The more coffee drinkers immersed themselves in the coffee industry and started to drink every day, the more they will meet with all the possibilities that can be made with coffee. You might as well have heard your fellow coffee lovers or someone mention about blonde coffee. If you have never heard of this term, don’t worry this article will provide you with a basic understanding of what a blonde roast coffee is.
So, the question left behind is what is a blonde roast coffee, what are the differences between a normal roast coffee, whether or not you should give it a try after reading this?
Contents
What is Blonde Coffee?
The term blonde coffee might confuse some of us here. It might be implied to how the coffee looks, it could be implied how it was roasted, or even it could be implied if it is a different type of coffee bean that is used to make coffee. However, that is not the case. The term blonde roast was popularized by Starbucks a few years back, but the history and roast style is longer than what it is known for. When Starbucks launched light roasts as a blonde roast, it was also known as the Half City roast or New England roast.
The name blonde roast coffee is derived from the name cinnamon roast because of the color that is served. So, as a way to stop people from being confused about the cinnamon roast, they decided to change it to what is now known as blonde roast, given the color it gave as well.
In addition, some of us might also come across the term light roast coffee. Light roast and blonde roast are the same roasts; yet, some might use light roast as a broader scope throughout the brands. Some say that blonde coffee is known for its lemon, orange, or green table taste because of its high level of acidity. Light roasts are also known for their subtle flavor, leaning toward a fruity and floral profile rather than a coffee itself.
Levels of Roasting
There are three levels of roasting coffee beans. It includes light roast, medium roast, and dark roast. The length and roasting process of the roasting will affect the coffee body, acidity, and especially the flavor of the beans. Each roast has its unique characteristic, scent, and taste. We will provide a summary of those 4 levels of roasting as well.
The first level of roasting is light roasts. Light roast has the least amount of roasting time. It has a lower temperature of 325 F – 401 F than the rest, after the first crack. Due to the short period of the light roasts, it prevents some chemical changes in the beans. The taste of lightly roasted coffee beans will be distinctive from the other because of the short period of roasting. Light roast is also divided into another 3 subsections which are white, gold, and blonde.
- White: White roasts are the lighter roast among the others that are pulled just before their first crack at 325F. White coffee uses white roast beans to make your coffee. It has more caffeine. Moreover, this also results in a nutty and sweet taste than the normal coffee you usually consume.
- Gold: A gold roast is just a step longer than the white roast while maintaining high caffeine and a smoother taste.
- Blonde: Blonde roast is the gradual step on top of a gold roast. Blonde roasts are stronger in terms of acidic flavor than gold roast and white roast.
The most common roast that is used for house blend, breakfast roast, and American roast is the medium roast. It is the roast of the average American coffee drinker used to drink as well. The temperature that is used for medium roasting is between 410F – 428F. The medium roast has the most balanced flavor among the other roastings. To reach a medium-dark roast, it has to reach the internal temperature of 437F – 446F after the second crack. The medium-dark roast is a slight step up from the medium roast. This roast will bring out a richer, satisfying flavor, more body, and less acidity of the coffee beans.
And lastly is the dark coffee roast. The darker roasts indicate a longer time of roasting that reaches the temperature of 464F – 482F. Dark roast is also known as French roast. You will be able to differentiate a darker roast by observing the color of a darker bean and the oil that is visible on the body of the coffee bean. Dark roast coffee is much sweeter to the taste because of the sugar that melts and caramelized during the roasting. The caffeine contains in darker roasts is lesser among the rest of the coffee roast.
Acidity of a Blonde Roast Coffee Beans
Did you know that coffee also contains acidity? According to Healthline, coffee varieties are acidic, with an average pH value of 4.85 to 5.1. The acidity of a coffee will change according to the level of roasting that you choose, the process of brewing the coffee, and how the beans are grown as well. For example, lighter roasts which include blonde roast have the most acidity. The longer the process of roasting, the less acidic it will be.
The high acid coffee of a blonde roast will provide a slightly sour taste and citrusy aftertaste than what you would get from a medium to dark roast. The longer the roast will indeed decrease the acidity of the coffee bean; however, the longer the roast will also provide a sweet, buttery, smooth, and caramelized taste. It all comes down to your preferences if you prefer a lighter roast for more high caffeine levels and higher acidity or a darker roast for a lower acidity that is a much smoother and sweeter taste from your coffee.
Health Benefits of a Lighter Roasts
Drinking cups of caffeine and sugar cannot be healthy right? Well, those two factors indeed are an unhealthy option by ears. Regardless of the roast, each roast has some health benefits to you. Coffee links to your cardiovascular health and energy boost. There is one study that states that the substance in light roasting coffee contains more antioxidants you’ll get from chlorogenic acid that you found in coffee.
You have to keep in mind that organic plants, including coffee beans when they are roasted, steamed or boiled under heat, will decrease the nutrition of those plants and fruits. This also applies to coffee beans. The longer the roasting, it will also kill some nutritions that they initially have. Thus, it is factual that under roasted beans have much nutrition compared to darker roasts.
Lighter roast tends to have more anti-inflammatory properties, which are related to a whole host of chronic diseases. However, it does not mean that dark roast coffee does not have any health benefits to us, the lighter roasts just provide more benefits in terms of health for us.
In addition, if you are having a problem with acidity or trying to limit caffeine intake, darker roast coffee is much better than light roast due to its low acidity and the caffeine content is much lower. Low acid could help aid your digestive system to not experience issues like abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, and more.
Does Blonde Roast Coffee Actually Taste Better?
This is a bit of a controversial topic for some of us. Different coffees have caffeine content, health benefits, and unique flavor. Light roast coffee might be suitable for some of us where we want to have a shorter roasting time and mellow flavors in addition to dark roasted coffee that has a stronger taste and aroma.
Some of us might enjoy the blonde roast coffee taste with stronger caffeine and sour after taste of the coffee, and some might enjoy the strong aroma of the medium roasts or darker roast. If you have never tried a blonde roast before, you can go to your nearest coffee shops including Starbucks. Starbucks does offer a line of Starbucks blonde roast for the customer.
Final Thoughts
Blonde coffee does not have a strict definition of what its role and specificity is, so do not get too hung up by what it is called. Blonde roasts are unique apart from the other roasts. It already has a long history since its initial name of cinnamon roast. There are also different levels of roasting where the blonde roast and the other two are a part of the first level roasting – the light roast coffee. Each level has its unique character and taste. Each roasting process will affect the caffeine level and acidity as well.
The lighter roast has a high level of caffeine and acidity which is the opposite of the dark roasts, where it is low in both caffeine and acidity. A blonde coffee has some health benefits for you as well. They contain more antioxidants which aid your cardiovascular system in your body. Moreover, due to its low acidity, it helps the digestive system not experience issues like abdominal pain, nausea, and bloating.
Lastly, you might be hesitant to try what a blonde coffee has to offer. It is different from what you usually drink and it also depends on your preferences regarding which you like better than others. However, as you drink coffee more and more, the more you will start exploring new possibilities with coffee. So, what better way to start with a blonde roast coffee!
References:
- 4 Types of Coffee Roasts (Explain with Images) | Coffee Affection | Kate MacDonnell
- What is Blonde Roast Coffee? | HOMEGROUNS
- BLONDE ROAST EXPLAINED: A DEEP DIVE INTO LIGHTER COFFEE | Golden Ratio | Clark
- Is Coffee Acidic | healthline | Daniel Preiato
- Blonde Roast Coffee: A Light Roast Coffee For Coffee Lovers | Black Ink Coffee Company | Parker Russell
Check out: Starbucks Veranda Blend Blonde Coffee Review By Barry Bizarre
