How To Tell What Type Of Coffee Beans You Have?

At some point, almost everyone ends up with a bag of coffee beans and asks the same quiet question:

“What exactly am I drinking?”

Maybe the label is vague, the bags been decanted into a container or maybe it was a gift.

Whatever the reason, understanding what type of coffee beans you have is the first step to brewing them properly and enjoying them the way they were intended.

Let’s start at the basics and slowly work our way deeper.

Start With the Bag: What the Label Is Telling You

If your coffee came in its original packaging, you’re already holding most of the answers, you just might not know how to read them yet.

Roast Level

Most bags will mention one of the following:

• Light Roast
• Medium Roast
• Dark Roast

Light roasts tend to be lighter in colour, with no oil on the surface. They usually highlight acidity, fruit, and origin character.
Medium roasts sit in the middle balanced, sweet, and versatile.
Dark roasts are darker, sometimes oily, and lean toward bitter, smoky, chocolatey flavours.

Note! You might see some coffee saying 'STRENGTH LEVEL' this is not to be confused with Roast level because coffee roast level can fall into the three tiers (Light, Medium, Dark), Strength level doesn't really exist. It's a little more vague than people think!

If the roast level isn’t written explicitly, you can often infer it by looking at the beans themselves (more on that bellow).

What Is Coffee Origin?

Origin tells you where the coffee was grown.

You might see:

• A country (Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil)
• A region (Yirgacheffe, Huila, Cerrado)
• Or even a specific farm or producer

If a bag lists one country or one farm, you’re almost certainly dealing with a single origin coffee.
If it lists multiple countries or doesn’t list an origin at all, it’s likely a blend.

Processing Method

This is how the coffee fruit was removed from the bean after harvesting.

Common terms include:

• Washed / Wet
• Natural / Dry
• Honey / Pulped Natural
• Anaerobic
• Carbonic Maceration

On a basic level:

• Washed coffees are usually clean and bright
• Naturals are fruitier and heavier
• Experimental processes tend to be louder and more expressive

Not every bag includes this information but when it does, it’s a big clue about how the coffee might taste.

Roast Date (Not Expiry Date)

This is one of the most important and most misunderstood details.

Coffee is best within a few weeks of roasting, not months.
If you see a roast date, you’re holding specialty coffee.
If you see only an expiry date, it’s usually commodity-grade coffee.

A fresh roast date doesn’t tell you what the coffee is, but it tells you the roaster cared enough to be transparent.

Identifying Coffee by Looking at the Beans

If the beans are already out of the bag, visual clues become your best friend.

Bean Colour and Surface

• Light brown, matte surface → light roast
• Medium brown, dry surface → medium roast
• Dark brown to black, oily surface → dark roast

Oil on the surface doesn’t mean “bad”, it just means the roast went far enough for oils to migrate outward.

Bean Size and Shape

Coffee beans vary naturally by origin.

• Ethiopian coffees often look smaller and more irregular
• Brazilian beans tend to be rounder and more uniform
• Central American coffees often sit somewhere in between

Size alone won’t tell you everything, but inconsistency can be revealing.

Single Origin vs Blend, What’s the Difference?

This is where things get interesting.

What Is a Single Origin Coffee?

A single origin coffee comes from:

• One country
• One region
• Or one specific farm

The goal is to showcase place.
Single origins tend to highlight:

• Acidity
• Fruit
• Floral notes
• Distinct flavour traits tied to where they were grown

They’re often roasted lighter to preserve those characteristics.

What Is a Coffee Blend?

A blend combines coffees from multiple origins.
Blends are designed, not discovered.

The goal is consistency, balance, and reliability, especially for espresso. A blend might combine:

• One coffee for sweetness
• One for body
• One for acidity or structure

Most espresso or espresso based drinks (like a latte) is a blend for this reason.

How To Tell If You Have a Single Origin or a Blend (Without the Label)

If you’re unsure, the beans themselves can give you clues.

Consistency Is the Biggest Tell

• Very uniform beans → more likely a blend
• Visible differences in size, colour, or shape → more likely single origin

Blends often mix beans roasted to similar colour for consistency. Single origins, especially lighter roasts, can show natural variation.

Smell the Beans

Crack the container and take a moment.

• Strong chocolate, nutty, caramel aromas → often blends
• Bright fruit, florals, fermented notes → often single origin

This isn’t foolproof, but it’s surprisingly reliable with practice.

Taste Is the Best Answer

Once brewed, the cup usually tells the truth.

Single Origin Coffees Often Taste Like:

• Citrus
• Berries
• Stone fruit
• Florals
• High acidity
• Clear, defined flavours

Blends Often Taste Like:

• Chocolate
• Nuts
• Caramel
• Cocoa
• Lower acidity
• More rounded, heavier body

If the flavours feel layered but cohesive, it’s probably a blend.
If one or two flavours really stand out clearly, it’s probably single origin.

Why This All Matters

By the time you reach this point, you’ve probably realised something important:

Identifying your coffee isn’t about trivia, it’s about brewing decisions.

• Lighter, single origin coffees usually benefit from higher extraction, hotter water, and careful grind control.
• Blends and darker roasts are more forgiving and often shine at lower ratios or in espresso.

Knowing what you have lets you:

• Choose the right grind size
• Adjust brew ratio intelligently
• Avoid blaming yourself for a coffee that was never meant to taste a certain way