Fruity Coffee

Fruity Coffee

Every coffee bean is bursting with natural flavor notes that set it apart from other coffees. You might have seen words like fruity on front of the bags you buy, but what does it mean and how does it help you choose more varieties that you'll love? Fruity coffee is an increasingly popular choice, versatile enough to be used in all kinds of brewing method from espresso to French press to filter and drip. Here's everything you need to know about fruity coffees to help you search out new favourites.

So, is it flavoured? 

All the flavor in fruity coffee comes from green coffee beans - which variety is is, where and how its grown and how it's treated once it's been picked. How farmers process it and how roasters like us roast it also has an effect on what the final coffee tastes like to you. The roasting process brings out different tastes and levels of acidity. Light to medium roasted coffee is likely to have more citrusy fruit notes with a high acidity, while a dark roast will bring out some bitterness.  (bitterness in coffee isn't necessary a bad thing)

How do I know if I've chosen a fruity coffee?

The best way is to smell and taste it. Before you take a sip, breathe in the aroma and see what you can smell. There might be citrus fruit like orange and lemon, or grape, peach, juicy apple or even berries like strawberry and blueberry.

Then see what you can taste when you take your first sip, and a second. What you can taste may be different to what you can smell, as most coffees have hundreds of flavor notes, from green apple to vanilla, mellow to slightly acid. Coffee experts categorise the aromas and flavors of coffees based on the coffee tasting flavour wheel, which helps them describe what they're tasting and helps you find other coffees you'll love.

Which coffee should I choose if I like fruity flavor?

Lots of coffees have fruity flavors, but they're really common in African coffee beans, so you might want to experiment with Ethiopian - which has sweet, citrus notes balanced with floral flavors - or coffee from Kenya, which has some wonderfully complex fruity notes. 

I like chocolate notes in my coffee. Can it be fruity too?

If you like fruity brews with chocolate flavor, the Papua New Guinea  coffee in our Single Origin 3 is packed with milk chocolate balanced with raspberry notes - the perfect combination of sweet and fruit. For another chocolate and fruit combo, try our Single Origin 2 from Colombia, with chocolate, blackberry and syrup notes, perfect for an after dinner coffee. Brazil does a great line in coffees beans with chocolate and stone fruit flavors too, with our Single Origin 1 coffee combining caramel, cherry and chocolate for a rich taste and an intense aroma - perfect for your morning espresso shot.