Key points

• Light, medium and dark roasts are an indicator of how long the coffee beans were roasted. The longer they roast, the darker the beans become.

• Lighter roasts retain more of the natural bean attributes like acidity, brightness or sweetness, often resulting in fruity or floral notes.

• Darker roasts make a more robust, intense cup, with notes of nuts or chocolate. This is good for milk-based drinks like cappuccino or lattes.

• Good roasters will focus on bringing out the unique characteristics of each blend, and creating consistency between batches using scientific methods and the best equipment.

Coffee flavour is generally described using two frameworks: strength, and intensity. Strength is about the concentration of the dissolved coffee solids in the brew, i.e. how much has been extracted into the cup. Intensity, however, is about how the flavours and aromas are perceived - which can be influenced by the roast level.

 

Roasting coffee beans impacts flavour and aroma

There are many things that can impact the flavour of beans. Environmental factors like elevation, humidity, temperature and rainfall while growing - as well as how the green coffee beans are treated once harvested.

 

Green coffee beans need to be roasted to release oils and aromas - these are what gives your cup its distinct taste. Roasting turns the green beans into the more familiar, rich brown colours of coffee. 

 

The roast level equates to the time the beans have been roasted (and how dark they have become as a result). That is where you get the terms “light” and “dark” at opposite ends of the intensity scale.

 

What does light roast coffee taste like?

Lighter roasts will be a light brown in colour, with a matte, dry texture. These retain the most moisture after roasting, which means they also often have the highest acidity.

 

Light roast coffees are typically more sweet, with the higher acidity lending a ‘bright’ note that’s best enjoyed black to fully appreciate the nuanced flavour. 

 

Light roasts can also be great for cold brew or pour-over brewing, as these are ideal brewing methods for more complex flavour profiles. You can often taste hints of citrus, berries, flowers, even tea - these are more delicate flavours that can be lost in darker roasts as other notes develop. 

 

Related: 

 

• Cold Brew Coffee or Iced Coffee: Which is Better?

• 4 Must-Have Tools for Making a Pour-Over Coffee Like a Barista

What does medium roast coffee taste like?

Medium roasts are the mid-ground, and will have a rich brown hue with a low sheen (less matte than light roasts). A typical medium roast will be more balanced while still carrying some of those complex, bright notes characteristic of lighter roasting - aromas may include warm spices, chocolate, nuts, or red fruits.

 

These can be enjoyed with or without milk, and are ideal for French press brewing as well as espresso.

 

What does dark roast coffee taste like?

Dark roasts are dark brown and shiny in appearance, as the longer roast time allows more of the natural coffee oils to come to the surface. Dark roasts have a more intense boldness, with more of the typical coffee “bitterness” but less acidity than light or medium roasted coffee. Notes typically include nuts, chocolate, malt or maple syrup that pair well with milk-based espresso coffees.

 

French roast vs Italian roast coffee

Other terms you may hear are “French roast” or “Italian roast”. These refer not to the variety of bean, but to coffee roasted to a very dark roast level - where the beans are almost ebony in colour and there is a lot of natural oil on the surface. French or Italian roasts are intended to be brewed espresso, and are often enjoyed in milk-based drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.

 

Why does the coffee roast profile matter?

As a coffee drinker, you can look at roast profile as another marker of how the final cup will taste. The roast level can indicate boldness, brightness, and sweetness; the intensity of the coffee flavour, in other words.

 

Green coffee beans must be roasted to release their flavours and aromas. As the beans roast, chlorophyll breaks down and turns the green coffee to brown. The moisture evaporates and the density changes; the longer beans are roasted, the more brittle, dry and hollow they become as a result. This is when intensity can develop as sugars caramelise and compounds transform.

 

For coffee roasters, the challenge is to roast the beans in just the right way to bring out the desired characteristics without over- or under-doing it. This will change from blend to blend, as there is a rich variation in what’s “right” for different beans (what will bring out the best notes in the end cup).For example, we can examine these options from our specialty coffee range:

 

1. Our Espresso Deluxe blend is a light roast with a bold flavour. The light roast preserves notes of sweet blackcurrant and dark chocolate for a full-bodied cup.

2. Our Espresso Supreme coffee beans have a medium roast profile. This blend has a sweet, medium-bodied taste with notes of honey, strawberry and chocolate.

3. Our Espresso Magic coffee beans have a dark roast to deliver a sweet, syrupy cup with bold flavour perfect for milk-based coffees - think decadent notes of maple syrup, cherry and caramel.

Related: What is Specialty Coffee?

 

Finding and replicating the best roast level to showcase unique flavour profiles is an art, but also a science - which is why we use state-of-the-art roasting facilities to accurately replicate the desired profile of each batch.

 

How Vittoria Coffee gets the best out of our beans

Our state-of-the-art roasting capabilities provide greater control of the coffee roasting process, so we can achieve unrivalled consistency between batches. This is how we do it:

 

1. Green coffee cleaning, measuring and blending

When raw green coffee beans arrive at our facility, we firstly clean and measure for moisture so we can tailor the roasting profile for each blend - then we blend them and weigh them to ensure each batch is the same as the last.

 

2. Roasting the coffee beans

We use Probat traditional drum roasters. These are considered the world’s best for a reason: they utilise a slower, more controlled method of roasting coffee to achieve a consistent roast profile every time.

 

Each roast follows a specified composition, and set parameters - and once the roast is complete, the coffee is immediately quenched to stop the roasting process. This stops over-roasting, which can lead to unpleasant bitterness or a loss of notes in certain blends.

 

Espresso, for example, is traditionally a medium to dark roast. At the end of roasting the moisture content of the coffee bean has reduced to 12%. The bean has grown in size by 60% but reduced in weight by 15%.

 

3. Testing, filtering and storing roasted coffee

Once the coffee is roasted, it is again weighed and tested. Using an optoelectronic Infra-red / LED colour meter we determine the specific colour of roasted coffee ensuring consistent roast levels. A thermogravimetric halogen moisture analyser is used to determine the moisture content, to again ensure optimum flavour development has occurred.

 

The coffee is fed through a gravity separator and a second destoner to remove any broken beans or foreign objects, then weighed once again. The coffee is stored in roast silos awaiting grinding or packaging. 

 

When your coffee beans are packed, we protect the fullness of flavour by using vacuum packaging with one-way valve technology and nitrogen flooding. This allows us to keep oxygen out, which then keeps your coffee fresher in the bag.

 

Related: How to Store Coffee Beans Once Opened So They Stay Fresh

 

Finding the right roast for your taste preference

When looking for your new favourite blend, think of both what kind of cup you enjoy and how you prepare it. For example, light roasts with sweeter, delicate flavours are perfect for cold brew or pour-over coffee lovers - but for those who want a bold espresso to cut through milk, a dark roast might be better.

 

Vittoria Coffee believes coffee is both a science and an art; we like to think we have nailed both aspects with consistently excellent options for every coffee drinker. We partner with growers and farmers across the world to source best-quality premium beans, which are then blended and roasted to perfection for your enjoyment.

 

Our customers range from offices and busy workplaces, to coffee aficionados who prefer whole coffee beans and experimental blends, to casual coffee drinkers who prefer fuss-free options like capsules, instant coffee or coffee bags. Why not browse our products today to find your perfect cup - you can even get up to 40% off with our coffee subscriptions.