This is a loaded question. First, I try to understand what exactly the questioner is asking. Strongest in caffeination? Strongest in flavor? What kind of flavor denotes "strong" to this individual? Whew. Usually it's either a request for a highly caffeinated cup OR a desire for a brew with a deep, dark taste. Either way, understanding what you mean is the foundation of how the barista will respond.
Here is the long AND short of it. To my knowledge, imparted to me through the fine folks at Anodyne: oils and flavor are released from the coffee berry the longer it's roasted. This means that our dark roasts are heated longer, hence their "dark" appearance and sometimes burnt or roasty flavor. It also means that the individual attributes of each bean slowly seeps out in the roasting. Caffeine is typically lower in dark roasts because the oils begin to leave during a longer cook time. Sooooo, the moral of the story, dark roasts are lower in caffeination AND carry less, notable flavors. On the other hand.......lite or medium roasted coffee beans can be explored for their unique qualities and by country of origin. I attended a coffee tasting at a local Milwaukee roastery and the two men had previously worked with grapes and wine in Napa Valley. They said their transition to the coffee world was pretty easy, as coffee berries also bare individual characteristics (just like grapes) based on where they're grown. It's really fun to drink a coffee and recognize qualities based on where it's grown. This is TOTALLY possible when drinking a litely roasted bean. Our coffee marked as "medium" at the shop is always a medium and usually a lite roast by Anodyne. Not only that, but it's always from a single origin.
Be well. Drink Good coffee. Take Good Care.
No comments:
Post a Comment