Nicaragua
MILD CITRUS · CHOCOLATE · CARAMEL
100% arabica, medium roast. Explore a gentle profile with a fruity touch.
Official details · AGGA ↗02 / COFFEE BEANS & FLAVOUR
A whole landscape
inside every bean.
Long before it reaches a roaster, coffee is a mountain fruit. Its botanical species, high-altitude soil, post-harvest drying and roast curve weave together every note you smell and taste in your cup.
ROASTED LOCALLY · LAVAL, QUÉBEC
AGGA, a world of coffee
with roots in Laval.
The beans come from coffee-growing countries; the roasting happens here. Café AGGA is a family business with its roasting facility at 3003 Lucien-L’Allier in Laval. Explore different origins while choosing a local roaster.
Discover Café AGGA ↗
Peru Chanchamayo
CHOCOLATE · FRUIT · LIGHT HONEY
100% arabica, medium roast. Explore Chanchamayo; AGGA also offers an organic, fair-trade version.
Official details · AGGA ↗
Decaf espresso
DARK CHOCOLATE · HAZELNUT · CARAMEL
100% arabica, medium-dark roast. Keep the espresso ritual with less caffeine.
Official details · AGGA ↗These are tasting notes described by AGGA, not added ingredients. Grind size, water and recipe will change what you taste in the cup.
From the bag to your brewer.
With a portafilter
Grind just before brewing. Keep the dose steady and adjust grind size in small steps according to taste and flow.
With a bean-to-cup machine
Use beans that meet the recommendations in your manual. Adjust strength and cup volume before trying a more complex recipe.
With a filter or French press
An “espresso” label does not lock a coffee to one brewing method. Match grind size and ratio to your brewer.
Two major botanical species worth knowing.
Arabica
Coffea arabica
Grown mostly on cool mountain slopes (1,000 to 2,200 m), where slow cherry ripening concentrates complex sugars and organic acids. Celebrated for aromatic diversity and gentler caffeine.
Typical notes: jasmine, berries, citrus, caramel, milk chocolate, roasted almond.
Robusta (Canephora)
Coffea canephora
Hardier and grown at warmer elevations, packing roughly twice the caffeine of arabica. Brings thick crema, deep body and punchy structure — especially when harvested ripe with specialty care.
Typical notes: dark cocoa, cedar, toasted grain, walnut, syrupy body.
Good to know: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, SL28 and Geisha are arabica varieties — much like Pinot Noir or Chardonnay in wine. And “Espresso” printed on a bag describes a suggested roast style, never a botanical species.
THE ROASTER’S CRAFT
Three roast levels, three distinct personalities.
Heat caramelises green bean sugars through Maillard reactions. As roast time progresses, bright fruit origin notes give way to toasted cocoa — and beans become more porous and easier for water to extract!
Ideal water94 – 96 °C
Light roast
Vibrant, floral and juicy
Dropped shortly after “first crack”, preserving delicate terroir signatures like jasmine, peach, bergamot or red currant. Dense beans love hotter water to unlock full sweetness.
Ideal water91 – 94 °C
Medium roast
Inviting, sweet harmony
Lively acidity rounds out into caramel, praline, baked apple and milk chocolate. A versatile sweet spot that shines equally in filter brewers and modern espresso.
Ideal water88 – 90 °C
Dark roast
Bold, bittersweet and comforting
Sugars deepen toward dark chocolate, warm spice and toasted crust with very low acidity. Because dark beans are porous, brew with cooler water to prevent smoky harshness!
FOLLOW YOUR PALATE
Four flavour families to pick a bag you’ll love.
Standing in front of a wall of coffee bags? Simply look for the tasting family that sounds most delicious to you.
Chocolate, Hazelnut & Caramel
Soft acidity, warm praline sweetness and cocoa depth — effortless black or with milk.
Common cues: Brazil, Nicaragua, Peru, Colombia in medium roast.
Ripe Berries, Plum & Jam
When whole cherries dry naturally in the sun (“natural process”), the seed absorbs notes of strawberry, blueberry and fruity cocoa.
Common cues: Natural Ethiopia, natural or honey-processed Central America.
Citrus Blossom, Peach & Tea
A sparkling, clean cup recalling bergamot, jasmine or sweet tangerine — unforgettable in a manual pour-over.
Common cues: Washed Ethiopia, Kenya, high-elevation washed lots (> 1,700 m).
Dark Cocoa, Spice & Toast
Rich mouthfeel and a long bittersweet finish of 80% dark chocolate, clove and roasted walnut.
Common cues: Classic espresso blends, Sumatra, medium-dark to dark roasts.
How to read a coffee bag like a barista.
Roast date vs. “Best before”: why does it matter?
Roasted coffee never spoils dangerously, but its aromas fade just like crusty bakery bread. A printed roast date lets you enjoy beans in their prime window (roughly 1 to 6 weeks post-roast, allowing 7 to 12 days of rest for espresso so excess gas doesn’t disrupt shots).
Washed, Natural or Honey process: how does it taste?
Coffee seeds live inside sweet red cherries. “Washed” coffees have fruit cleanly removed with water before drying for crisp, floral clarity. “Natural” coffees dry whole inside the fruit for jammy berry sweetness and heavier body. “Honey” keeps part of the sticky fruit mucilage for a silky middle ground.
Single origin or blend?
Single-origin coffees celebrate the distinct terroir of one farm, cooperative or region. Blends pair complementary coffees (like a nutty Brazilian base with a bright Ethiopian lift) to deliver a balanced, reliable profile — especially lovely with milk.
Why shouldn’t open coffee bags live in the fridge?
Roasted beans act like tiny odor sponges and every trip out of a cold fridge condenses moisture right onto their surface, speeding up staling! Keep them in a valve bag or opaque airtight canister in a cool cupboard instead. (Only airtight single-dose freezing, thawed completely sealed before opening, preserves freshness long-term.)
Can decaf genuinely taste great in the evening?
Yes! Gentle modern decaffeination — such as Swiss Water® or natural sugarcane ethyl acetate — removes over 99% of caffeine while keeping origin character intact. Because decaf beans are slightly more porous, expect to adjust your grind a touch and watch flow rate.