Why Flavored Coffee?

One of Javataza’s specialties is the line of 15 uniquely flavored coffees that we roast and flavor ourselves! In this post, we will explore a bit of the why and how of this delicious Javataza specialty.

Some of you are asking, “Why would a specialty coffee company like Javataza bother making flavored coffees?” “Isn’t that how those big companies get rid of all their nasty beans that they can’t sell?” These are good questions that we are happy to answer!

Many coffee drinkers are “coffee purists”, who just want single origin coffee. If that is you, we respect you, there is nothing wrong with that at all! In fact, at Javataza we are committed to many wonderful farmers throughout Central America that give us a wonderful solid harvest coffee every year that we sell as pure Single Origin Coffee. These are very popular. Drinking single origin coffee does give you an opportunity to taste the specific natural and nuanced flavors of a particular region. We take a lot of care to ensure that our coffee beans will stand on their own without flavors added.

This is a photo of coffee sampling that we did in the Colombian Highlands earlier this year. This is all to ensure that we are delivering only the finest in quality. But being committed to great single origin coffee does not mean that you can’t also produce an excellent flavored coffee as well!

We believe that both are possible, and we aim to do both well! The reason we flavor some of our coffee is that some people just love their flavored coffees. If you are going to drink flavored coffee, why not drink good and healthy flavored coffee?

A Brief History Of Flavored Coffee

The practice of flavoring coffee has really been around as long as coffee itself. Traditional Arabic Coffee has been brewed with cardamom for centuries.

In Yemen, common methods for brewing coffee include not only cardamom, but also spices like ginger, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, coriander and more!

These practices were developed not only because they were delicious, but also because spices like cardamom and ginger have long been used to combat reactions to foods with high acidity and improve digestion. This is helpful for those people who find coffee to be too acidic.

In the 1600’s Europeans were discovering both coffee and chocolate. Both exotic items entered Europe as a result of the massive international trade that was happening at the time. It is no surprise that the two flavors were reportedly combined very early on!

While this is just a very brief history of flavored coffee, I think you get the point that the concept of adding things other than coffee to coffee is a very old concept! From the beginning of time we humans have enjoyed experimenting with, and combining many different flavors for all kinds of foods and beverages. Coffee is no exception to this.

The Javataza Flavored Coffee Difference

At Javataza, we are proud to offer flavored coffees that are natural and healthy! A common criticism of the flavored coffee industry is that it is simply a way to get rid of old stale bad beans. These rumors may indeed be true. But at Javataza, it is not that way at all. All of the beans we use for our delightful single origin coffees are the same beans that we use for our flavored coffees. So whether you are purchasing our Costa Rican Dark Roast, or our flavored Cinnamon Hazelnut, you can rest assured that the beans we are using are all fresh from our farmers who are paid at sustainable rates for their coffee. So rest assured that we do not follow that concerning “bad bean” coverup scheme at Javataza.

Popular Flavored Coffees at Javataza

If you are new to flavored coffees and are interested in trying them, let me introduce you to a few that you will be sure to love. Here are the current 4 best sellers (out of 15) at Javataza.

Southern Pecan

Southern Pecan easily takes the number 1 spot on our flavored coffee charts! Southern Pecan has lovely notes of caramel coated pecans, and tastes a bit like Grandma's pecan pie.

Shop Southern Pecan