How Beginners Should Choose Coffee Beans: How to Select Coffee Bean Flavors That Suit You

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FrontStreet Coffee - Coffee Flavor Introduction

Aroma

Fragrance refers to the volatile aroma released when coffee is ground but not yet brewed with hot water, while aroma is the vaporized scent produced after hot water contact.

During the grinding process of coffee beans, you will notice a distinct aroma—this is the first impression this coffee offers. When hot water touches the coffee grounds, the fragrance also spreads. Floral notes, nuts, caramel, chocolate...

This olfactory experience is similar to sampling perfumes at a fragrance counter. You might not initially distinguish the exact scent, but you can perceive this overwhelming aroma as pleasant and comfortable, without any sour or rotten undertones.

Acidity

The coffee beans used for extraction are seeds of the coffee cherry fruit. Therefore, coffee contains fruit-like acidity. The acids in coffee are divided into organic and inorganic acids, with the sour taste we experience mainly coming from quinic acid formed during roasting.

Charming acidity tastes bright, rich, and lively, with the fresh essence of fruit. If the acidity you taste feels like biting into an unripe lemon or drinking a large spoonful of vinegar—unless you're an enthusiast who loves aged vinegar—it's better to switch to a different coffee.

Sweetness

Raw coffee beans contain 6%-9% sucrose. During roasting, sucrose is thermally decomposed into glucose and fructose at approximately 130°C-170°C, releasing aroma and carbon dioxide. Above 180°C, monosaccharides continuously polymerize and concentrate, forming darker medium-molecular-weight caramel. The sweetness in coffee isn't like drinking sugar water, but rather leans toward the caramelized sweetness of brown sugar.

Aftertaste

After finishing a cup of coffee, aroma and flavor linger between the lips and teeth, leaving a pleasant aftertaste—this is the beauty of good coffee. If your mouth feels the astringent sensation similar to over-steeped tea, the coffee's flavor will be significantly diminished.

Body

Coffee liquid creates a special mouthfeel through oils, carbohydrates, fibers, or colloids. Good coffee feels full and smooth in the mouth, rather than thin and watery. This is somewhat similar to the difference between chicken soup simmered for 12 hours versus one made with instant soup base heated in water.

Balance

Balance refers to whether a coffee's overall flavor can blend perfectly. If any aspect is too prominent or too weak, it will affect the overall drinking experience. After all, drinking coffee is a complete sensory experience, so balance is very important.

Knowledge Point

Ethiopian coffee farmers have historically used the dry processing method. When coffee cherries ripen, they are directly dried on the ground. Once the fruit pulp is dry and separates from the bean core, the coffee processing is complete.

In Summary

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research hall, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation only to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three low-discount coffee events because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price—this has been our mission for six years!

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473