Coffee Experts, question for you?!
Coffee Experts, question for you?
When I buy flavored coffee, like hazelnut, or chocolate, it always SMELLS great... but it never tastes like anything but coffee!! LOL Is it just me, or is that as good as it gets? Are there any tricks to getting it to actually taste like the package says? I bow to your superior wisdom, barristas, explain it so a simple coffee novice can understand.. :)
Answers:
Flavored coffees work by coating the beans with a flavoring agent. This doesn't always work the best because the flavoring agent doesn't -brew- like coffee does.
If you really want coffee that TASTES like hazelnut or chocolate, it's best to add the flavor after you make the coffee. People are too lazy to do this, so they buy the flavored beans. You can get syrups (like Torani or DaVinci syrups) and add a teaspoon or two. You can get flavors actually made just for coffee, and you only use a few drops (but these are hard to find these days). You can add liqueurs like Irish Cream or Hagen Das or various flavors of schnapps.
If you normally drink your coffee with cream, there are some flavored non-dairy creamers that are not too bad.
Also, not to be forgotten, if you grind your beans just before you make your coffee (and you -should-!) there are herbs you can add to coffee when you grind it. Cardamom, for instance, which does 'brew' along with the coffee just fine. Or cinnamon (cinnamon tends to clog up the filter, though.)