Does Black Coffee Have Caramel Flavors? What Brewing Techniques Can Bring Out Caramel Notes in Coffee?

When you think of caramel flavors, what foods come to mind? For FrontStreet Coffee, besides childhood snacks like candied sweet potatoes, caramel cookies, caramel pudding, caramel peanuts, crispy flying fish ice cream, and sugar art, the first thing that pops into mind is the "caramel sensation" in coffee.

What is the caramel sensation in coffee?

Caramel is a food formed by melting sugar at high temperatures until it gradually browns, a process also known as caramelization. The result is mainly reflected in two aspects: the browning of sugar and the production of "caramel aroma."

The sugar content in raw coffee beans is primarily sucrose, accounting for approximately 6-9%, which is the main source of sweetness in a cup of coffee.

When the temperature reaches about 170°C, caramelization begins. High temperatures cause the sugars in coffee beans to further decompose, continuously deepening the color of the bean's surface while creating pleasant aromas such as honey, caramel, maple, roasted nuts, and chocolate. When these coffee aromas reach a certain concentration that we can smell or taste, our minds automatically recall memories of eating caramel, leading us to describe this sensation as "caramel feeling."

Which coffee beans are more likely to exhibit "caramel sensation"?

Compared to ethereal floral flavors, capturing caramel sensations in coffee is obviously much easier. Typically, caramel-focused sweetness is mainly concentrated in the aroma emitted from coffee grounds, while the caramel sensation often appears in the tail section of the tasting process, sometimes "hidden" in the aftertaste. The slight bitterness from the coffee liquid, accompanied by inhalation during swallowing, brings sweet aromas similar to caramel-flavored melon seeds.

Since both caramelization and Maillard reactions during coffee bean roasting actually reduce the sweetness in coffee and increase its bitterness, choosing the appropriate roasting level is particularly crucial if you want your cup of coffee to have rich flavors with a moderate caramel sensation.

Based on FrontStreet Coffee's experience, as a common flavor descriptor in coffee, caramel sensation mostly appears in medium-roasted (including medium-light and medium-dark) coffees, and it's also one of the most prominent taste characteristics of these beans.

If we further consider origins, coffees from Central and South America often carry many positive caramel-like aromas due to their terroir, climate, and varieties, with flavor descriptions including roasted nuts, toffee, maple, honey, dark chocolate, almonds, and cocoa. For example, coffees on FrontStreet Coffee's bean list such as Costa Rica Strawberry Candy, Colombia Huila, Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain, Elida Estate Catuai, and Brazil Queen Estate Farm can easily showcase this characteristic when brewed with appropriate extraction plans.

How to brew coffee to bring out the caramel sensation?

Considering that caramel sensation is often associated with richness, roundness, and strong body, FrontStreet Coffee suggests focusing on three aspects when setting up your brewing plan: "lowering pour points, minimizing disturbance of the coffee bed, and utilizing more immersion," while appropriately extending the extraction time to allow more substances that express the finish to be released. Here, FrontStreet Coffee will use the recently introduced Peru Washed Geisha as a reference to demonstrate how to brew to highlight its caramel sensation.

Coffee Beans: Peru Washed Geisha

Dose: 15 grams

Ratio: 1:16

Dripper: Ceramic cake dripper

Water Temperature: 88-89°C

Grind Size: Fine sugar/EK43s setting 10

Pouring Method: Four-stage pour

In the first stage, FrontStreet Coffee uses a small stream of water to pour 30g of hot water clockwise from the center outward and let it bloom for 30 seconds, allowing the coffee grounds to enter the degassing state. In the second stage, we first lower the kettle spout, then pour 80g with a slightly larger stream, maintaining a height of about 2cm, also spiraling from the center outward. Be careful not to disturb the coffee bed, utilizing the immersion characteristics of the dripper to ensure full contact between hot water and coffee grounds.

When the coffee liquid in the dripper is almost finished dripping and the time approaches 1 minute 25 seconds, pour the third stage of 80g of hot water with a small stream. Remember to maintain the same low water level as before, aiming to allow the sweet substances in the middle section to be released in an orderly manner.

For the final stage, there's no need to wait for all the water to drain completely. Instead, when the liquid level drops to halfway, pour the final 50g from the center with a small stream, completing all pours by 1 minute 45 seconds. Finally, the drip time of the coffee liquid will be slightly longer than usual, ending extraction at about 2 minutes 13 seconds.

This brewing method for Peru Geisha presents immediate flavors of caramel, cocoa, plum, and black tea upon entry, accompanied by subtle white floral notes. The three tastes of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness are balanced and comfortable. As the temperature drops slightly, the acidity of dark berries and grapes becomes more pronounced, while the nuances of caramel and chocolate begin to emerge. Especially when swallowing generously, the aroma of toasted bread spreads from the throat, making the entire mouthfeel even richer.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473