Guide
The coffee guide
Everything you need to choose, brew and keep specialty coffee.
Reading a profileProcessesRoast levelsBrewing basicsFreshness and storageSpecialty and scoresGlossary
Reading a Flair Beans profile
Every lot has five scales from 1 to 5. They describe character, not quality: a light, bright coffee is not better or worse than a round, creamy one.
| Scale | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Aroma | How intense and expressive the smell is when you open the bag and when you brew. |
| Acidity | Brightness, like in citrus or green apple. High feels lively and juicy; low feels soft and mellow. |
| Body | The weight on the tongue, from tea-like and light to creamy and full. |
| Sweetness | Perceived sweetness, from honey and fruit to caramel and chocolate. |
| Finish | How long and how pleasantly the taste stays after you swallow. |
Tasting notes (for example jasmine, cacao, red fruit) are what our tasters smell and taste in the cup. They are not added flavours, except in infused lots, which are always labelled.
Processes
| Process | What it is | In the cup |
|---|---|---|
| Washed | The fruit is removed before the beans are dried. | Clean, bright, tea-like. |
| Natural | The beans are dried inside the whole fruit. | Fruity, sweet, fuller body. |
| Honey | Some of the fruit pulp stays on during drying. | Sweet, rounded, balanced. |
| Co-fermented | Coffee is fermented together with fruit or other ingredients in a controlled tank. | Intense fruit or spice aromas. |
| Infused | Flavour is added during processing. We always state exactly what is used. | A distinctive, unmistakable aroma. |
Co-fermented and infused coffees are modern styles. We tell you plainly how each lot is made, so you always know what is in your cup.
Roast levels
| Level | Character |
|---|---|
| Light | Highlights origin, aroma and acidity. Floral and fruity. |
| Medium | Balanced: sweetness, body and some acidity. |
| Dark | Bolder and more bitter-sweet; the roast becomes the main flavour. |
We roast light to medium so the aroma stays the hero. The roast date is printed on every bag.
Brewing basics
Ratio: about 1 g of coffee to 16 ml of water (for example 15 g to 250 ml). Water: clean, 90–96 °C; lighter roasts like the hotter end. Grind just before brewing.
| Method | Grind | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | Fine | 25–30 s |
| AeroPress | Medium-fine | 1:30–2:00 |
| Pour-over (V60) | Medium-fine | 2:30–3:30 |
| Filter machine | Medium | 4–6 min |
| French press | Coarse | 4:00 |
| Cold brew | Coarse | 12–18 h |
Taste and adjust. Sour or sharp: grind finer or brew a little longer. Bitter or dry: grind coarser or brew shorter. With an XBloom, use the recipe on the bag or product page as your starting point.
Freshness and storage
Coffee tastes best in the weeks after roasting. Very fresh coffee can benefit from a few days' rest. Keep the bag sealed, cool, dry and away from light. Do not refrigerate or freeze opened bags. For the best aroma, use within 4–6 weeks of the roast date.
Specialty coffee and scores
Specialty coffee is typically graded 80 points or more on a 100-point scale by trained tasters, following Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) standards. When a lot shows a score, it is the score declared by the producer or importer. Scores are a guide, not a promise: your own nose decides.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Single origin | Coffee from one country, region or farm, not a blend. |
| Lot | A specific batch of coffee from one harvest and producer. |
| Altitude | Height where the coffee grows. Higher often means denser beans and brighter acidity. |
| Variety | The coffee plant type, such as Gesha, Caturra or Ethiopian heirloom. |
| Cupping | The standard way tasters evaluate and score coffee. |
| Degassing | The release of carbon dioxide after roasting. Why the bag has a one-way valve. |
| Bloom | The first pour that lets gas escape before the main brew. |
| Extraction | How much flavour is dissolved from the grounds into the cup. |