Ever Wonder How Your Fav Coffee Gets Its Unique Flavour Notes?

By JUICE Malaysia  •  18 Oct 2019 in Features

Thirsty for JUICE content? Quench your cravings on our Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp

Bitter, fruity, sweet, sour, caramel – these are common flavour notes we associate with this black liquid gold.

But have you guys ever wondered how coffee beans actually get their distinct profiles?

We have! From farm to cup, there’s actually A LOT to learn about coffee.

So we decided to take our noob selves to a coffee masterclass by Nespresso to learn a new thing or two about this beloved drink.

Better latte than never amirite? ;P

First, a special shoutout to Ahmad, our camera-shy but very knowledgeable coffee connoisseur 😛

He treated us to five cups of coffee with unique flavour profiles from different regions of the world.

By the end of the class, we were shooketh to discover how little we actually know about our favourite pick-me-up.

These are 8 key things every coffee lover should know about this caffeinated drink:

1. We learned that aroma actually plays a huge role in identifying the intensity and flavour profile of coffee

The class started off with Ahmad giving us different types of coffee beans to smell. He then explained how to identify the intensity of the coffee from the aroma. 

Two main takeaways from here are: 

1) If your beans are leaning towards a smoky, caramel scent, your coffee would more likely have an intense and bold flavour profile.

2) If the aroma is fruity and sweet, you probably have a medium intensity-tasting coffee at hand!

So, before you take the first sip of your next cuppa, take a big whiff of its aroma. What does it smell like?

2. Acidic, low intensity coffees are brewed with slow-roasted beans to highlight the sweet, lively flavour notes

We learned that the best way to determine the acidity of coffee is to pay attention to the shade of the coffee beans – the lighter it is on the scale, the more likely your coffee will taste bright, tangy, and fruity.

Pro tip from Ahmad: Adding brown sugar will completely change the flavour profile of your acidic coffee to have a more honeycomb-like taste. OUR LIVES ARE FOREVER CHANGED!

3. However, a bolder tasting coffee is commonly brewed with longer roasted coffee beans to get its deep chocolatey and caramel notes

Fun fact: In Indonesia, farmers actually squash and crack their coffee beans before roasting. This is so the heat can effectively penetrate the beans while roasting to bring out the deeper cereal and rich flavour profile! 

4. The type of coffee bean is also a factor in determining your coffee’s taste – whether it’s more bitter or more acidic

To our surprise, the majority of the market sells either two types of coffee beans: Arabica or Robusta.

Btw, by this time we were on our third cup of coffee. XD

5. If you like more chocolate, nutty, and caramel tasting notes, always go for the Arabica coffee bean

Arabica coffee beans originate from Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, and makes up about 60% of the coffee production of the world.

6. If you like your coffee more kaw (like us) and are always looking for a mood booster, go for the Robusta coffee bean.

It’s known for its full-bodied taste and high caffeine content.

This coffee bean originates from central and western sub-Saharan Africa and is known to be more bitter than its counterpart. 

It also makes up for the other 40% of the world’s coffee production.

Fun fact: Vietnam actually exports the highest percentage of Robusta coffee beans!

7. Besides the bean type, a lot of TLC is put into producing your favourite coffee beans to get the unique flavour notes of your drink

There are so many factors that can affect the taste of coffee we can’t even begin to brain it.

From the acidity of the soil and the climate of the country the coffee tree grows in, to even how the farmers dry their coffee cherries and the degree of roasting the coffee beans.

The list goes on and on, we’re just thankful to have a simplified way to drink coffee without all the hassle! 

8. Depending on where you are in the world, coffee farmers have their own way of processing coffee cherries to coffee beans that gives it its unique flavour profile

Boy, do they take their coffee seriously. From the harvesting, drying, milling, and roasting – everything is done with great skill and attention to detail.

Have we mentioned how grateful we are to have easy accessibility to great-tasting coffee anytime?!

With so many types of coffee beans, each with its unique flavour notes, you’re never really drinking the same coffee twice – that’s why it’s so exciting (and delicious)!

Don’t know where to start?

Nespresso offers 28 coffee capsules – each having unique intensity and flavour profiles for you to expand your palate in the world of coffee.

Discover the perfect coffee flavour profile that would tingle your taste buds most at their official website here.

Nespresso also just released their new limited edition Malaysian Favourites Pack that features 80 coffee capsules with a wide range of flavour profiles chosen by Malaysians

They are having a promo where you can get a RM20 voucher with every purchase of the Malaysian Favourites Pack for you to use on your next order. 

On top of that, you will also be able to receive a VIEW Lungo Cup for free if you top up with another two sleeves of coffee!

It even comes in a cute batik-inspired box!

This promo will end on 29 October 2019.

This story was originally published on SAYS.