Reading a Coffee Label
A specialty coffee bag can seem intimidating. Origin, variety, processing, altitude, roasting date, tasting notes. Lots of information, not always clear. Here’s how to decode it all in under five minutes.
Origin
The most fundamental information: where does this coffee come from? The more precise, the better.
Good labeling indicates at least the country. The best indicates the region, the farm or cooperative, and sometimes even the micro-lot. The more precise the geographic detail, the better the roaster knows their coffee.
Variety and Processing
These two pieces of information often explain more about the profile than the origin itself.
Bourbon, Geisha, Typica, Heirloom, Caturra, Castillo. Each variety has its own genetic characteristics.
Geisha: exceptional and floral. Bourbon: sweet and fruity. Typica: elegant and classic.
Washed: cleaner, more acidic. Natural: fruitier, denser. Honey: in between.
Processing radically changes the profile, sometimes more than the origin.
Altitude and Roasting Date
These two data points reveal a lot about potential quality and actual freshness.
The higher the altitude, the slower the cherries ripen. Result: higher density, more complex acidity, more interesting aromatic profile.
Below 1,000 m: common quality. 1,200-1,600 m: very good. Above 1,800 m: exceptional.
The roasting date is more important than the expiration date. Coffee is ideally consumed between 7 and 30 days after roasting.
If no date is mentioned: be cautious. Good roasters always display this information.
Tasting Notes
Tasting notes are guides, not promises. Your palate may perceive differently.
These notes — blueberry, jasmine, caramel, hazelnut, orange zest — are evaluated by certified Q Grader experts on standardized extraction profiles. They provide direction, not certainty.
Your brewing method, your water, your grinder, your temperature: everything influences what you will perceive. An Ethiopian "jasmine and bergamot" in filter will be different as an espresso.
Use the notes as a guide, not as a test to pass. If you perceive something different, that's normal. It's your palate, and it is valid.
Labels that speak
Our roasting partners display all this information transparently. Origin, variety, processing, date, tasting notes. No secrets.
Explore our specialty coffees
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