Espresso Roast

[tankin_tummy]

I'm sorry if this may be a nooby question:

What makes an espresso roast an espresso roast? Is it just a name used for the length of roasting such as say City, Full city, French, Italian, etc. Or does the espresso bean go through some process to change it? Also is espresso only made from a certain origin/mix of bean or can any origin/mix be used?

Thanks

 

[prairieguy]

Hey Tankin, an espresso roast, I believe is more of the blend of beans that a roaster uses to create the espresso flavor he or she desires. There seems to be a current trend to have a much lighter roasted espresso which I have yet to agree with. If anyone with more direct experience would like to chime in on the reasoning for this I would love to here your answers.

 

[farmroast]

Espresso roasts tend to be roasted a little slower at the end to tame the acidity and bring out the body. But not necessarily dark or have to be dark. Beans used are selected for good sweetness and tend to be beans with stronger base notes ie chocolates. Brazils and Sumatras tend to be the base beans with lesser amounts of ethiopians and coffees from the americas added for some fruitiness. Trends now are for some single origin espresso vs blends. Carefully selected and roasted.

 

[eldub]

Lighter roasts are possible in espresso blends if the right beans are used. As farmroast stated above, low acidity beans work well in lighter roasts. The darker you roast a bean, the less flavor of the bean is present and more flavor from the roasting process dominates. So, in theory, cheaper beans can be used in a darker roast, as any inherent flaws will be masked/overpowered by the roasting process.

 

[prairieguy]

Thank you, I understand why now, some of theses roasts create a unique taste when drank as an espresso but I have yet to have a good cappuccino made from a lighter roasted espresso. I guess it's just personal taste.

 

[eldub]

It could be a bad espresso blend. The only way to really evaluate an espresso is to drink without the milk and sugar, imo. A lighter roast tends to show well as a cappuccino or late because the milk can tame (mask) the acidity inherent in lighter roasts.

Yesterday we worked a bit with a lighter espresso blend featuring a natural ethiopian sidamo. While we still have a bit of work to do on this one, the sidamo did add a nice, clean, lemony finish to the shot.

 

[bprotsman]

Not sure if you got your answer here Tankin_Tummy. Espresso is not a particular bean, blend or roast. Espresso simply describes the brew method. You can use whatever coffee/roast profile you want.
Around here lots of shops have switched over to using Lighter roasts and single origin to pull shots with. I have had some really great espresso shots from these lighter roasts (in fact I never did like dark roast for espresso). The Baristas I did talk with all said they had to spend some time getting the grind, temp and pressure right (assuming you have those controls with your espresso machine). I find with the lighter roasts the flavor layers in the shot continue to impress all the way till the end. Usually (IMO) the darker roasts fall flat after a sip or a moment of cooling.

 

[eldub]

While its true you can use whatever coffee/roast you want, an acidic bean tends to make an unpleasant shot.

Also, its tough to lump all dark roast together, as there are more than one roast level considered dark. In my experience, a quality, FRESH bean roasted to a "french" roast level should taste good at cooler temps as well as hotter. As a matter of fact, its difficult to get a true reading on a flavor profile of a bean at high temps

That said, I do tend to enjoy a lighter roasted espresso shot as long as its made from beans with natural low acidity and the right flavor profile. (Sweet, chocolatey and fruity all work for me.)

 

[farmroast]

Not sure if you got your answer here Tankin_Tummy. Espresso is not a particular bean, blend or roast. Espresso simply describes the brew method. You can use whatever coffee/roast profile you want.

My espresso roast profiles are always different than my brewed ones. In brewed, a nice bright cup roast profile is desirable but tends to be way overwhelming for espresso. Thus a profile is used to tame the acidity. Body too is more important in espresso than in brewed so again an adjustment in the roast profile may be done to bring out more body. The type of sweetness can be change in the roast profile to fit the desired result. Or if I'm looking to create something that works particularly great as a latte/cap I'll pick different beans to blend.

I work with top quality specialty grade beans. Great care is used to find a particular lot that has just the right makeup to result in a great single origin/bean espresso. Creating a great espresso blend takes a lot of experience and time for making many adjustments before you get it right where you want it.

 

[tankin_tummy]

Thanks for the info guys! I guess it makes sense that something smooth, and full-bodied would make a good espresso shot. I've never tried light/medium roast espresso shot/mix before.... Is the acidity overpower with the shot, or does it have a nice crispness? I'm not a huge fan of acidic coffee

 

[eldub]

quote el dub above: That said, I do tend to enjoy a lighter roasted espresso shot as long as its made from beans with natural low acidity and the right flavor profile. (Sweet, chocolatey and fruity all work for me.)

quote farmroast above: In brewed, a nice bright cup roast profile is desirable but tends to be way overwhelming for espresso. Thus a profile is used to tame the acidity.