What Is Blonde Coffee? The Brighter Side Of Coffee!

Everyone loves a blonde! As the saying goes, blondes are more fun. This article addresses the question, what is blonde coffee? And details the subject of blonde coffee, its flavor profile, caffeine content and touches on an espresso with a difference, a Blonde espresso roast.

As a whole hearted coffee lover and coffee enthusiast, I encourage you to try every type of coffee that there is from different beans to different roasts and, yes, different brewing methods.

Keep reading, as we crack on with this article about coffee from the lighter side of the roasting process.

What Is Blonde Coffee?

In simple terms, a blonde coffee, also known as a blonde roast, is a coffee that has been roasted to a lighter roast profile than other coffee beans.

A blonde roast is more acidic than other darker roasts and medium roasts.

The term “blonde coffee” and blonde roast was made popular by Starbucks and their customers over the years. This coffee roast style has a history that goes beyond Starbucks and is hundreds of years old, having been historically known as a cinnamon roast due to the shade of the coffee beans and the coffee produced by this type of roast.

It matches the color of cinnamon.

The name was changed from cinnamon roast to avoid confusion from coffee lovers who thought they would get a coffee with a taste of cinnamon.

Now, the term blonde roast is descriptive of a lighter roast, which unfortunately varies from brand to brand, as does what is defined and classed as a blonde roast.

Sadly, there is no organization that regulates the roasting and definition of the different types and levels of roast by coffee roasters.

A fine example is Starbucks blonde roast. It is more like a medium roast coffee bean than what you would normally consider as a true blonde.

Something to be aware of are the terms half city roast and light city roast, which are not really blonde roasts (but often used as blonde coffee beans), are only a shade lighter than that of a regular medium roast.

This raises the question…

Read: Does blonde roast have more caffeine?

Is A Blonde Roast A Light Roast?

Since we have touched on the topic, yes, a blonde roast is, by all means, the same as a light roast. A light roast is defined by the lower roasting temperatures and shorter roast times than darker roasts. The drink is characterized by a lighter body and greater acidity.

The broad spectrum of lighter roasts includes more than just blonde roasts. It includes gold roast coffee and white coffee, all coming under the umbrella as a light roast.

What Does Blonde Coffee Taste Like?

There is a distinct difference in taste between all the different roast profiles. A blonde coffee has a slightly sour taste due to the higher acidity and has citrus notes and tones.

A coffee connoisseur and lover of single origin coffee love blond roasts due to them having and maintaining more of the flavors of the origin.

Naturally,

the taste of each individual bean will vary from location to location and can have a considerable differences between them.

The brewing method will also influence your blonde roast coffee taste profile. By far, in my opinion, the best brewing technique to use is the French press, as this will help you to control all the variables and extract all the great flavors from the beans.

Another great brewing method is cold brew. The low brewing temperatures bring out a great refreshing taste. Better still, to amp up the taste and flavor you double brew your cold brew and use both the high and low brew temperatures to extract the high and low temperature flavor compounds.

Expect floral notes and citrus-like tones from a blonde roast. Don’t expect a traditional classic coffee taste that you are more familiar with.

Is Blonde Coffee Less Bitter?

Yes,

blonde roast has the tendency to be slightly less bitter than medium and darker roasts, but expect some sour citrus-like tones due to the higher acidity. The greater acidity has a plus point – there are more of the potent antioxidants, chiefly, the chlorogenic acid.

Darker roasts are roasted at a higher temperature and burn the coffee bean more, which results in a bitter, dark and robust flavor.

Blond Coffee Vs Regular Coffee

A regular coffee creates a bold, intense taste and lingering flavor while a blond is a lighter, brighter, less intense taste which highlights the beans natural sweetness with a creamy and very smooth body with citrus and floral notes.

Each roast profile is different. As you move up the roasting scale, your cup of coffee is going to develop a deeper, heavier body and bolder, smokier taste as you get beyond the medium roasts to the medium dark and dark roasts.

Read: Is blonde roast stronger?

Blonde Coffee Caffeine Content

When it comes to the level of caffeine and the amounts of caffeine in your coffee, you will find that a blonde coffee, a blonde roast, has a greater caffeine content than a double espresso at Starbucks.

It’s not even close!

A tall blonde roast caffeine levels rock in at 270 mg while a double espresso has 150 mg of caffeine.

If it is a great tasting cup of coffee that you are looking for and an ample caffeine boost, cast your eyes to a blonde coffee.

Does Blonde Coffee Have Less Caffeine?

No,

while it is difficult to measure levels of caffeine exactly based on the level of roast as, usually different beans are taken to different roast levels.

To make a direct apples with apples and oranges with oranges comparison, we must take the same amount of coffee beans by both weight and number and roast them to different roast levels and then measure the caffeine content of the beans when brewing several different coffee drinks with different brewing methods and then measure the levels of caffeine content.

From my own experience and based on a number of guides and sources, I say with confidence that a blonde coffee does not have less caffeine; they, blonde roasts, have more caffeine.

What Is Blonde Espresso?

A blonde espresso, is an espresso made with light roasted coffee beans instead of dark roasted coffee beans. You will often hear a blonde espresso being referred to as or called a blonde espresso roast or a light espresso.

The name is in reference to the roast level of the beans used to make the espresso shot. It is a very different tasting espresso, more on this in a moment. If you have a home espresso machine, I advise you to try making and enjoying a shot of espresso with blonde roasted beans.

If any of your family or friends don’t like coffee, you can have them try milk based espresso drinks like a cortado, a flat white, latte, mocha, cappuccino brewed with blonde roasted beans.

The result is a lighter and milkier taste that doesn’t quite cut through the milk like a dark roast does.

Read: Blonde roast

What Does Starbucks Blonde Espresso Taste Like?

A Starbucks blonde espresso taste is quite fantastic with notes and tones of orange, lemon and caramel. A very smooth body with bright citrus notes.

The beans used to make Starbucks blonde espresso are a blend of lightly roasted East African and Latin American coffee beans and is certainly something you must try at least once.

Is Blonde Espresso Sweet?

A blonde espresso has a sweet and mellow taste when compared to a regular dark roast espresso. It lacks the bitterness and packs a very different flavor profile.

I would say that a blonde espresso is sweet per se as you will probably need a touch of sugar, just less than you normally would for a regular coffee.

Is Blonde Coffee Stronger Than Espresso?

Yes, in terms of caffeine content, a blonde espresso shot has a greater amount of caffeine than a dark roast espresso and thus can be said to be stronger.

In terms of flavor, it is much weaker, lighter and brighter.

Frequently Asked Questions About What Is Blonde Espresso

Is Blonde Coffee Stronger?

Blonde coffee is lighter and weaker in flavor than other roast profiles including medium roast coffee, medium-dark and dark roasted coffee. The flavor is light, floral and has a lot more of the unique flavors of the origin and fewer flavors from the roasting process.

They are stronger in terms of caffeine content, with all things being equal, type of beans, brewing process and all other variables, a blonde coffee will have slightly more caffeine than a dark roast.

Does Blonde Coffee Taste Different?

Yes! There is a very notable difference in taste between a blonde roast and a dark roast coffee. With a little training and regular drinking of blonde coffee, you will notice the slight difference between a blonde coffee and other light roast coffees. There is a light sour taste with an obvious presence of citrus notes and a lemon-like aftertastes.

Is Blonde Coffee Less Caffeine?

No, even though caffeine is a very stable molecule and robust to temperature changes, there is a slight difference between the caffeine content of a dark roast coffee and a blonde roast due to, in part, the roasting process. A cup of coffee brewed with a blonde coffee, all variables being the same, will have just a little more caffeine.

The difference is minimal and is not at all something you or your body will notice. Typically, the difference is only 10 milligrams per cup.

There is one coffee that has more caffeine than a blonde coffee, white coffee. White coffee has an average of 5% more caffeine. A white coffee, also known as a half roast, is roasted for only half the time as blonde coffee and at a slightly lower temperature.

Is Blonde Coffee Healthier?

Blonde roast coffee is healthier due to having a significantly higher antioxidant content than dark roasts and still having the same rich nutritional profile of vitamins and minerals that other coffees have.

Is Blonde Coffee Easier On Your Stomach?

No, due to the higher acidity a blonde coffee is not easier on your stomach. If you suffer from GERD/Acid reflux, a blonde roast may not be the ideal choice for you. Darker roasted coffees are easier on your stomach and cause your stomach to build up less hydrochloric acid.

Does Blonde Coffee Stain Teeth?

Yes, a blonde coffee will still stain your teeth, just less than darker roasted coffees. All coffee will stain your teeth; it is just a matter of which degree.

Frappé-Ing It All Up – What Is Blonde Coffee?

A blonde espresso is a fabulous light, bright citrus and slightly sour and acidic tasting espresso brewed with lightly roasted coffee beans. It is certainly something to try and enjoy as it makes a lovely difference and change to the regular run-of-the-mill dark roasted coffee beans.

Now you know what a blonde espresso is, go try one!

Now that you have that question, what is blonde espresso, all that is left for you to do is join our cool coffee community and share your thoughts on this coffee, recipes you have made and enjoyed using a blonde espresso as the base and reach out and help your fellow coffee lovers. Find us on Facebook/Meta.

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