We constantly relish in the fact that coffee has over 800 naturally occurring flavor and aroma compounds! For fun comparison, wine only has about 200…

And today we’re going to quickly answer the question (so you can know or share with friends) what makes coffee so delicious? Here are 3 things to know!

Top 3 Things That Make Coffee Taste Incredible

1. (HAND-PICKED) HARVESTING

because coffee is a fruit

Peaches and apples taste best when they’re picked ripe, and the same is true for coffee!

Unfortunately, the vast majority of coffee is mass-harvested by dislodging the fruit from a whole branch or tree in a single day, leaving a mix of over-ripe and severely under-ripe coffees that leads to very poor-tasting coffee.

To make sure you’re only getting the absolute best coffee cherries/beans, we only work with farmers who are equally as passionate about specialty coffee as we are. Over the course of 3-4 weeks, farmers hand-pick each coffee cherry at peak ripeness.

2. (SKILLFUL) ROASTING

because roast level is more than just a color

After selecting what we find to be the most exciting and stand-out coffees, we move forward with developing different roast profiles, cupping each iteration along the way.

Here we combine science and art to accentuate what makes each coffee unique and special so you can discover the best representation of quality from each country.

Generally, our Light Roasts offer the full spectrum of coffee’s naturally occurring flavors and tend toward a bright acidity; our Medium Roasts are more balanced, with more body, more sweetness, and less acidity; and our Dark Roasts offer a heavier body with low acidity.

3. (GUARANTEED) FRESHNESS

because nothing tastes better stale

Stale bread vs. freshly baked bread? No contest⁠—and freshly roasted coffee follows the same principles.

Much of the coffee you find on the shelves was often roasted weeks or even months ago, meaning its flavor is weak, or entirely gone.

The coffee we share with you each month is roasted within hours of being shipped, ensuring that it arrives in time for you to enjoy its peak freshness (about 7 days after roasting). 

Ready to explore the world of specialty coffee?

With Atlas Coffee Club as your Coffee Tour Guide, each month you can discover a new coffee from a new country, along with tasting notes, brew tips, and a picturesque postcard to connect you to the coffee journey.