How to Identify Acidic Components in Coffee and Which Coffee Beans Are More Acidic

In the past, many people were turned off by acidity, believing that coffee should be bitter. Today, however, "acidity" has become a desirable quality, and acidic coffees are no longer uncommon.

Acidity vs. Acidity Quality

When we cup coffee, we use both "acidity" and "acidity quality" to describe the acids in coffee. Acidity refers to the strength and intensity of acids—the first sensation experienced as coffee liquid passes the sides of the tongue. The pleasant acids we taste in coffee, such as citric, citrus, or grape-like fruit acids, represent excellent acidity quality. Clearly, the quality of acidity is more important than its strength.

The strength of coffee acidity is closely related to coffee variety, growing environment, processing method, and roast level. Coffee contains acids because various organic acids are produced and accumulated during the growth and processing of coffee beans: chlorogenic acid, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, and more. Chlorogenic acid is the source of bitterness in coffee and is considered an undesirable acid. Robusta beans contain higher levels of chlorogenic acid, resulting in strong bitterness. Malic and citric acids correlate positively with coffee growing altitude and maturity—the riper the coffee cherries picked at higher altitudes, the more likely the coffee will exhibit excellent acidity quality.

Light roast is the most direct cause of coffee acidity, while the roast level depends on which degree brings out the best flavor in the coffee beans. During roasting, many chemical changes occur in the raw coffee beans. Some components form new acids (such as quinic acid), and acidity reaches a certain peak. Afterwards, under continued high temperatures, the formed acids begin to decompose. As the roast level deepens, the caramelization reaction gradually weakens the acidity.

Fruit Flavors in Coffee Come From "Acidity"

It's important to understand that high-quality acidity must have sweetness. With sweetness, the acidity in coffee becomes vibrant and multi-layered. The acids in coffee help us better perceive the fruity aromas (for example, the bright acidity of Yirgacheffe that evokes citrus and lemon), and also allow us to better appreciate the sweetness in coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that often people don't simply dislike acidity, but rather experience only acid and bitterness in coffee lacking the balance of sweetness. Imagine eating an orange—it's the full juice sensation with both sour and sweet notes that elevates the taste experience. If an orange were only sweet without acidity, it would seem strange. Therefore, we often use fruity terms to describe the intensity and combination of acidity and sweetness in coffee, such as apple, lemon, grapefruit, passion fruit, red wine acidity, berries, cherry, citrus, peach, pineapple, and more.

How Do Acidic Coffees Taste?

As mentioned above, coffee acidity is closely related to variety, growing environment, and post-processing methods. Different conditions result in different expressions of acidity and acidity quality. We can choose acidic coffees according to our preferences based on keywords describing fruit flavors.

If you prefer bright, elevated acidity, choose washed, high-altitude, light roast coffee beans, such as washed Esmeralda Special Geisha coffee or washed Yirgacheffe Gedeb coffee. In black coffee, these exhibit citrus fruit sweetness and sourness like lemon, orange, tangerine, and pomelo, providing a refreshing and light mouthfeel.

For juice-like full acidity, choose flavor profiles described as dark berries, such as black plum, blackberry, berries, and grapes. For example, washed Kenyan coffee exhibits a smooth, viscous, substantial juice sensation, with acidity that dominantly occupies the taste buds.

There's also a high-sweetness blended acidity, most commonly found in natural processed, medium-light roast, high-altitude coffee beans, such as natural Esmeralda Red Label Geisha coffee, natural Yirgacheffe Red Cherry coffee, and natural Sidamo Guji coffee. Higher acidity accompanies high sweetness, plus fermented aromas, with flavors tending toward various tropical fruits like passion fruit, mango, and peaches.

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