The Top 10 Strongest Espresso Beans By Caffeine And Flavor!

In this article we talk about the top 10 strongest espresso beans by caffeine content and by flavor profile. Rather than having a lengthy, drawn-out article, we split this list into two lists. One lists the top 5 strongest by caffeine content and the other the top 5 based on the strength of flavor. Thus, in total, you have a top 10 of the strongest espresso beans.

If you prefer a strong flavor and are not so bothered about the caffeine content, you can skip to that list.

If,

on the other hand, if you are looking for a highly caffeinated bean, skip to that list.

Keep reading as we dig down and really get into this topic!

What Do We Mean By The Strongest Espresso Beans?

The term “strongest” in the world of coffee can refer to a cup of coffee that has one serious caffeine kick, or it can refer to a coffee that has good, deep, strong flavors and a full body.

Since the term means different things to different people I’ve decided to kill two birds with, well with one article that addresses both caffeine content and flavor.

By Caffeine Content.

We are covering the strongest espresso beans by caffeine content – in this section you will find what we consider the top 5 espresso beans that have the biggest caffeine kick – no holds barred, all of these have one serious punch.

By Flavor Profile.

We also talk about and cover what we consider to be the strongest espresso beans in terms of flavor profile. The top 5 in this list are all tasty, delicious and will leave you knowing that you have tasted a perfect coffee with a great, strong taste.

Let’s get on with this article and list the top 5 highly caffeinated espresso beans.

Read: Best roast for espresso

The Top 5 Strongest Espresso Beans By Caffeine Content

As a word of warning, a cautionary note. Please be careful if you wish to make an espresso or any coffee drink with these beans. These should all come with a public health warning!

The caffeine content far exceeds the 400 milligrams recommended daily amount. If you suffer from any heart conditions, anxiety or anything that can be triggered by excess caffeine, please be careful.

Trying any of these highly caffeinated espresso beans you are doing so at your own risk!

#1 Devil Mountain Coffee Company – Black Label.

Caffeine: Content: 1,550 milligrams per 12 ounces (360 ml) of  brewed coffee.

Bean Type: Unknown, Not Listed

Black label coffee beans by Devil Mountain are literally satanic! It is the most dangerous cup of coffee or espresso shot in the world. These coffee beans have an incredible 1,550 mg of caffeine. per brewed cup of coffee. How much per shot of espresso is unknown. You can rest assured that it is in the range of 150 mg per single shot of espresso – double what you get from Starbucks.

It is certainly devilish.

Read: Best tasting espresso

#2 Devils Brew Extreme Caffeine Coffee (Brand From The UK).

Caffeine Content: 1325 to 1350 mg per 12 Ounce (360ml) brewed coffee.

Bean Type: Ethically sourced Robusta coffee beans.

This is a British brand, and it packs a pretty potent punch: 1350 mg of caffeine is almost the equivalent of 7 x 12 ounce French press coffees! Trust me, you will feel the caffeine boost, and probably the caffeine jitters.

#3 Great British Trading – Very Strong Coffee.

Caffeine Content: 1350 mg per 12 Ounce (360 ml) Of Brewed coffee.

Bean Type: 100% Robusta coffee beans.

Another British coffee company with a very strong coffee with beans that you can use to brew an espresso weighing in at 1350 mg per 12 ounce cup of coffee. This would result in an espresso shot with around 125 mg of caffeine.

#4 High Voltage Coffee (Australian).

Caffeine Content: 1,150 milligrams per 12 ounce (360 ml) content.

Type Of Content: Not Listed

This is an Australian coffee company and is by far the strongest coffee down under. The caffeine content is considerably less than the others on this list, but do not let that fool you. Anything above 1,000 milligrams can start to cause symptoms of caffeine toxicity.

You can only find them in Australia. They don’t export.

#5 Black Insomnia

Caffeine Content: 1105 milligrams per 12 ounces (360 mg).

Type Of Bean: A blend of 80% Robusta beans and 20% Arabica beans.

Originating from South Africa, and now available globally, Black Insomnia. It produces a massive caffeine hit despite being the weakest on this list. Being fair, and in my opinion, tastes better than some on this list.

I’m not into highly caffeinated espressos or highly charged coffee of any type and simply sip tested the coffees on this list for taste.

Top 5 Strongest Espresso Beans By Flavor Profiles

The following are what I consider to be the strongest espresso beans based on their flavor profiles and the strength of flavor. Let’s get on with this one.

#1 The Dharma Espresso Blend By Temple

Roast Level: Medium

Whole Bean Or Pre-Ground: Either, it’s up to you what you order.

Flavor Profile: Expect notes of caramel, cocoa and sweet berries.

Origin(s): Ethiopia, Brazil and Costa Rica.

The Dharma Espresso Blend By Temple coffee roasters is a well thought out blend of very tasty beans from South America and Africa. Available from Trade coffee, these have the expected flavors of chocolate, caramel, nuts and, to keep your taste buds on their toes, there are some hints of sweet berries.

What is very interesting is that each of the three beans are processed differently. The Brazilian beans are washed and bring around a darker, heavier body and chocolate sweetness. The Costa Rican beans are honey-processed and are naturally sweet and nutty with notes of hazelnuts and almonds.

The Ethiopian beans are fruity and naturally processed. The result is a pretty amazing espresso blend that works well with lattes, cortados and a straight shot of espresso or a macchiato with a splash of milk.

I am very confident these will be the best espresso coffee beans that you have ever tried!

#2 Lifeboost Coffee Espresso Beans

Roast Profile: Dark Roast

Whole Bean or Pre-Ground: Whole Beans

Tasting Notes: Slightly Sweet and Rich with bold tones of chocolate and caramel and subtle sweetness and low acidity.

Origin: Nicaragua

Lifeboost are dedicated to giving you a lifeboost with their organic and healthy, mycotoxin free healthy coffee beans. Certified as 100% organic and fair trade.

These ethically sourced organic whole beans from Nicaragua taste fantastic and feel really good to drink. The beans are sun dried, spring water washed and 100% Arabica. They are very healthy and have rich, bold tones of chocolate, low acid and hints of caramel and a certain subtle fruitiness with an attractive, intense aroma.

Perfect for espresso brewing.

#3 Coffee Bros. Espresso Roast

Roast Level: Medium roast

Whole Bean Coffee Or Pre-Ground: Either, up to you.

Aroma: Caramel

Tasting Notes: Vanilla, strawberry and sugar cane.

Origin(s): Colombia And Ethiopia.

This is an excellent roast and a great blend, one of the best two bean blends I have tried. The espresso made is one that is absolutely enjoyable. The master roaster is obviously highly skilled and plays up the coffee’s sweetness and has it mixing incredibly well with the caramel aroma and vanilla and strawberry notes with underlying tones of sugar cane.

#4 Tanzania Peaberry By Volcanica Coffee

Roast Profile: Medium Roast.

Whole Bean or Pre-Ground: Whole Bean Coffee

Tasting Notes: Sweet coffee with hints of plums, nougat and lemongrass.

Origin: Tanzania.

If you want to splurge on high-end coffee, you can ditch Lavazza Super Crema and sample a bag of Tanzania Peaberry. This will brew a flavorful espresso that is particularly amazing! Really, it will be one that will be a delight to your taste buds.

This is a single bean coffee that is rich in flavor and features fruit flavors, with very nice plum notes. Sweet, pleasant nougat tones come through with nice lemongrass hints. Expect a buttery rich body. As a morning shot of espresso, it is pretty amazing.

#5 Hair Bender By Stumptown

Roast Profile: Dark

Whole Bean or Pre-Ground: Whole Bean Coffee

Tasting Notes: Balanced and sweet.

Origin(s): Africa, Indonesia and Latin America.

Sumptown coffee is one of the leading coffee companies in the third wave of coffee. They have a strong focus on processing methods, cultivation and origin.

They pay so much close attention to their coffee and have a focus on sustainability.

Hair bender is a name that is an acknowledgement to the beauty parlor that occupied their first roastery before they took it over. This coffee has a rich texture and the brightness that you would expect from an Indonesian volcanic coffee. Fruity and earthy characteristics of the African and Latin American beans. I also noted some elements of dark chocolate and citrus hints.

This is a great blend and makes a good, strong tasting full-bodied espresso.

Frequently Asked Questions About Strongest Espresso Beans

What Espresso Is The Strongest?

The strongest espresso based on caffeine content is undoubtedly from Devil Mountain and their Black Label coffee beans. They have an astounding, and frightening 1,550 mg of caffeine per 12 ounce serving. That is 50 milligrams short of 4x the recommended daily amount.

The strongest in terms of flavor is Koffee Kult Dark Roast, its rich, organic yet smooth with tones of chocolate and caramel.

The strongest espresso drink in terms of both caffeine per ounce and strong intense flavor is a ristretto. It is a more focused and concentrated espresso with less hot water and a stronger coffee to water ratio.

Which Are The Best Beans For Espresso?

The best beans for an espresso are Arabica coffee beans as they produce a great taste, much better than Robusta, Excelsa and Liberica. Expert baristas insist that as a roast, a medium-dark roast produces the best quality espresso.

What Makes Espresso Beans Stronger?

Espresso beans are stronger due to being roasted at a higher temperature than the other roast profiles. That produces a stronger, deeper flavor and one that is more toasted. The higher roasting temperature also reduces the acidity. The oils mitigate to the exterior of the beans and result in a heavier, fuller tasting coffee.

What Is The Strongest Bean?

Robusta coffee beans are the strongest coffee beans as they have, on average, 2.2X more caffeine than Arabica coffee beans.

The stronger flavors tend to come from Arabica beans and are known amongst coffee enthusiasts for holding their flavor more.

Which Espresso Is The Strongest?

The strongest espresso drink is a ristretto. A ristretto, the best description is that it is a baby brother of an espresso shot. It’s notably smaller and is made with a coffee to water ratio of 1:1. The process of making produces a notably stronger cup of coffee.

Which Espresso Bean Has The Most Caffeine?

The espresso bean that is most caffeinated is one that is made from 100% robusta beans. One of the characteristics of a robusta coffee is that it has 2.2 to 2.7x more caffeine than arabica coffee.

Which Espresso Roast Is The Strongest?

The strongest espresso roast is an Italian roast. It is stronger than a French roast, which is commonly called an espresso roast.

Why Is Italian Espresso So Strong?

An Italian espresso is so strong due to the roast used in the country being an Italian roast. Also, it is common for baristas in the country to use a coffee to water ratio of 1:1.5 instead of a 1:2 ratio.

Frappé-Ing It All Up, Strongest Espresso Beans

The second part of this list of the strongest espresso beans was difficult as it was based on taste and strongest flavor. They all make great espresso shots. The difficulty was ranking them. Listing the strongest espresso beans by caffeine kick was much easier. Literally just listing them by which was the highest amount.

Please be responsible when trying the highly caffeinated ones and be careful – these should have a government warning on them!

Join our fun and friendly coffee community and tell us about the strongest coffee beans that you have tried!

Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location