Have you ever felt confused or overwhelmed when looking for your next bag of coffee? You’re not alone. When bombarded with endless tasting notes and technical jargon like “anaerobic natural” or “carbonic maceration”, it’s all-too easy to get lost.

If you are ready to take the leap into specialty coffee, it's definitely worth learning these terms and how they influence the flavours you love (and the ones you don't). In this guide, we'll get you familiar with lay of the land. 

We can attribute coffee’s incredible diversity to a few things. Namely, that around 70 countries fall within the aptly named “Bean Belt”. Factors like climate, altitude, and soil (often grouped together as “terroir”) have a tremendous effect on flavour. Keep that in mind when you think about the difference between, say, the landscapes of Ethiopia and Brazil.

Then, there’s the roasting style, bean variety, processing method, etc., which all have a say in how the final product tastes.

We know, it sounds like a lot. But there’s good news: you don’t have to go in blind. As a team of dedicated coffee nerds and professionals who have brewed our way through thousands of roasts spanning across the entire flavour spectrum, we’re here to guide you in the right direction.

Regardless of whether you’re a fan of bold, comforting blends or vibrant single-origins, your next favourite coffee is waiting for you at the end of this guide.

Go to the guide

• Choosing your flavour category
• Choosing your roast level (and how to brew it)
• Choosing varieties and processing methods
• Choosing your region
• Take the Coffee Quiz

How to find the best coffee for you

Let’s start with the objectives: what makes coffee "good"?

Truth is, it boils down to two simple principles:

• Are the beans ethically sourced and is the roaster transparent?
• Is the coffee within its recommended roast date?

Let’s start with transparency.

If you’re here, you’ve already ticked off this box. Every roaster we choose to work with offers full transparency over origin and sourcing, in addition to meeting our most important rule: only the best.

The best window to drink the coffee, on the other hand, can vary from bag to bag. Unlike the preserved coffee beans in your local grocery store, which can sit on the shelf for months, specialty coffee is generally best enjoyed anywhere between 2-8 weeks after the roast date.

What can you do to make sure your beans stay fresh? If you’re not planning to brew them right away, you can absolutely freeze whole-bean coffee to prolong its shelf life anywhere from 3 months up to one year. Simply portion the bag into single servings (~20-30g) and store in an airtight bag.

Choosing your flavour category

If you're just getting started with specialty coffee, it's often more helpful (and less overwhelming) to consider the tasting notes first. Simply put, think about what sounds the most delicious to you.

To make the journey easier, we’ve created "Flavour Categories", grouping together hundreds of roasts by their common tasting notes and roast levels. Unsure of where to begin? Select the Flavour Category that sounds the most appealing and go from there!

• Comfort: rich, approachable, and soothing.
• Bold: robust, intense, and perfect for dark roast lovers.
• Bright: lively, vibrant, and crisp.
• Funky: unique and unconventional flavour profiles.

Choosing your roast level (and how to brew it).

Flavours are released in different stages. Near the beginning, coffee's natural characteristics (i.e., bright, acidic, and fruity) are still perceivable. But as the roast continues and the beans caramelize, they're slowly replaced by bold, smoky notes. The roast level, consequently, gets a big say in how the final cup is going to taste. 

Are you drawn to a delicate, tea-like body with vibrant fruity and floral notes? Go light. Or do you prefer a traditional, bold cup defined by intense undertones of chocolate and toasted nuts? Try dark. Maybe, you like a little of both! In that case, medium is for you. Here's a little more context of how each roast affects the flavour and body of brewed coffee:

• Light roasts
• If you’re choosing a light roast, expect a bright, lively cup. This stage highlights coffee’s natural acidity and vibrancy, often featuring an abundance of floral and citrus notes. Experimental processing methods (i.e., co-ferments) are frequently roasted light to showcase their unique flavours.
• Because they’re so delicate, light roasts are often preferred for pour overs and other filter coffee methods.
• Medium roasts
• These are considered the crowd favourites: roasts that strike a smooth, comforting balance between sweetness and body, highlighting notes like milk chocolate, marzipan, and roasted nuts. New to specialty coffee? We suggest starting here.
• With their well-balanced, versatile flavour profiles, medium roasts are exceptional for all brewing methods including drip and espresso.
• Dark roasts
• Bold, robust, and as full-bodied as it gets. This roast level dials back the fruitiness and acidity, and instead almost entirely accentuates flavours developed inside the roaster. If you enjoy a rich cup with notes like baker’s chocolate, molasses, or spirits like rum, this roasting style is for you.
• While you can certainly use dark roasts for pour-over coffee, their intensity makes them ideal for espresso, French Press, and cold brews.

Choosing varieties and processing methods

You’ve probably heard of Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, classic varieties of the grape used in wine. Café Arabica, which makes up around 75% of specialty coffee, also has a multitude of varieties, including Pink Bourbon and Caturra, to name a few. 

If you’d like to learn more about coffee’s family tree (including Café Arabica's lesser- known sibling, Robusta) you can read our detailed, and illustrative, Beginner’s Guide to Coffee Varieties!

The processing method refers to how the bean is removed from the coffee cherry. Like varieties, the list of processing methods is long, with more being added as the specialty coffee industry continues to grow and innovate.

With that said, here are the most common processing methods you’ll see on the bag, what they mean, and the flavour profile they're commonly associated with:

• Washed
• The cherry is entirely removed, which produces a clean, vibrant cup with a tea-like body.
• Natural
• The coffee is dried with the cherry, which typically yields bolder, fruit-forward flavours with a heavier body.
• Honey processed
• The cherry is removed, but only partially. Honey processing is a nice middle ground between the fruit-forward natural process and the crisp acidity of washed coffees.
• Variants include yellow, red, and black honey processed, which refers to how much (or little) of the cherry is removed before drying. Generally, the more fruit left on, the fruitier the taste!

Then, there are the experimental processing methods: co-fermentation, anaerobic naturals (i.e., the natural process without oxygen), and thermal shock, which subjects coffee to extreme temperature changes during fermentation.

These are famous for producing wild, earthy, unconventional flavour profiles with tasting notes that might remind you more of a natural wine or tea than a cup of coffee. It might sound curious to some, while others go out of their way to discover the funkiest, most eccentric flavour profiles.

The truth is there’s no wrong opinion when it comes to what makes an exceptional coffee... which is why we love it so much! 

Choosing your region

We are, ironically, ending this guide where coffee begins: the region.

The environment in which a coffee cherry grows forms the trajectory for the final cup. Very generally, regional flavour profiles do exist. But it's best to think of them as guides rather than rigid definitions because, like any plant that depends on climate, soil, and a host of other factors, coffee is delightfully versatile!

Here are the most common regions you'll find listed on specialty coffee bags: 

Africa

Ethiopia is one of the most popular countries among specialty coffee lovers. It’s also commonly accepted to be where the Café Arabica plant first originated! Ethiopia, along with other coffee-producing countries like Kenya, is known for growing coffee that is distinctly fruit-forward, slightly acidic, with a clean and crisp body.

If you're a fan of bright and juicy flavour profiles, Africa is a great place to start your coffee journey... much like the Café Arabica bean itself!

South America

South American countries like Brazil are known for producing coffee that is smooth, medium-bodied, and nutty with a lower acidity.

However, thanks to the continent's mountainous topography, not all South American countries are considered low-altitude. Peru's northern regions, for example, produce coffee that is often characterized by having a light, nutty flavour profile balanced with crisp acidity and a lighter body.

If you find yourself gravitating to tasting notes of cocoa, nuts, and spices, a medium roast from Brazil is a great place to start. If you're looking for something a bit more delicate, floral, and fruity, you can venture to Peru or Colombia for some exceptional light roasts!

Central America

Central America is famous for producing some of the world's most prized coffee, including the illustrious Geisha varietal (originated in Ethiopia but made popular through Panama farmers). The most common thread across Central American coffee is a light to medium body, a clean taste, and a moderate to high acidity.

Like its neighbour to the south, Central America's landscape spans high and low, containing a massive volcanic ridge along with multiple low-lying valleys. Central American coffee is just as diverse as its land: Costa Rica is famous for fruit-forward profiles and high acidity, while Mexico has an ideal climate for producing medium-bodied coffees with notes of cocoa, nuts, and caramel.

If you are looking to discover new flavours or beautiful expressions of the highly sought-after Geisha varietal, Central America is certainly worth exploring.

To conclude

Once more, if you've just fallen into the specialty coffee rabbit hole, don't worry about the technical stuff just yet; we recommend starting with the tasting notes and roasts that sound like something you'd enjoy drinking. There's plenty of time (and coffee) to get into the nuances of coffee processing and regional profiles later on.

Regardless of which approach you opt for, connecting with that perfect coffee or roaster should be an exciting experience, not an intimidating one. There's no wrong way to enjoy specialty coffee, and while it seems intimidating at first, its abundant versatility only means that anyone can find a roast that speaks to their palate. 

We think that's something worth celebrating. Cheers!