Flavor Profiles Explained | Smooth & Chocolatey
Every coffee you’ve ever had has a distinct taste that was created by countless variables, all compounding and contrasting to make a unique cup. To go through those variables and explain how they all correspond is an extremely difficult task. In my "Flavor Profile Explained" blogs, I’ll be explaining the profiles of coffee by focusing on six different beans. I'll explain a few of the factors that gave them their specific flavor profile and why we put them into one of the three bundles: Delicate and Dynamic, Smooth and Chocolatey, and Bright and Fruity (coming soon).
For the "Smooth and Chocolatey" bundle, we decided to pick two coffees that are extremely beloved at Sagebrush. We chose to use the Finca La Esperanza, and the La Cumbre, from Guatemala and Costa Rica respectively. Both of these coffees are from Central America, which based on their terroir, can create deliciously bold flavors. Terroir is the natural characteristics of that country’s climate, soil, and topography. Guatemalan coffees are known for their extreme chocolate notes with bodies that are smooth and creamy. Costa Rican beans can have the same chocolatey richness, while also being extremely dynamic and fruity. In fact, we have a Costa Rican coffee in both this and the "Bright and Fruity" bundle of this series. Traditionally, Costa Rican coffees are prone to have a more bold flavor profile.
The Finca La Esperanza is this year’s lot of what we typically refer to as our "Guat Gold." Every year for over a decade we have been buying a traditionally bold, yet smooth coffee from the La Esperanza farm, and every year it becomes our best-seller. Over the past decade, our coffees have gotten better and better, and our scales have shifted for what we call our Brown Labels and Gold Labels. So much so, that the La Esperanza isn’t even priced as a Gold Label anymore. Although, in my heart, I will always see it as the true "Guat Gold."
This coffee is a traditional washed process, which means that the coffee bean is removed from the coffee cherry before being dried. This makes the coffee have a less fruit-forward taste and can increase the nuttiness and chocolatey tones of the beans. Washed coffee has been the primary process of coffee since the start, mainly because removing the fruit removes a lot of the dangerous variables that can ruin the taste of coffee, bacteria, fungus, etc. Now that practices have gotten safer and people’s tastes have gotten more complex, we are more interested in the unique tastes that can come from mild and even extreme fermentations of coffee.
Usually the process is the main reason for the general flavor profile, but there are always more variables that can affect the flavor of a given coffee. Wine and coffee share many similarities, but one of the biggest is the use of varietals to change the overall flavor. In the same way there are dozens of different grapes (merlot, cabernet, pinot noir) there are also dozens of different coffee varietals (geisha, typica, bourbons, etc.). Each varietal can drastically change the flavor profile of the coffee. The Finca La Esperanza uses a blend of varietals: Bourbon, and Caturra. There are actually a couple of different types of bourbons, but when referred to as a bourbon they are just referring to the traditional bourbon, which is high in glucose sugar. When paired with a washed process, it can increase the natural sweetness of that bean and can also give it a smoother mouth-feel that is extremely noticeable in the La Esperanza. Overall, the La Esperanza is a classic and delicious coffee that is my go to recommendation for anyone who is looking for a smooth, "classic coffee-tasting" cup of coffee.
The La Cumbre is one of my favorite coffees that we are offering at the moment. I’m mainly a barista, and on bar we don’t switch out our coffee that we use for espresso very frequently. So, for over a year and a half, we used the La Esperanza as our espresso and almost everyday I had to drink it and dial it in over and over again. So when I heard that we were switching our espresso to the La Cumbre, a more dynamic coffee with a delicious acidity that makes it one of my favorite espressos we’ve ever had, I got very excited! Like the La Esperanza, this coffee is also a washed coffee. As stated before, this removes a lot of that fruitiness and can make the cup more nutty and chocolatey, which is very prominent in this cup. The varietal used in this coffee is the Catuai, which is very good. Literally Catuai translated means "very good." Catuais tend to have very sweet cups with a fruity acidity that really comes forward on this coffee and especially comes through on espresso.
Being one of our barista on bar I can say with confidence that chocolatey notes are the most sought after flavor when it comes to coffee. And although they are the most classic coffee profiles, it doesn’t mean that these coffees can't also be dynamic and interesting with a lot more to offer than just chocolate. I think these two coffees are great options for new and old coffee lovers that are looking for a smooth and delicious cup of coffee!
Written by Noah Kellso
