Roasting Terminology Millcreek Coffee Roasters roasts coffee to: City Roast: Beans are smooth, and the roast is dropped at the beginning of the second crack. This roast enables the flavor of the varietal to be tasted rather than the flavor of the roast. Full City Roast: Beans are smooth and shiny, and the roast is dropped in the beginning of the second crack. This roast also enables the flavor of the varietal to be tasted instead of the roast. Viennese Roast: Beans have many spots of oil and are dropped mid-second crack. This roast is where, depending on the varietal and its characteristics, the roast starts to become a factor in the flavor of the coffee. French Roast: Beans look "wet" before they are dropped to cool. The flavor of the roast is tasted more than the varietal flavor. Beans that are French roasted are usually a more mild tasting varietal. Darker roasts have a tendency to be less acidic because of the structural breakdown. Italian Roast: Beans are rather spotty with oils, and the second crack is over. There are no flavors left from the varietal, because the beans are essentially burnt. The taste of the brew, however, is a lot milder than a French roast, and there are no acidic characteristics left. The flavor has relatively no body, but a slight hint of carbon flavor is detected. The Basics - Coffee Vocabulary Harvesting | Processing | Sorting & Shipping | Roasting Terminology Roasting Process | Brewing Methods | Holding & Serving | Storing Coffee