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Gourmet Roasted Coffee: How to Choose a Roasted Coffee for the Gourmet
Gourmet roasted coffee is like wine – every cup is different, with tastes and smells that affect each sip and drinking experience. And while a great aroma or acidity level can make a fantastic cup of coffee, what it really comes down to is what tastes and smells good to you. To learn more about the different characteristics of different coffee roasts along with how to choose a roasted coffee for the gourmet, keep reading.
Coffee Aroma
The smell of a roasted coffee bean, after brewing and after grinding, is one of your best indicators of how the coffee will smell once it's brewed. You can even get a good idea of how the coffee will taste by smelling the whole beans.
Remember, if you don't like the smell, you definitely won't like the taste.
Acidity Levels
Acid levels in coffee refers to the tangy taste in a cup of coffee, but also refers to the actual acid levels. Lighter roasts tend to have higher acidity levels, as do beans grown in eastern Africa and parts of Central America.
If you've ever experienced stomach aches after drinking too much coffee, this is due to the acidity levels in each cup.
The “Body” of a Coffee
Body refers to how the coffee actually feels inside your mouth. Is it thick and heavy or light and thin? Typically, coffee aficionados refer to the body of a cup of coffee as being “light” or “full.”
Roast of a Coffee
The roast is the intensity or level of the roast. It ranges from a light roast to a dark roast. Lighter roasts tend to have less acidity levels while dark gourmet roasted coffee tend to be more oily and have more of a bitter flavor. A standard, American roasted, store brand coffee is typically a medium roast.
Balance of a Coffee
The “balance” of a cup of gourmet roasted coffee refers to its overall combination of all the above. For example, a coffee could have great “body,” but an off-putting aroma. When referring to “balance,” coffee experts often use terms like low, medium or high. A coffee with a medium or good balance would have equal levels of aroma, acidity and body.
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