Nothing says summertime in BC better than biting into a ripe Okanagan peach. Maybe you’re a cherry fan, yum! We can’t wait for all the delicious seasonal fruits and veggies we have here. What about coffee in the summer? Is there such a thing as summer coffee? Of course, there is! At Roaster Central, we have two ‘personalities’ or flavour groups perfect for summer brewing; bright & citrus and fruit-forward.

Flavour Notes: Bright & Citrusy

Bright coffees tend to have a higher acidity, slight citric sweetness, and often a touch of floral notes. The best examples are coffees from Ethiopia:

• Trees organic Ethiopia is a light roast with tasting notes of fruit, floral and lemon.
• Prototype Taba Ethiopia, a single origin, offers the summery notes of lemonade, mango and jasmine.
• Alternate Route Ethiopia Nensebo Refisha refreshes with strawberry, lime and floral notes.

Flavour Notes: Fruit-forward

Fruit-forward coffees can be both sweet and tangy. They are produced in various coffee-growing regions such as Indonesia, South America and Africa.

• Counterpart Coffee El Laurel from Peru is a lovely example; try it black to pick out the chocolate, sweet plum and acid notes.
• C Market Ethiopia Yirgacheffe features dried strawberry and pomegranate for a fruity sweetness.
• There’s also a decaf in the fruit-forward flavour group, Prototype Coffee decaf Gayo Nandiri from Sumatra with the surprising fruit combo tasting notes of cherry and pineapple.

All in the Region

None of the tasting notes we’ve described are unnatural. There are no flavours added to the coffees as well. All of the particular notes come from where the coffee beans are grown. They reflect the soil, climate and even altitude of the coffee farm. As with wine, each coffee is a product of their terroir.

Have you been working on developing your coffee tasting palette? These summer coffee recommendations might make you fall in love with the bright and fruity personalities. Let us know what you’ve tried.