans, which play a complementary and harmonious role in taste. Front Street's classic Italian blend is based on the Mamba recipe and adds Robusta. During extraction, it can obtain the aroma of butter, nuts, spices, and dark chocolate. Its wild tonality, smooth taste, and bursting fat are its biggest features.
Front Street Classic Blend Extraction Parameters for Espresso
Coffee powder: 19g
Coffee liquid: 38g
Liquid discharge time: 6 seconds
Extraction time: 29 seconds
Grinding degree: Galileo Q18-2.2 grid (time controlled at 20~30 seconds)
Making hot American style: 1:4 (add 150g warm water)
Front Street Classic Blend Espresso Espresso has an even flow rate throughout the entire process. The oil is thick with tiger spots, and the texture is dense and dark brown. It exudes the aroma of caramel, roasted hazelnuts, and fried peanuts. The hot American style has a rich taste, a medium-to-high alcohol content, almost no obvious sourness, and the bitter and sweet aroma of sugar-free dark chocolate. After the temperature drops, the sweetness of caramel begins to appear.
It can be seen that dark roasted coffee is obviously more conducive to extracting espresso. Unlike light roasted coffee, it focuses on high body and rich oil, providing aroma to the coffee and giving it a strong taste.
