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Coffee, Tea & Spice offers the following guide to gourmet coffee for your enjoyment. Please scroll down or click on a topic below for more information.
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TERMS USED TO
DESCRIBE COFFEE |
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- Acidity: This term does NOT refer to acid levels
present in coffee. It describes the sharpness or snap of a
coffee; similar to dryness as in a dry white wine.
- Body: A sense of heaviness that lingers on the
back of the tongue. The same individual coffee won't have both a lot of acidity and body. Body can be compared to the characteristics of some red wines.
- Finish: The aftertaste of a coffee. Finish can be
sweet and light or heavier and longer lasting, as in
Espresso.
- Flavor: A very hard quality to describe due to personal tastes. Coffee
will take on flavor characteristics of the soil in which it
was grown. It can hint at fruits, spices and other plants
grown in the same region. This is what makes one varietal
different from another.
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SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICAN COFFEES |
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Brazil Natural
A coffee with low acidity, clean to the palate, and medium to full body. Grown in the Cerrado district of the state of Minas
Geraes.
Columbian Supremo
A coffee with full to heavy body, pleasant aroma and a winy flavor. The Amazonica is shade grown, integrating the coffee plants among other
trees.
Costa Rican Tarrazu
High grown coffee, high in acidity. Some say its clean snappy taste is reminiscent
of Kona; others liken the aftertaste to a dry white wine.
Guatemalan Antigua, El Valle
A premium coffee, grown in the shade. A full bodied coffee with enough acidity
to make an outstanding cup.
Mexican Altura Coatepec
High grown as the name implies, with a medium body and acidity. It is a smooth coffee - one of our favorites. Excellent by itself or blended with other coffees of higher acidity.
Organic Mexican
Certified as organic, slightly less sharp than the Altura. A fine coffee with medium body.
Panamanian
A mild coffee, similar to the finer Mexican coffees; naturally sweet. An excellent
choice for breakfast. Back to
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AFRICAN &
ARABIAN COFFEES |
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Ethiopian Yrgacheffe
Considered the finest of the Ethiopian coffees. Rich with a pleasing finish
and a pleasant aftertaste. Smaller beans, but loaded with flavor.
Kenya AA
A distinctive, almost fruity, aroma is characteristic of this fine African coffee. Grown at high
altitudes, this coffee is known for its high acidity. Given a full city roast, Kenya AA is an outstanding cup of coffee.
Tanzanian Peaberry
Grown on the slopes of the legendary Mount Kilimanjaro, this coffee sports a unique
shape and sharp taste. Medium to full body gives this coffee a rich flavor.
Arabian Yemen Mocha
The oldest cultivated coffee in the world. A unique coffee with high acidity and mellow body
suggesting a chocolatey overtone.
Zimbabwe AA
Similar to the better Kenyan coffees; lighter in acidity with medium to full body and
richness. Still coming of age in the U.S. markets.
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Celebes Kalossi
One of the coffees
from the original Dutch East India Company plantations. A
little brighter than Sumatra Mandheling, but with less body.
A satisfying coffee.
Sumatra Mandheling
Probably the most full
bodies coffee in the world. It has very low acidity and a
distinct richness. It is grown between 3000 and 5000 feet
and is a wonderfully smooth coffee.
Java Estates Jampits
Straight from early
coffee history, the Dutch cultivated this coffee. It has
medium acidity and a lighter body than other Indonesian
coffees.
Hawaiian Kona, Extra Fancy
Kona is the
original Hawaiian coffee grown on the southwest coast of
Hawaii. Extra Fancy is the best grade of the Konas. Low
acidity, medium body, smooth flavor and fragrant aroma are
qualities of this coffee.
Jamaican Blue Mountain
One of the most famous
coffees from the renowned Blue Mountain District of Jamaica.
Medium acidity with excellent body and richness. A real
treat. Never blend this coffee. Back to
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CTS French Roast
Our own French Roast
blend is a balanced combination of Columbian coffees for
body and Mexican coffees for smoothness. The dark roast
imparts a slightly smokey flavor resulting in a pleasant
aftertaste.
Sumatra French Roast
We dark roast Sumatra
Mandheling so the rich natural flavor of the Mandheling is
enhanced by the strong taste and aroma of a darker roast.
CTS Italian Espresso
A blend of Central and South
American coffees that allows a full bodied flavor to
develop, and a small quantity of an African coffee to
develop a rich golden crema. The finished product is a
smoother, fuller espresso without bitterness.
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Our flavor blend is made of the very same
coffees described above. Arabica grade, fresh roasted and
flavored right in our store. After roasting, we add natural
flavor extracts developed specifically for whole bean
coffee. This insures well-balanced flavor all the way
through each bean. We have three sections of flavored
coffees in our store: Flavored, The Chocolates, and Go NUTS!
We sell our flavored coffees in 1 pound packages as well as 8 ounce packages
so you can easily sample a wide variety.
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We offer a variety of decaffeinated coffees.
Caffeine is removed from the coffee when it is green. Coffee, Tea & Spice offers Swiss Water(tm) Decaf coffees which are
decaffeinated through a water-based process to preserve
flavor and freshness. Back to
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- Cinnamon or American Roast - A very light
roast found in less expensive, commercial coffees. The
longer coffee is roasted, the more weight is lost so less
expensive coffees are usually light roasted.
- City Roast - The lightest gourmet roast. A
good city roast will be slightly acidic while developing the
full flavor of the coffee bean.
- Full City Roast - Slightly darker than a city
roast, this roast produces a heavier and slightly caramel
taste to the coffee bean. Some coffees do not come to full
flavor unless they are full roasted.
- French Roast - A dark roast with little or
no remaining acidity. This roast produces a slightly burnt
taste in the beans, which many people find very enjoyable.
The oil of the bean begins to leach to the surface producing
a shiny look.
- Italian Espresso Roast - Our darkest roast.
The beans are black, brittle and shiny producing a
distinctly burnt flavor with no acidity. This roast is used
for making espresso and cappuccino.
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