Choosing A Chocolatey Coffee — Insider Tips

Published On: March 24, 2023

Coffee and chocolate are two of the most popular flavours in the world. When combined, they create a delicious and indulgent taste experience. Chocolatey coffee is a term used to describe beans that have rich and complex flavour profiles, with notes of either cocoa, dark, or milk chocolate. In this article, we’ll talk you through the different characteristics of chocolatey coffee and our round-up of the best on offer at Hermanos.

 

Why We Love Chocolatey Coffee Beans

Why we love chocolatey coffee

Like many others, we love the taste and aroma of chocolatey coffee beans at Hermanos. First and foremost, we love chocolatey coffee because the combination of flavours creates a well-balanced and satisfying brew. Chocolatey notes, including dark or milk chocolate, cocoa, or cacao, pair beautifully with many other common flavours, like nuts, syrup, fruits, and citrus. 

Colombian coffee, whilst incredibly diverse, is known for its rich and chocolatey flavours. We believe that many of the coffees we offer at Hermanos showcase the best of these tasting notes, and we strive to roast each bean to perfection so that the optimal flavours shine through. We do this through applying a light to medium roast to each coffee, therefore emphasising the original qualities of the bean, and not imparting a ‘chocolatey’ flavour through a darker roast. 

Find Out What Makes Colombian Coffee So Special

 

The Characteristics of Chocolatey Coffee

The characteristics of chocolatey coffee

Chocolatey coffee typically refers to beans that have a rich, decadent flavour profile. The following are some of the most well-known characteristics of chocolatey coffee (and things to look out for when choosing beans!):

 

Flavour Profile

Chocolatey coffee is known for its notes of cocoa, cacao, and dark and milk chocolate. It’ll often be found alongside other flavours such as sugarcane, nuts, caramel, vanilla, and fruits. The intensity of the flavour can vary greatly depending on the specific beans used and the roasting process. 

 

Roast

Light or medium roasts accentuate the original flavours of a coffee bean, whilst a darker roast will impart wholly new flavours. Think of it like toasting a piece of bread: the longer you toast it, the more you will get new flavours as the bread burns. Therefore, a light or medium roast will still be able to produce a chocolatey coffee, if the original bean has flavours of, for example, cacao, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate. 

You will also find chocolatey coffees that have been dark roasted, but the flavour will most likely be as a result of the roasting process rather than the original notes of the bean.

 

Aroma

The aroma of chocolatey coffee is rich and moreish, ranging from earthy to syrupy. Again, the exact aroma will depend on the specific tasting notes of the bean, the type of bean used, and the roasting process. 

 

Acidity and Body

A lot of chocolatey coffees are full-bodied and have low levels of acidity. Of course, this is not applicable for every single coffee that has chocolate aromas and tasting notes, but is the case for many. A full-bodied coffee will have a smooth and creamy mouthfeel, and a low acidity coffee will contribute to this smooth and mild flavour.

Learn More About Coffee Tasting

 

Our Favourite Chocolatey Coffees

Our favourite chocolatey coffee beans

El Fresno

One of our all time favourites, and quite often the espresso we use in our shops! El Fresno has notes of dark chocolate, pistachio, marmalade, and salted caramel — a combination made in heaven.

Popayan (Decaf)

One of our decaf options, Popayan has a whole range of sweet flavours, including chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and raisins. Its complex sweetness pairs with zesty acidity, making this a very vibrant and interesting bean.

Yellow Fruits

A sweet and syrupy coffee, Yellow Fruits will give you flavours of decadent chocolate truffle, alongside other luxurious notes of manuka honey, yuzu, and pear liqueur. We promise you won’t have tried another chocolatey coffee like this one!

Santa Barbara

A natural processed coffee with intensely sweet tasting notes, Santa Barbara is perfect for either espresso or filter coffee. It has tasting notes of chocolate covered almonds, salted caramel, red grapes, and dried strawberries. 

Belen (Organic)

Belen is our organic offering, a rich and smooth coffee with a great mouthfeel. We have never met anyone who didn’t enjoy this coffee bursting with notes of chocolate, walnut, vanilla, and orange cake.

Finca Veracruz

You’ll notice the chocolatey aromas of Finca Verzacruz right away, and upon tasting it you’ll also notice notes of earl grey tea, buttery shortbread, and pear. It’s a playful and absolutely delicious bean!

 

Final Thoughts

How to choose chocolatey coffee

Choosing the right chocolatey coffee can be made easy by understanding what it is you like in your daily brew. By understanding the tasting notes that are found in different chocolatey coffees, such as cacao, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or chocolate covered nuts, you can select which of these are your favourites. 

Our biggest insider tip is to find a reputable coffee roaster that prioritises sustainable relationships with coffee farmers and treats green beans with care, drawing attention to their natural tasting notes. We recommend opting for a light to medium roast coffee, rather than dark, as this will ensure that you taste a myriad of notes, and that any chocolatey flavours come from the natural qualities of the coffee.

You can pop into any of our shops, including our roastery, or check out our website to explore our full range of chocolatey beans and get more advice and information on which you should choose!

Shop Our Full Range Of Colombian Coffee Beans

 

La Estrellita
Passion Fruit, Strawberry Gelato, Mango, Dark Chocolate
£29.50
El Fresno
Dark Chocolate, Pistachio, Orange Marmalade, Salted Caramel
£15.00
Nubia
Strawberry Jam, Dragon Fruit, Mango Chips, Fig, Dark Chocolate
£24.00
Finca Las Flores
Mango, Passionfruit, Pomegranate, Cherries, Cinnamon, Dark Chocolate
£24.00
Suldery
Lychee, Agave Syrup, Apple Juice, Golden Raisins
£24.00
Lolita
Piña Colada, Pineapple, White Peach, Strawberry , Green Tea, Marzipan
£29.50
Nubia
Strawberry Jam, Dragon Fruit, Mango Chips, Fig, Dark Chocolate
£24.00
El Faro
Malt, Mandarin Orange, Almonds, Milk Chocolate
£13.50
best-product-cover-image
Passion Fruit, Strawberry Gelato, Mango, Dark Chocolate
Size:
Grind:
More Details
best-product-cover-image
El Fresno
£15.00
Dark Chocolate, Pistachio, Orange Marmalade, Salted Caramel
Size:
Grind:
More Details
best-product-cover-image
Nubia
£24.00
Strawberry Jam, Dragon Fruit, Mango Chips, Fig, Dark Chocolate
Size:
Grind:
More Details
best-product-cover-image
Suldery
£24.00
Lychee, Agave Syrup, Apple Juice, Golden Raisins
Size:
Grind:
More Details
best-product-cover-image
Lolita
£29.50
Piña Colada, Pineapple, White Peach, Strawberry , Green Tea, Marzipan
Size:
Grind:
More Details
best-product-cover-image
Nubia
£24.00
Strawberry Jam, Dragon Fruit, Mango Chips, Fig, Dark Chocolate
Size:
Grind:
More Details

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