Why Coffee Tastes Fruity, Nutty, or Floral

If you’ve ever looked at a bag of specialty coffee and wondered how on earth someone got “peach, hazelnut, and jasmine” from a cup of coffee, you’re not alone.

The truth is, coffee doesn’t have flavours added to it. Those tasting notes come naturally from the bean itself. Think of them as the language we use to describe the incredible range of aromas and flavours that different coffees express.

So why does one coffee taste like dark chocolate while another bursts with berries or florals? It all comes down to three things: where it’s grown, what it is, and how it’s roasted.

Let’s break down the science behind what you’re tasting.

1. Origin: Where the Coffee Was Grown

Coffee is an agricultural product, which means it takes on the character of the land it grows on. The soil, altitude, rainfall, and climate (known as terroir) all influence how the plant develops sugars, acids, and aromatic compounds.

In general terms:

• High altitude = slower cherry development, which leads to brighter, fruitier, and more complex flavours.
• Lower altitude = faster growth, which produces milder, nutty, or chocolatey profiles.

For example:

• Coffees from Ethiopia often have notes of floral, blueberry, and stone fruit because the high altitudes and heirloom varieties produce vibrant acidity and delicate aromatics.
• Coffees from Brazil grow at lower elevations with consistent warmth, creating chocolate, nut, and caramel tones that feel round and comforting.
• Guatemalan coffees balance the two. Grown in nutrient-rich volcanic soil at moderate altitude, they deliver structured sweetness and a nutty, dessert-like finish.

When we select coffees at Mood Artisan, origin isn’t just about geography, it’s about character. We look for producers who understand how to bring out their region’s natural identity, often through careful harvesting and post-harvest processing.

2. Variety: What Type of Coffee It Is

Just like wine grapes, different coffee varieties (or cultivars) have distinct flavour personalities. Two farms growing coffee on the same mountain can produce completely different cups simply because they’re growing different types of plants.

Some examples:

• Typica and Bourbon: the “classic” Arabica varieties. They tend to be smooth, balanced, and sweet, often with notes of nuts, cocoa, or mild fruit.
• Caturra and Catuai: more compact versions that thrive in Latin America, producing approachable flavours of caramel, citrus, and gentle acidity.
• SL-28 and SL-34: common in Kenya, known for their vivid blackcurrant, grapefruit, and wine-like acidity.
• Heirloom (Ethiopia): genetically diverse, creating complex floral and fruit-forward profiles.

Each plant’s genetics determine how much sugar and acid it develops in the cherry. Those compounds carry through roasting and brewing to become the flavours you perceive in your cup.

At Mood Artisan Coffee, we love working with varieties that express a sense of place. For example, let's take Marleyi Córdoba's Colombian Tabi variety, which combines Bourbon, Typica, and Timor Hybrid genetics. The result? Deep cocoa sweetness layered with raisin and molasses-like sweetness.

Or take our Guatemalan coffee from the Guaya'B women’s collective: a Bourbon variety with clean sweetness, nutty tones, and soft citrus. The variety helps it taste comforting yet refined, perfect for an easy, everyday brew.

3. Processing: How the Coffee Cherry Was Handled After Harvest

If origin tells you where the coffee came from and variety tells you what it is, processing tells you how the flavour was shaped.

Processing is simply how the coffee cherry is removed from the seed but the method can dramatically change the final cup.

Washed

The cherry fruit is removed before drying.
Flavour profile: clean, bright, clear acidity.
Why: With the fruit stripped away early, you taste the bean’s intrinsic character (terroir, variety, and roast).

Natural

The cherries dry whole with the fruit still on the seed.
Flavour profile: fruity, jammy, heavy-bodied.
Why: As the cherry dries around the bean, sugars and flavour compounds migrate inward.

Honey Process

The skin is removed, but the sticky mucilage is left on during drying.
Flavour profile: sweet, round, caramel-like, softer acidity.
Why: The mucilage caramelizes in the sun, adding sweetness without the intensity of a natural.

Great middle ground for people who like sweetness without big fruit.

Anaerobic (Oxygen-Free Fermentation)

Coffee ferments in sealed, oxygen-free tanks.
Flavour profile: fruit-forward, floral, often very distinct.
Why: Controlled fermentation intensifies certain acids and aromatics.

Not every coffee suits this process, but in the right hands, it can be stunning.

Co-Ferments

Coffee is fermented with added fruits, yeasts, or botanicals.
Flavour profile: flavour-forward, experimental, sometimes polarizing.
Why: Added ingredients influence fermentation, creating flavours not found naturally in the bean.

Processing shapes the texture, sweetness, and aromatic intensity of the final cup.
Think of it as the step that either highlights a coffee’s natural clarity (washed) or amplifies its fruit and sweetness (natural, honey, anaerobic).

We keep processing choices intentional at Mood Artisan Coffee. The women we source from focus on clean, consistent, quality-focused methods.

4. Roast: How the Coffee Was Transformed

Even the best coffee in the world can lose its personality in the roast. Roasting is where science meets craft. It’s about balancing time, temperature, and airflow to bring out what’s already inside the bean, without overshadowing it.

Here’s the basic principle:

• Lighter roasts highlight acidity, fruit, and floral notes.
• Medium roasts balance sweetness, body, and complexity.
• Darker roasts push caramelization further, bringing out chocolate, spice, and smoky depth.

During roasting, chemical reactions (mainly Maillard and caramelization) create new compounds that influence flavour. Sugars break down, amino acids react, and volatile aromatics are released.

A well-developed roast captures the bean’s origin character while creating sweetness and structure. An overdeveloped roast burns away nuance, which is why most grocery store coffees taste flat or bitter.

At Mood Artisan Coffee, we roast carefully. Each coffee is tested multiple times to find its “sweet spot” (that perfect balance between origin clarity and satisfying body). Elzi Corsi's Geisha blend from Brazil, for example, is roasted delicately to highlight its chocolate depth, while still allowing the berry acidity to shine through.

A Note on Who Grows It

There’s another layer to coffee flavour that goes beyond science. It’s the care behind the process. The most flavourful coffees tend to come from producers who hand-pick ripe cherries, process with precision, and care deeply about quality.

The coffees we source at Mood Artisan come from women-led farms, co-ops, and collectives. These producers are often meticulous about detail. That attention shows in the cup. Their coffees consistently score high on sweetness, clarity, and balance, all signs of intentional, quality-focused farming.

How to Train Your Palate

You don’t need a professional cupping spoon or a flavour wheel to start recognizing notes. Here’s how to explore at home:

1. Brew two coffees side by side. A fruit-forward origin like Ethiopia next to a nutty one like Brazil will help you spot contrasts instantly.
2. Smell before you sip. Much of flavour perception comes from aroma.
3. Let it cool slightly. As coffee cools, acidity and sweetness become clearer.
4. Describe it in your own words. Don’t worry about being “right.” If it reminds you of honey or apple pie, that’s your truth.

The more you taste with intention, the sharper your palate becomes and soon you’ll notice details you never used to.

Final Note

Coffee isn’t one-dimensional. It’s layered, alive, and full of personality, just like the women who grow it and the people who drink it.

At Mood Artisan Coffee, our goal isn’t to make you a coffee expert. It’s to help you experience coffee differently with curiosity, attention, and intention.

So next time you sip one of our coffees, take a moment to see what your palate notices. Maybe you’ll catch a hint of citrus, maybe toasted almond, maybe something entirely your own.

That’s the beauty of coffee done right.