Taste notes on the front of a coffee bag can easily be misinterpreted though directionally, they should help narrow your search toward the best coffee you might enjoy. Taste notes don’t always tell you everything about a coffee or just relying on roast level information, which is why we created a 4-part scale describing a coffee’s flavor profile in more generalized buckets. Our classic to modern scale should give you one more piece of information on what you might expect when purchasing a coffee. These descriptors are meant to describe the coffee-drinking experience, not just notes we get when evaluating samples.

Coffees marked Classic tend to have less acidity and hit on more mild taste notes like chocolate, nuttiness, and some red or dark fruits. These coffees are great across many brewing methods, work well as a classic Italian espresso, and can cut through milk for those who enjoy milk-based drinks. In contrast, on the opposite side of the scale, one-of-a-kind taste notes will be present, driven by unique varietals, processing methods, and the utmost passion and craftsmanship from harvest to roast. Modern coffees are often roasted toward the lightest end of our roast scale to highlight full-origin characteristics. These coffees work best using a drip method or as a higher ratio espresso.