Recommended Coffee Beans with Acidity-Rich Flavor Profile - An Introduction to the Taste Characteristics of Light Roast Coffee Beans

In our daily work at the coffee bar, we encounter all kinds of customers. Among them, a considerable number are not accustomed to acidic coffee beans. Typically, coffees with strong acidity are those roasted to lighter levels, and indeed, some lightly roasted coffees have acidity that can be difficult to accept. Therefore, customers naturally form the impression that the lighter the coffee roast, the more acidic the coffee will be.

But is this really the case? This depends on the sources of acidity in coffee and how these acids change during the roasting process.

● Acidic substances contained in raw coffee beans include malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, chlorogenic acid, phosphoric acid, and others.

During the coffee roasting process, sugars and organic acids in the beans begin to thermally degrade or decompose, forming acids such as formic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, and quinic acid. However, as the roast level deepens, these acids continue to degrade or volatilize.

During roasting, the stage where acidity and acid concentration change most dramatically is the development phase after the first crack begins. From this perspective, the acidity in coffee reaches its peak at some point after the first crack and then decreases due to thermal decomposition or volatilization of acids.

In fact, when the first crack begins, organic acids such as formic acid and acetic acid are generated in large quantities in the coffee, reaching their maximum value near the end of the first crack, then beginning to decrease. Meanwhile, originally present organic acids like citric acid and malic acid gradually decompose as the first crack progresses. Citric acid and malic acid provide brighter and more pleasant acidity, while formic acid and acetic acid are highly volatile, taste very sour, and also smell acidic - they can be irritating when concentrated.

Moreover, sucrose in coffee also gradually gets consumed in reactions after the first crack begins. Therefore, coffee actually tastes most acidic in the light-to-medium roast stage. At extremely light and light roast levels, because more sucrose is retained in the coffee beans and the total amount of organic acids isn't as high, the coffee actually tastes like gentle acidity with a very natural sweetness. Some raw beans that naturally contain higher sugar content, when roasted to this stage, may even exhibit strong sweetness when consumed.

● FrontStreet Coffee roasted a Papua New Guinea washed Typica, split into two roasts. We tried to ensure the yellowing point before first crack and the first crack point were identical, only changing the development time after first crack.

The first batch was dropped at 190.5°C after 1:20 minutes of development after first crack (mid-dense first crack).

The second batch was dropped at 191.8°C after 1:40 minutes of development after first crack (end of first crack).

Cupping results:

First batch: The initial acidity is gentle, followed quickly by sweetness. However, the aroma is somewhat simple, with slight ginseng-like notes.

Second batch: The initial acidity is brighter, with higher acidity and delayed sweetness. The aroma complexity is higher, with fruit-like fragrances.

Therefore, it's not necessarily true that the lighter the roast, the more acidic the coffee will be. This relates to the complex changes and combinations of various flavor compounds during coffee roasting. However, excessively light roasting will cause coffee beans to have underdeveloped, green flavors - this is undeniable.

Recommended Acidic Coffee Bean Brands

Fruity acidity and floral aromas, as signature flavors of light-to-medium roast coffee beans, are deeply loved by people. Recently, an enthusiast of fruity acidic coffee asked FrontStreet Coffee for recommendations of coffees with natural floral and fruit aromas. Since that's the case, let's explore some single-origin coffee beans with fruity notes one by one:

1. Bright Citrus Acidity + White Floral Aroma — FrontStreet Coffee Guodingding Coffee Beans

The Guodingding Cooperative, with 300 member small farmers, is famous for growing the highest quality coffee in Ethiopia. Their processing method follows the most traditional washed approach, earning them the reputation as "the last pure land of Yirgacheffe." Among customers who drink coffee at FrontStreet Coffee, if they want to experience washed fruity coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's baristas will优先 recommend the Guodingding Cooperative coffee from the bean display. The washed Guodingding Cooperative coffee not only lacks the strong bitterness of traditional black coffee but also features fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity, along with jasmine fragrance that makes many coffee enthusiasts fall in love at first taste.

2. Rich Berry Aroma + Cherry Tomato Acidity — FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Small Tomato Coffee Beans

For those who naturally enjoy acidity, FrontStreet Coffee has always prioritized recommending this bean, as when it comes to fruity acidity alone, no other coffee can match it. This Kenyan coffee first features the SL28 and SL34 varieties - both are varieties selected through multiple breeding cycles. SL28 belongs to the Bourbon genetic group, carrying the bright profile and rich acidity of original Bourbon, while SL34's lineage is closer to Typica genetics, with gentler acidity. Secondly, it uses the locally distinctive K72 washed processing method, where the multiple soaking washed processing creates clean yet solid fruity acidity. When FrontStreet Coffee's Small Tomato is made into iced coffee, you can experience dark berry flavors with full cherry tomato aroma. It's especially satisfying when chilled, making it a preferred choice for many friends when making cold brew.

3. Raisin + Fruit Candy — FrontStreet Coffee Strawberry Candy

Compared to other fruity coffees, this bean has a rather special "background story" because it combines two renowned producing regions from Central and South America: one is honey-processed coffee from Costa Rica, and the other is washed Geisha from Panama. To highlight its essence as much as possible, FrontStreet Coffee used medium roasting, allowing it to express both citrus-honey notes and rounded sweetness when brewed. It's suitable for various extraction methods including cold brew, pour-over, and espresso. The taste is refreshingly delightful.

4. Passion Fruit Acidity + Blueberry Sweetness — FrontStreet Coffee Colombia Big Navel

At the 2023 WBC finals, Australian competitor Jack Simpson used a coffee called Big Navel and showcased its rich juice-like qualities through three different drinks, bringing attention to this somewhat unusual variety. FrontStreet Coffee's Big Navel comes from Colombia's famous producing region - Huila, produced by Diviso Farm. It uses double anaerobic natural processing, which successfully releases enticing floral and fruit aromas from the coffee cherries. Each brew consistently delivers rich grape, orange, blueberry, and other flavors.

5. Citrus Acidity + Honey Pomelo Tea — FrontStreet Coffee Flower Butterfly

Flower Butterfly consists of three coffee varieties: Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai, all produced from Panama's famous Boquete region, where well-known estates like Hacienda La Esmeralda and Elida Estate are located. Through research, FrontStreet Coffee learned that previously, to pursue yield, Geisha varieties were mixed and planted together with Caturra and Catuai coffee trees. To highlight Geisha characteristics, they began to separately collect the three varieties and use refined washed processing, finally mixing them together again when packaging for export. Because high-quality Geisha accounts for a full 70%, the coffee naturally carries distinct grapefruit, citrus notes, and light floral aromas, while the washed processing also gives the coffee a bright tea-like quality.

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