Poll: Light coffee roasts for milk drinks

#1: Post by **another_jim** » October 27th, 2022, 2:39 pm

Very light roasts have been controversial for straight espresso. But we rarely talk about them in connection with milk drinks. So I'm starting a poll to get HBer's opinions.

Personally, I like light roasts for shots, but not for milk drinks.

#2: Post by **ojt** » October 27th, 2022, 2:54 pm

Generally speaking I like light roasts as black coffee (of any kind), pretty much always. Apart from very few exceptions I do not like them with milk, but there have been a few interesting examples (orange cinnamon latte anyone

).

Go towards medium and they start working for all uses. Question now is, what is light enough to be called light

The ones that I liked in milk might've been actually quite medium?

For reference: I enjoy La Cabra, Nero Scuro, et al. Gardelli and some others have started roasting a bit too dark lately.

#3: Post by **Splatcat** » October 27th, 2022, 2:59 pm

I drink single origin light roast flat whites only. Can't abide an oily bean.

#4: Post by **Plinyyounger** » October 27th, 2022, 3:27 pm

I always have extra light Ethiopian on hand for milk drinks. I use a secret sweetener and almost everyone loves the drink. For my self personally, I rotate between medium and lights.

#5: Post by **Plinyyounger** » October 27th, 2022, 5:27 pm

One more thing, I don't thing lights gets enough credit in milk. When doing it right, berries and sweetness are very prevalent!

#6: Post by **exidrion** » October 27th, 2022, 6:22 pm

Personally, I find light roasts in milk make it taste on the sour side of things and I've yet to find one that doesn't. I like them straight, but seeing as I have a milk drink first in the morning I stick with medium to dark roasts because it's annoying switching the grind and dialing things in between coffees everyday. Others may call that sourness "fruity" or "floral" or...

...maybe I just need another grinder for light roasts

October 27th, 2022, 6:33 pm

My preference is towards medium to dark roasts. More on the dark side with whole milk & a splash of 'Half & Half' 10% cream, chocolate notes in a double shot 18.5-g ground coffee flat white in a 5-½ oz ceramic cup.

#8: Post by **MNate** » October 27th, 2022, 7:06 pm

Sounds like at least two of us only do them as milk drinks. Likely means we never do straight shots of anything. I will say the lighter the roast the less milk I use, but I need at least a 1:1 ratio of espresso to milk. And actually I may blend a lighter roast with some medium Brazil.

October 27th, 2022, 7:56 pm

My milk drink ratios are 1:2. My wife likes a double decaf Macchiato shot.

#10: Post by **BaristaBob** » October 27th, 2022, 8:49 pm

Interesting topic...

I prefer all my medium to medium-dark roasts as flat whites. But last week I started dialing in a bag of Dragonfly's Leam Hammer (14 days off roast). Got it dialed in nicely as a straight double espresso (some lemon peel, some floral note, with a slight chocolate finish). Went to add three parts streamed milk and all I could taste was lemon-milk...not pleasant at all. Couldn't believe the difference between the straight up vs. with milk that I did it again the next day and yep...a sinker!

Poll: Light coffee roasts for milk drinks

Do you like light coffee roasts for espresso-based milk drinks?