Archive for March 12th, 2010
French Roast Coffee does not come from a specific region or the world or a specific plantation, rather it refers to the darkness of the roast of the coffee chosen for that roasting session. French Roast is the darkest possible roast done on a coffee bean, Italian Roast being the next lower darkness level. Since it is not a specific coffee, it could be a single origin coffee or a blended coffee.
During the coffee roasting process there are two significant moments in time. They are referred to as “pops” or “cracks”. These are the moments when the expanding coffee bean cracks its shell and makes a popping sound. Most American roasters stop after the first pop but before the second pop – producing either a “cinnamon” or “full city” roast, depending on how long after the first pop they leave the beans in the roaster. At this stage the inherent flavor of the coffee remains intact and the coffee receives no flavoring from the roast.
At the second pop the oils of the coffee rise to the surface of the bean. During this time the sugars inside the bean also begin to caramelize.
The result is a coffee that is bitter sweet, with a light body and almost no acidity. The inherent flavors of the coffee(s) roasted this way is lost and the flavor of the roast predominates a French Roast coffee. The flavor is very intense, and those used to a milder coffee may find the taste overwhelming.
The roast master’s skill is critical for this coffee – a few minutes too long in the roaster and a great coffee experience becomes an awful coffee experience.
Until next time – happy brewing.