Medium roast coffee balances the beans' natural flavors and the roasting process, providing a well-rounded taste profile. When selecting a medium roast, look for a balance of acidity and sweetness, with caramel, nuts, and chocolate notes and a medium body.
Bean Source Country:
ColombiaColombian coffees are known for their balanced taste, featuring bright acidity, medium body, and a range of flavors, including fruity notes, caramel sweetness, and nutty undertones. Colombia's worldwide reputation for producing great coffee at scale is well-deserved. Increasingly some of the best microlot specialty roasts are coming from Colombia thanks to their expertise in cultivation and process.
Bean Source Region:
TolimaThe coffee-growing region of Tolima in Colombia is known for producing high-quality coffee. Tolima's coffee producers cultivate their crops on the slopes of the Andes mountain range, allowing the cherries to benefit from high altitudes, rich volcanic soils, and cooler temperatures, which can lead to slower ripening and more complex flavors. Tolima's location in the central north and central south zones of Colombia provides optimal climatic conditions for coffee cultivation, with two distinct dry seasons and two wet seasons annually. This combination of ideal climate, altitude, and soil, along with the expertise of local coffee growers, results in the production of exceptional coffee beans with pronounced aromas, balanced acidity, and distinctive cup profiles.
Organic
Organic coffee is produced without synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides, herbicides, and artificial fertilizers. Instead, organic coffee farmers rely on natural and sustainable agricultural practices like crop rotation, composting, and biological pest control. To be labeled as organic, coffee must meet strict regulations and certification criteria set by governing bodies, such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the European Union (EU). Organic coffee not only supports environmental sustainability but may also offer health benefits, as it contains fewer chemical residues than conventionally grown coffee.
Fair trade
Fair-trade coffee refers to coffee beans that are produced, traded, and sold following a set of ethical and social standards designed to ensure fair treatment of farmers and workers in the coffee industry. Fair Trade organizations work to create a more equitable global trade model by prioritizing the well-being of small-scale coffee producers and farm workers, primarily in developing countries.
Espresso
Espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water through finely-ground coffee beans under high pressure. It is characterized by its rich flavor and distinctive crema—the creamy layer that forms on top of the extracted process. When evaluating espresso, coffee experts often focus on key tasting characteristics such as aroma, flavor, body, and aftertaste. Aroma refers to the fragrant smells released during brewing, while flavor encompasses the coffee's overall taste profile, including notes of sweetness, bitterness, acidity, and richness. Body refers to the coffee's texture or mouthfeel, with descriptors like full-bodied, medium-bodied, or light-bodied. Aftertaste, or the finish, pertains to the lingering flavors and sensations experienced after swallowing the coffee. A well-prepared espresso is prized for its balance and complexity, combining these sensory attributes into a harmonious whole.