You pick up a beautiful bag of coffee. The brand name is bold, the design is stunning, and it promises a delicious experience. But then you look closer and see the details: a strength rating of 4/5, little bars for ‘acidity’ and ‘body’, and a list of curious flavors like ‘citrus,’ ‘caramel,’ and ‘earthy’.
Imagine you see this on a coffee bag or pouch:
- Java Preanger Indonesia
- Tasting Notes: Brown Sugar, Orange Peel, Spice
- Process: Washed
- Variety: Typica
- Strenght: 4/5
- Acidity: 3/5
- Body: 3/5
- Altitude: 1,500 MASL
- Roast Date: 21 September 2025
What does it all actually mean?
If you’ve ever felt a little lost trying to choose the right beans, you’re not alone. The language of specialty coffee can feel like a secret code. But it doesn’t have to be.
This guide will walk you through every part of that label, in the exact order you likely see it. We’ll turn that confusion into confidence, helping you stop guessing and start buying coffee you know you’ll love, every single time.
The Visuals First: What Do Those Strength, Acidity & Body Bars Really Mean?
Many coffee bags, especially from larger roasters, use simple visual indicators like a number out of five, or a filled-in bar, to quickly communicate key characteristics. While these are helpful shortcuts, it’s important to know exactly what they’re referring to.
Strength (e.g., 4/5)
When a coffee bag rates its “strength” high, it typically refers to the intensity of the flavor or its perceived “boldness” when brewed. It’s about how powerful and assertive the taste is, rather than how much caffeine is in the cup (that’s a common misconception!). A coffee with a higher strength rating will usually deliver a more pronounced, robust, and richer flavor experience.
Acidity (e.g., 3/5)
For many, “acidity” in coffee sounds like a negative, hinting at a sour or harsh taste. But in specialty coffee, acidity is a highly prized quality! It describes the brightness, crispness, or lively sparkle on your tongue, much like the refreshing tartness of an apple or the zest of a lemon.
- Low acidity means a smooth, mellow, and sometimes chocolatey or nutty cup.
- High acidity delivers a vibrant, zesty, and often fruity or floral experience.
So, if you see a high acidity rating, prepare for a bright, exciting cup, not necessarily a sour one!
Body (e.g., 3/5)
The “body” of a coffee refers to its weight and texture in your mouth. Think of it like comparing water to milk:
- A low-body coffee feels light, clean, and often tea-like on your palate.
- A full or high body coffee feels rich, heavy, creamy, and can almost cling to your tongue.
It’s the sensation of the liquid itself, whether it’s silky, thick, syrupy, or delicate. A higher body rating suggests a more substantial and rich mouthfeel.
The Flavor Notes: What Will Your Coffee Actually Taste Like?
After the main visuals, your eyes will likely land on a list of three or four descriptive words, such as “Dark Chocolate,” “Brown Sugar,” and “Earthy Spice,” like in the example bag. This is perhaps the most misunderstood part of a coffee label.
Let’s be clear: these are not added flavors. The roaster isn’t adding chocolate or fruit to the beans.
Instead, these notes describe the coffee’s natural, inherent aromas and tastes. Think of it like comparing a Granny Smith apple to a Red Delicious, both are apples, but one is tart and crisp, while the other is sweet and mild. Coffee beans are the seeds of a fruit, and their origin, variety, and how they are processed and roasted create a huge spectrum of natural flavors.
These notes are your best guide to the coffee’s overall character. They are often grouped into families:
- Fruity & Floral: Notes like “Berry,” “Citrus,” “Peach,” or “Jasmine.” These coffees are often bright and aromatic.
- Chocolatey & Nutty: Common notes like “Cocoa,” “Dark Chocolate,” “Almond,” or “Walnut.” These coffees are rich and comforting.
- Sweet & Caramelly: You’ll see “Brown Sugar,” “Honey,” “Caramel,” or “Toffee.” These coffees have a pleasant, deep sweetness.
- Earthy & Spicy: Notes like “Cedar,” “Baking Spice,” or the classic “Earthy” profile famous in many Sumatran coffees. These are often bold, complex, and savory.
Learning to identify these notes is a fun part of the coffee journey. It helps you understand what you truly enjoy in a cup.
Want to learn more? To discover how professionals taste coffee and identify these specific notes, read our complete guide to Coffee Tasting Notes.
The Origin Story: Where Does Your Coffee Come From?
Beyond the main visuals and flavor descriptions, you’ll often find a block of smaller text that details the coffee’s specific heritage. This is the “terroir”, the story of the place and the plant that created the unique flavors in your cup.
Region
Just like with wine, the place where coffee is grown has a massive impact on its taste. The soil, climate, and elevation of a specific country or even a single mountainside contribute to the final flavor profile. This is why you’ll see a coffee’s origin listed, sometimes as broadly as “Colombia” and other times as specifically as “Gayo Highlands, Aceh.”
For example, a coffee from Sumatra, like the one pictured, is often known for its deep, earthy, and full-bodied characteristics. This is a world away from a coffee grown in Ethiopia, which is typically light, floral, and tea-like. Knowing the region gives you a powerful clue about the general style of coffee you can expect.
Variety / Cultivar
This refers to the specific type of coffee plant the beans were harvested from. Think of it like the difference between a Granny Smith apple and a Fuji apple, both are apples, but their genetics give them distinct tastes. Common coffee varieties include Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, and the highly prized Geisha. While you don’t need to be an expert on all of them, it shows the roaster’s attention to detail in sourcing a specific quality of bean.
Altitude
Often listed in meters above sea level (MASL), the altitude is a crucial factor in a coffee’s quality. As a general rule, the higher the altitude, the more complex and aromatic the coffee. Why? At higher elevations, the cooler temperatures cause the coffee cherries to mature more slowly, allowing more time for complex sugars and interesting acids to develop within the bean. This often leads to a more vibrant and flavorful cup.
The Roaster’s Craft: How Was the Flavor Unlocked?
This final set of information tells you about the specific decisions made after the coffee was picked. These steps are controlled by the producers at the farm and the roasters themselves, and they are responsible for unlocking the bean’s full potential.
Roast Date: The Key to Freshness
If you learn nothing else, remember this: coffee is a fresh product. Its flavor is at its absolute peak in the days and weeks immediately after roasting. That’s why the “Roasted On” date is so important. Always look for a bag with a recent date (within the last few weeks) to ensure you’re getting the most flavorful and aromatic experience possible.
Roast Level
This tells you how long and to what temperature the beans were heated. The roaster’s choice of roast level has a massive impact on the final taste, either highlighting the bean’s delicate origin notes or creating deep, rich, roasty flavors. The bag will typically specify if it’s a Light, Medium, or Dark roast.
Want to learn more? Each roast level dramatically changes the taste in your cup. To explore this topic in detail, check out our complete guide to Coffee Roast Levels.
Process
Before the beans are roasted, the fruit of the coffee cherry must be removed. The method used to do this is called the “process,” and it fundamentally shapes the coffee’s flavor profile.
- Washed: The fruit is scrubbed off with water before drying. This results in a very clean, crisp, and bright cup that clearly expresses the bean’s origin flavors.
- Natural: The entire coffee cherry is dried whole, with the bean inside. This imparts intense, sweet, and often wild fruity flavors into the bean.
- Honey: A middle-ground method where some of the fruit is left on the bean during drying, resulting in a cup with a great balance of sweetness and mellow acidity.
- Giling Basah: Almost the same with washed process, but instead of letting the green coffee beans dry until 14-15% and hulled. This process hulled the green coffee beans when it’s on 35-40% moistures, and then continue drying process after hulled until moistures 14-15%. The result are the famous earthy flavor notes. Typically found in Indonesia, this is a special process that other country does’nt have.
Want to learn more? This single step can make a coffee taste clean and classic or wild and fruity. Discover how in our deep dive into Coffee Processing Methods.
Putting It All Together: Your Cheat Sheet for the Coffee Aisle
We’ve covered a lot of ground, so let’s simplify it. The next time you’re looking at a bag, use this quick cheat sheet to guide your decision based on your personal taste.
- If you love a classic, rich, and comforting cup…
- Look for: High Strength and Body ratings.
- Tasting Notes like: “Chocolate,” “Nutty,” “Caramel,” or “Earthy.”
- Roast Level: Medium to Dark.
- Regions like: Sumatra, Brazil, or Colombia.
- If you prefer a bright, vibrant, and adventurous cup…
- Look for: A higher Acidity rating.
- Tasting Notes like: “Fruity,” “Citrus,” “Berry,” or “Floral.”
- Roast Level: Light.
- Process: Natural or Washed.
- If you want a sweet, smooth, and balanced cup…
- Look for: Mid-range ratings across the board.
- Tasting Notes like: “Brown Sugar,” “Toffee,” or “Red Apple.”
- Roast Level: Medium.
- Process: Honey or Washed.
Conclusion: You’re Now the Expert
The coffee label is no longer a secret code. It’s a story, a guide, and your best tool for finding a coffee that truly excites you. From the strength and body ratings to the specific origin and process, every detail is a clue to the delicious experience waiting inside the bag.
So be curious! Use your new knowledge to try a coffee with a flavor note you’ve never had before or from a region you’ve never explored. You now have everything you need to choose your next bag with total confidence.
Ready to put your new decoding skills to the test?
Explore our curated selection of Indonesian Coffee Beans and discover the incredible diversity of freshly roasted coffee from across the archipelago. Find the perfect profile for your taste today!