Blonde Roast Brews: Savor the Mellow Side of Coffee

As coffee enthusiasts, we are familiar with the classic trio of light, medium, and dark roast coffees, each offering a distinct flavor profile and aroma. However, the world of coffee roasting goes beyond these well-known categories, as other roast levels are gaining attention within the coffee community. Among these intriguing alternatives is the blonde roast coffee, a level just before the first crack, where the beans display unique characteristics that set them apart from their darker counterparts. In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of blonde roast coffee, exploring its distinct flavor profile, roasting process, and how it compares to medium and dark roast varieties.

What is Blonde Roast Coffee?

However, the roasting spectrum is not confined to these three categories, as other roast levels outside the scope are getting attention within the coffee community. Some of these include white, gold, and blonde roast, existing outside the light roast end of traditional roast profiles.

• White roast coffee is the mildest level, with an off-white color and a notably acidic taste profile.
• Gold roast coffee are beans roasted at 345°F, resulting in a golden brown color with an aroma similar to toasted bread.
• Blonde roast occurs at 370°F, at the edge of the first crack, which happens at 385°F. The beans begin to shed their chaff, and the sucrose starts to caramelize at this stage, resulting in a light-bodied roast with defined acidity and sweet undertones of caramel and honey.

The Coffee Roast Spectrum

Roasting levels are a palette for roasters to craft their creations. Each roast level impacts the flavor, aroma, and body of the coffee to provide a distinct experience.

While coffee roasting is a meticulous process involving the application of heat to green coffee beans to transform their appearance and taste, the roasting technique determines the outcome of blonde roast coffee.

The roasting spectrum includes various roast levels, generally classified into light, medium, and dark.

• Light roasts have the shortest roasting time at the lowest temperature. The coffee on this level has a bright and vibrant flavor profile, highlighting the bean's varietal characteristics.
• Medium roast profiles lie in the middle of the spectrum, characterized by a balanced flavor profile. They maintain the bright and acidic taste notes of light roasts and sweet flavors of caramelized sugars with the mouth feel of dark roasts. While it highlights some of the beans' origin attributes, it slightly caramelizes the coffee to produce a more rounded flavor profile. Examples: City & Full City Roast Coffee.
• Dark roasts are at the end of the roasting profile, resulting in a shiny dark brown to almost black color, bold and more robust flavors with low acidity, and emphasized toasty and bitter notes. Examples: Italian & French Roast Coffee.

Flavor Profile of Blonde Roast Coffee

The blonde roast is the level just before the first crack, making the beans have notably different characteristics from beans that have attained the first crack stage. Firstly, the beans are hard as the roasting time is too short to crack and soften them. Moreover, taste notes we typically associate with coffee are more subtle as the bean's sucrose is just beginning to caramelize.

The coffee also exhibits fruity and floral notes depending on its origin, with a light-bodied mouthfeel with a smooth and clean finish. They say coffee has over 800 flavor components that we experience depending on the aging, roasting, and brewing process. However, light roasts like the blonde style bring the bean's varietal characteristics, such as terroir, to the forefront. But, they also have a high acidity content, which may be a health concern for some sensitive stomachs.