VICTOR ALLEN'S COFFEE

Precise Roasting

"Roasting is a process of very quick cooking to generate maximum flavor and maximum retention of perishable volatile aromas which are lost during slower cooking methods. Roasting is much faster than baking. Typical baking ovens use 325F air temperatures. Roasting uses air of about 600F, for far more rapid and intense heat exchange. The primary benefit of roasting is far superior preservation of volatile micro ingredient flavor components."

very light roasts (orange brown or cinnamon color)
primary taste: highly acid, sharp, raw, hint of grain taste, very thin

regular roasts (medium brown color)
primary taste: brightly acid, but not sharp or raw, not grain tasting, richer, not thin, complex fruit/acid/chocolate flavors

espresso roasts (darker brown color)
primary taste: moderate to low acid, smooth rich caramel flavor, medium heavy body, nutty, sweet flavor and "toasted" aroma

dark roasts (very dark brown, slightly oily)
primary taste: low acid, mild smoky flavor, like charcoal but not harsh like tar, heavy body, deep but mild burnt flavor and aroma.

very dark roasts (brownish black to black)
primary taste: very low acid, but deeply smoky with a tarry/rough edge. Burnt, very heavy body. Information provided from preliminary course outline for Rick's Cafe International

Decaffeination

Water-only or Swiss-Water Process - Caffeine is removed by first soaking the green beans in hot water, then removing the caffeine from the water by means of activated charcoal filters, then restoring the remaining chemical constituents to the green beans by re-immersing them in the same hot water.

Conventional process/European process - Refers to methods in which the caffeine has been removed from the hot water by means of a solvent like ethyl acetate (which is derived from fruit: hence, naturally decaffeinated.)

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