I’ve had a few friends recently ask me about what coffees I would recommend for people looking for chocolate flavor in the cup. The easy answer would be to add some chocolate syrup, of course! But I’m going to try and go a little deeper for those that are interested in trying out different beans.<\/p>\n
When I’m tasting coffees, I notice several main categories of flavor:
\n– citrus (lemon, tangerine, orange, grapefruit, lime)
\n– berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries)
\n– nuts
\n– chocolate<\/p>\n
I used to be pretty firmly in the chocolate\/nut camp, back when I added milk and sugar, and then transitioned into just milk. Fruity coffee with milk = blech. But, as I gradually started cutting out dairy in my coffee, I started appreciating flavors that I wouldn’t have liked before. Nowadays I don’t search out many “chocolaty” coffees, but for those that want to explore, I think these are good places to start.<\/p>\n
1) Brazilian coffee: Tends to be low acid and round with bittersweet cocoa flavors.
\n2) Mexican coffee: If you read my review of the beans I got from Ah Cacao (Playa del Carmen, Mexico) those were an absolute chocolate bomb. Not sure if those beans were Oaxaca, Chiapas, or a blend, but I would try out some Mexican coffee if you’re looking for that flavor.
\n3) Arabian Mocha-Java: I used to order regularly from Peet’s Coffee and this was one of my go-to blends. Nutty and thick in a French press.
\n4) Sumatra: Sumatras are divisive – They are earthy and rich, but can be off-putting to some. Very little to no fruit… can taste more like dirt on occasion. When I’ve had Sumatras I’ve liked, they’ve been like bittersweet hot chocolate even without any cream\/milk. When I’ve had Sumatras I haven’t cared for… ehhhh. One suggestion is if the coffee seems too funky\/gritty in a French press, try a filtered method and see if you like it any better.<\/p>\n
I’m really making a case for Sumatras, aren’t I? \ud83d\ude09 Seriously, they’re interesting! Worth a try, but they might be the brussels sprouts of the coffee world (love ’em or hate ’em…).<\/p>\n
And if money is no object:
\n5) Kona: I hear this can be like a delicate and mild milk chocolate. I haven’t tried any myself yet though!<\/p>\n
At a coffee shop:
\nAssuming you are somewhere other than Starbucks, I would ask the barista about the espresso and what sort of tasting notes you can expect. Many places use blends for their espresso to bring out chocolate\/caramel\/nut flavors. If you don’t want a latte or milk drink, you can try an Americano and see if that has the chocolaty profile you’re looking for.<\/p>\n
Happy tasting!<\/p>\n
Edited to add: By the way, I took the picture of the Torani chocolate syrup mostly as a way to have a picture with this post, but it’s actually delicious! I am not above the occasional mocha… or putting the chocolate sauce on vanilla ice cream. Or both at the same time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I’ve had a few friends recently ask me about what coffees I would recommend for people looking for chocolate flavor in the cup. The easy answer would be to add some chocolate syrup, of course! But I’m going to try and go a little deeper for those that are interested in trying out different beans. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[9,114],"tags":[18,42],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0807-e1430540522900.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2152,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=2152","url_meta":{"origin":115,"position":0},"title":"Review: Roseline Coffee Colombia San Jose de Inza (Portland, Oregon)","date":"June 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Since I had\u00a0just reviewed a Colombian coffee from Cultivar, I wasn't intending to pick up another Colombian coffee for a while, but on a recent visit to Houndstooth, this was the freshest coffee available, so I acquiesced. There are worse things in life than repeating an origin two weeks in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AeroPress"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/tn_IMG_4587.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1309,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=1309","url_meta":{"origin":115,"position":1},"title":"Mini Review: Lexington Coffee Roasters Colombia Huila (Lexington, Virginia)","date":"September 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The next two coffees\u00a0I will be reviewing were gifts from my lovely friend Sarah. 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