My Barista Told Me Something I Can’t Unknow About Flavored Coffee

I have a confession: I love flavored coffee beans. Whether they’re birthday cake, coconut rum, or even the mysteriously named “Midnight in Paris” — the stranger the beans are, the better. Looking to keep the number of pumpkin spice lattes (and sugar cookie, peppermint and every other seasonal latte that has sprung up lately) I consume in check, I thought flavored beans presented a perfect alternative to those sugary, syrup-laden drinks — fun flavors with no extra sugar.
That is, until a casual conversation with my barista changed everything. The flavored coffee I was drinking had a dirty secret: the beans are typically stale from the last harvest season and sprayed with a cocktail of solvents and flavoring agents to mask their bitter flavor.
Um, ick?
I wanted to verify this, so I spoke with baristas and coffee roasters and asked their thoughts on flavored coffee.
Flavored coffee is made with beans that have been sprayed with either natural or artificial oils and food additives during or after the roasting process. These compounds are generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration, meaning the FDA deems it perfectly safe to enjoy a cup or two.
However, the flavoring often masks low-quality, bitter beans, according to Laila Ghambari, the winner of the 2014 United States Barista Championships and a coffee industry consultant.
“The industry standard is to expect that a flavored coffee is a poor-quality coffee,” Ghambari said. “You are not going to add a flavor to a beautiful, high-quality coffee, so this practice is only done on coffee that is low quality to start.”
From private-label store brands to single-origin beans, most of the experts spoken with agreed that great coffee should stand on its own without added flavors.
Ghambari said that she hates flavored coffee “because coffee itself has so much flavor. The process of roasting it adds in even more flavors, indulging extra sweetness.”
“Coffee is such a beautiful beverage to be enjoyed similarly as wine, coming in different varieties and forms through growing, roasting and brewing,” she continued. “I think coffee is such a beautiful beverage that adding flavors to the beans themselves is unnecessary.”
Tommy Chan, the head roaster for Morning Owl Roastery in Ottawa, Canada, agreed.
“In the world of specialty coffee, there is no place for artificially added flavors, like the ones you would find in K-Cups,” Chan said. “As much fun as it is to have the option to choose a different flavor for each day of the week, it’s often quite a letdown for what it tastes like.”
One exception was Jill Hoff, director of coffee and education for Monogram Coffee and the winner of the 2020 Canadian Barista Championships.
“I do think that there is a benefit to adding flavor to commercial grade and coffees of lesser quality,” Hoff said. “Adding flavor to roasted coffee will cover up some of the green and roast defects that might be present, which would give those coffees a boost in positive flavor.”
Brewing up your medium roast every morning might have you thinking that’s what all coffee tastes like. But geography, altitude and growing conditions can impact the flavor profile of beans, adding sweetness, acidity and even those coveted notes of fruit, nuts or caramel that are often found in flavored coffees.
“The flavor of coffee comes first and foremost from the terroir it grows in,” said Kaleena Teoh, co-founder and director at Coffee Project NY. “The processing [fermentation and drying process] impacts and sometimes changes the flavor of that coffee. The roasting also impacts and changes the flavor of the coffee.”
Think of a fine wine or an exceptionally peated Scotch — you’d likely gag at infusing the grapes or barley with butter and vanilla flavoring extracts to make it taste like birthday cake. The same goes for coffee beans.
“In general, as coffee professionals, we tend to enjoy a cup of coffee on its own,” Teoh said. “We want to be able to taste the terroir and the processing of the coffee. Coffee from different regions tastes vastly different, and we get to enjoy the different profiles on its own. They could taste fruity, floral, nutty, spicy, etc. If we were to add anything to the coffee, it tends to cover up the original profile and makes it difficult for us to assess the flavor objectively.”
“However, there is no right or wrong way of enjoying coffee,” she added.
Also known as co-fermented or macerated, green coffee beans get fermented with fruits, spices or yeasts before processing to enhance their original flavor. It’s preferred by coffee connoisseurs and thought of as superior to flavored coffee since the process occurs with the producer.
“This is important to note that this process happens while still in the hands of the producer, as they are the experts in processing and are putting forth a quality product with the intention of showcasing these added flavors,” Hoff said. “These coffees largely come from Colombia and Costa Rica, and they are shockingly flavorful and intense. The most common flavors would be associated with fruits or spices like cinnamon, but really the sky is the limit.”
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If your TikTok “for you page” is anything like mine, you’ve seen the proliferation of fruit syrups (cherry and blueberry are especially popular thanks to the popular Nitro Bar Coffee account) sweetening lattes and adding color to the otherwise dull drink. With tons of free resources online, it’s a simple way to add flavor without impacting the integrity of the beans.
Don’t be shy about asking for a sample or tasting notes on different beans. Many baristas are happy to guide you through the different roasts, from fruity Ethiopian varieties to nutty Brazilian blends.
“The best advice is to go into a local coffee shop and strike up a conversation about coffee with the barista on staff,” Chan said. “Most baristas are employed because they already love the world of coffee. They will enthusiastically show you a whole new way of brewing coffee that does not require added flavors.”