A good flavor is the one that sells.

The blend that put flavored beans on the map came from the marketing wizards at First Colony Coffee in Norfolk, VA. The flavor was a chocolate almond blend with bits of almonds. Its impact on sales was explosive. Chocolate almond flavor put flavored coffees on the list of most specialty bean merchants. With consumer acceptance of chocolate almond, the way was opened for flavored coffees in general.

Decaffeinated versions of the flavored varieties were marketed as consumer interest in decaffeinated coffees and the new Swiss Water[TM] decaffeinated process (introduced by Coffex, in 1979) zoomed in the early 80s.

Liqueur type flavors were the rage in the mid-decade with Irish Cream, Amaretto, and Sambucca heading the list of favorites. It was considered somewhat of a coup when Premium Coffee (Wall, New Jersey) obtained the rights to produced flavored coffee under the name of several well known liquor brands including Southern Comfort, Mozart, and Frangelico. The introduction of Cafe Noisette, a creamy vanilla hazelnut flavor, by White Coffee Corp. gave flavored beans momentum into a new decade that has featured the introduction of other creamed flavors as Macadamia Nut & Cream and Wonder of Wonders coffee, and cream-flavored coffees such as Cappuccino and Kahlua & Cream.

There are cold weather flavors as Chocolate Egg Nog, Rum Raisin, and Cookies & Cream for Christmas bean givers and there are warm weather coolers as well. Summer 1990 was refreshed with the introduction of Chateau Miel's (Chowchilla, CA) Ice Cap brand frosty cappuccino concentrate. Summer 1991 was enlivened with the introduction of Chococcino (Chock Full o' Nuts Crop, New York) iced flavored coffees. Darker roast flavors as Lemon Espresso for entertaining and gift giving are also on the scene.

Several roasters have built enterprises and reputations around their flavored coffee expertise. David Copeland's River Road Coffee (Messina, NY) is a primary source for private label flavored coffees in bulk and smaller packaged weights. Shea Sturdivant (New Orleans Coffee Roasters) has parlayed her early success with flavored coffee into a writing career as a regular contributor to Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, and co-author of a newly released book ESPRESSO (The Crossing Press, Freedom CA). She is also a consultant to the trade.

Critical to preparing flavors for coffee is stability in a changing environment. The flavor must be absorbed into the bean (hence liquid rather than a dry application) and it must wait without deterioration (even though the host coffee may be changing) until released into the brew hours or even months later.

Propylene glycol appears as an item on many ingredient labels accompanying coffee flavors. It is a functional (or vehicle) rather than a taste component of the flavor. Propylene glycol is a solvent used to transmit ingredients to the beans, and is broadly used in the U.S. food industry with applications as a humectant (moistening or wetting agent), emulsifier, dough strengthener, anti-caking agent, and more.

Propylene glycol has properties which inhibit the formation of mold and the growth of bacteria. It is used in beverages, seasonings, dairy products, and confectionery products. Sanctioned for use as a food additive by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Title 21, Part 184 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations, it appears on the U.S. government list of substances Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS).

At retail, flavored varieties do not appear to siphon away customers from their regular bean purchases. They bring new customers to coffee who previously consumed alternative beverages and at the same time intrigue regular specialty coffee customers to adventure into new taste possibilities without composing their whole bean quality bias. A study conducted at the end of 1985 by Coffee Development Group and referenced in the April, 1987 issue of Tea & Coffee Trade Journal revealed that 50% of those who are buying whole bean coffees also were buying flavored coffees and liking them.

SCAA members were among the first in the early 80's to produce fractional weight flavored coffees for the coffee service market, and there has been a growing success in this area though the road has been more tortuous than expected.

Flavored coffee is beginning to appear on restaurant menus but with a wrinkle. The restaurateurs, faced with the need to offer a multiple coffee selection favor flavoring as he brews or as he pours the beverage. To aid him in his quest for a simple solution there are now available: packets of flavors added directly to the beverage such as Melchers' single-service pack designed for a six-ounce cup; liquids as World Class Coffee Flavorings brand from Lorann Oils (Lansing MI); liquid coffee flavors by John Wagner & Sons, Inc. (Ivyland, PA); and even flavor impregnated paper filters and flavored coffee creamers in both dairy and non-dairy. Dry and liquid varieties are changing the flavored coffee landscape even as the territory is still under exploration.

Sales are lost for specialty coffee distributors when the foodservice operator purchases flavorings rather than flavored coffee. The convenience to the foodservice operator of carrying less coffee varieties in inventory may lower coffee sales to the account even though there may be some coffee advantages in this solution.

In William H. Palmer's excellent article, "The Flavored Coffee Market," Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, Oct. 1998, he quotes Mike Bloom, senior flavor chemist at Flavor & Fragrances Specialties, Inc. (Baltimore, MD), "A good flavor is the one that sells."

The flavors that sell the best are those that appeal to the eye, overwhelm your olfactory senses in the bean, and are smooth and creamy in the mouth. This last sensation is referred to as mouthfeel in the flavoring trade a term that Palmer describes as the sensation in the mouth of fullness or body and is often associated with naturalness.

Palmer explains that the reason most folks enjoy flavored coffees with the addition of cream and sugar is because black coffee is too thin. It lacks the body and mouthfeel to hold the flavors on the palate long enough for them to be enjoyed. The butterfat content of milk and cream increases the pleasant mouthfeel of coffee while helping to coat the palate and tongue with coffee's flavors and aromas. The addition of a sweetener greatly effects the way we perceive flavor. Palmer asserts that black coffee drinkers become flavored coffee admirers after experiencing flavored coffee with cream and sugar added; "...they were converted, not as a replacement for black coffee, but as an adjunct to it."