Light Roast on Coffee & Me

Central America: Six Countries, One Mountain Spine

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:37:00 -0700

Why Central America Is a Great Place to Explore

From Guatemala to Panama, coffee grows along a chain of volcanoes and mountains that runs the length of Central America. The countries share a lot: high farms, rich volcanic soil, mostly Arabica, and a tradition of clean, washed coffee. The classic cup is sweet and balanced, with caramel, chocolate, citrus or stone fruit and a gentle brightness.

That makes Central America a perfect middle ground. It is brighter than most Brazils, softer than most Kenyas, and close enough to the US that it is easy to find fresh. Each country still has its own character, and this guide walks through all six.

Kenya: Bright, Juicy and Carefully Graded

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:37:00 -0700

Why Kenya Is Worth Your Attention

Kenya is not one of the world’s biggest coffee producers, but it has one of the strongest reputations among specialty roasters. A good Kenyan coffee is bold and juicy: blackcurrant, grapefruit, tomato-like savory sweetness, and an acidity that makes your mouth water. If Ethiopia is floral and tea-like, Kenya is the glass of fruit juice.

Kenyan bags also carry more information than most. Once you know what “AA”, “Nyeri” and “SL28” mean, you can read a label and know roughly what you are getting.

Bourbon: The Sweet Coffee From a Small Island

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:35:00 -0700

Not the Whiskey

Bourbon coffee has nothing to do with Kentucky. It is named after Bourbon Island, the old name of La Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. It is one of the two great family lines of Arabica, along with Typica , and many of the varieties you will meet on bags today are its children or grandchildren.

If you like coffee that tastes sweet, round and a little like caramel or red fruit, there is a good chance you like Bourbon.

Gesha (Geisha): Why One Coffee Costs So Much

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:35:00 -0700

The Coffee With the Famous Price Tag

Gesha is the most famous coffee variety in the world, and the most expensive. Its best lots taste more like jasmine tea and peaches than like what most people call coffee, and they sell at auction for prices that make headlines.

You do not need to spend auction money to try it. This guide explains where Gesha came from, why it costs what it does, how to read the label, and how to brew a bag so you get your money’s worth.

SL28 and SL34: The Varieties Behind Kenya's Famous Cup

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:35:00 -0700

Two Lab Codes Worth Knowing

Kenyan coffee is known for intense, juicy acidity and flavors like blackcurrant, grapefruit and tomato. A big part of that comes from two varieties with plain names: SL28 and SL34. “SL” stands for Scott Agricultural Laboratories, the research station in Kenya where they were selected in the 1930s. The number is simply the label of the selection.

If a bag lists “SL28, SL34”, you are holding the classic Kenyan profile. This guide explains where they came from, how they differ, and what else you may see next to them.

Typica: The Coffee Variety Behind Most of the Others

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:35:00 -0700

Why Typica Matters

When a bag names a coffee variety, you are reading something like a grape name on a wine label. Of all the names you will see, Typica is the one most others trace back to. It is one of the two great family lines of Arabica coffee (the other is Bourbon ), and for about two centuries it was the coffee of Latin America.

Today it is rarer, slower to grow and fussier to farm. But a good Typica is a lesson in what clean, sweet coffee tastes like, and knowing its story makes the rest of the variety names on your bags easier to follow.

How to Taste Coffee: Using the Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:34:00 -0700

Why Learn to Taste

The notes on a coffee bag, like “blueberry, jasmine, milk chocolate”, are not flavorings. They are a roaster’s best words for what the coffee itself tastes like. Learning to taste them helps you pick bags you will enjoy, brew them better and describe what you like to a barista.

You do not need a special palate. Tasting is mostly paying attention, and having a list of words to reach for. That list is what the flavor wheel gives you.

Pour-Over Coffee: A Beginner's Guide to the V60 and Kalita Wave

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:28:00 -0700

Why Pour-Over

Pour-over is the simplest way to make a clean, bright cup that shows off what a coffee really tastes like. You pour hot water over ground coffee in a paper filter, and gravity does the rest. It takes about four minutes and costs very little to start.

It is the best method for light roasts and for coffees with floral or fruity notes, like a washed Ethiopian .

Choosing a Dripper

	Hario V60	Kalita Wave
Shape	Cone with one large hole	Flat bottom, small holes
Flow	Fast; your pouring controls the brew	Slower, more even; forgiving
Taste	Clear, bright, highlights acidity	Sweet, rounded, a bit more body
Filters	Cone filters	Wavy flat-bottom filters
Best for	People who enjoy technique	Beginners and consistency

The V60 (from Japanese maker Hario, introduced in 2004) is named for its V shape and 60° angle. The Kalita Wave became popular in US cafés in the 2010s. Both come in plastic, ceramic, glass and metal; plastic holds heat best and costs least.

How Coffee Roasting Works

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:22:00 -0700

From Green Seed to Brown Bean

Green coffee beans smell like grass and taste of almost nothing. Roasting turns them into the brown, aromatic beans you buy, creating hundreds of flavor compounds in about 10 to 15 minutes. How far a roaster takes the beans, from light to dark, decides much of what your coffee tastes like, often as much as where it was grown.

This article explains what happens in the roaster, how roast levels are named, and what “espresso roast” means. For each level in detail, see light , medium and dark roast.

Light Roast Coffee: Bright, Fruity and Easy to Get Wrong

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:22:00 -0700

What Light Roast Is

A light roast is stopped shortly after first crack, the moment the beans pop in the roaster (how roasting works ). The beans are light to medium brown, dry on the surface, and dense. You may see them called Cinnamon, City or “blonde” roast.

Most specialty roasters roast their best single-origin coffees light, because it keeps what makes each origin different.

How It Tastes

Bright acidity: lively, juicy, like citrus or green apple. Not the same as sour.
Fruit and flowers: lemon, berries, peach, jasmine, black tea.
Light body: closer to tea than to cream.
Little bitterness and little roast flavor.

If you have only had supermarket coffee, your first light roast may surprise you. Give it two or three cups.

Ethiopia: Where Coffee Began

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:00:00 -0700

Why Start With Ethiopia

Every Arabica coffee you have ever tasted has roots in Ethiopia. The species grew wild in the forests of the southwest long before anyone farmed it, and Ethiopia still holds more of its genetic variety than the rest of the world combined. That is why Ethiopian coffees taste unlike anything else: floral, citrusy, sometimes like blueberries or black tea.

If you are new to specialty coffee, an Ethiopian bag is one of the best first purchases you can make. This guide walks through the regions you will see on labels, what each tends to taste like, and how to pick and brew your first bag.