Here at Recovery Beans, we sometimes receive questions about the flavoring notes listed on our bags:
Are your coffees favored? What additives or ingredients are in the coffee? Will the coffee taste like an apple?
The short answer is that we never use additives or flavorings in our coffee. When you drink our coffee, you will taste an amazingly rich and complex cup. You’re not going to be hit in the face with artificial flavors. Think of flavor notes as hints of flavor that you may taste as you develop your palette. Part of this coffee journey is exploring and trying to identify more of the hints of flavor and varied characters that craft coffees can provide.
To use terms you may understand better, this is kind of like moving from boxed wine to a fancy Bordeaux wine.
As you start to drink specialty coffee instead of commodity coffee, you will notice tasting note terms like “apple, chocolate, berries, toffee, honey, stone fruit, and caramel” on the packaging. It’s easy to wonder if these coffees are somehow flavored, but there’s a big difference between tasting notes and flavored coffee. Let’s break it down so you can better understand what’s in your cup.
What Are Tasting Notes?
Tasting notes are naturally occurring flavors that emerge during the coffee brewing process. These are subtle hints of taste that develop due to the coffee bean’s variety, where it’s grown, how it’s processed, and how it’s roasted. For example, a coffee grown in Ethiopia may carry tasting notes of blueberry, while one from Colombia might have hints of caramel or citrus.
These flavors aren’t added to the coffee; they are part of the coffee bean’s inherent characteristics. Just like wine or chocolate, the growing environment (known as terroir) plays a huge role in how coffee tastes. Roasting also affects these flavors—light roasts tend to highlight more fruity or floral notes, while darker roasts can bring out chocolatey, nutty, or smoky flavors.
What Is Flavored Coffee?
Flavored coffee, on the other hand, has flavors added to it. These flavors can be introduced during the roasting process or afterward. For instance, a hazelnut coffee or a French vanilla blend has flavoring agents mixed into the beans to give you a stronger, distinct taste that wouldn’t naturally occur in the coffee itself.
Flavored coffee is often created with oils, extracts, or other additives that coat the beans. While these flavors can be delicious to some, they are fundamentally different from the natural complexity you’ll find in specialty coffee.
Why Does This Matter?
Specialty/Craft coffee, including Recovery Beans, allows you to experience the unique characteristics from different regions and roasting styles. On the other hand, flavored coffee might be more your style if you’re in the mood for something with a straightforward, bold flavor (like vanilla, caramel, or hazelnut). You can also use flavored creamers to create a similar result.
If you are starting to explore Recovery Beans, you are likely moving from the commodity coffee world into the specialty/craft coffee world. Congratulations, and welcome to the next level of your coffee journey.
