City Plus Roast

The term 'City Plus' or 'City+' belongs to a traditional, descriptive lexicon used by coffee roasters to categorize the degree of roast based on the physical and chemical changes occurring during the roasting process. Historically, this terminology evolved as a way to communicate roast progression, sitting on a spectrum that includes lighter stages like 'Cinnamon' or 'City' and darker stages like 'Full City' and 'French.' In practice, City+ represents a point where the coffee has moved past the initial 'first crack'—the audible expansion of the bean—but has not yet reached the 'second crack,' which signals the onset of darker, oilier roast profiles.

At the City+ level, the coffee bean has undergone sufficient heat application to move beyond the grassy, underdeveloped notes of a very light roast. The Maillard reaction and caramelization processes are well underway, which helps to mute the sharp, aggressive acidity often found in lighter roasts while simultaneously developing the sugars that contribute to sweetness and body. This balance is why many specialty roasters consider City+ a 'sweet spot' for highlighting the unique terroir of a coffee while ensuring the roast itself does not overwhelm the bean's natural flavor profile.

For the coffee farmer, the City+ roast is a critical stage where the hard work of cultivation and processing is put on display. Because this roast level preserves a significant amount of the bean's origin character, it allows the drinker to perceive the specific attributes—such as floral, citrus, or fruit-forward notes—that are tied to the coffee's variety, altitude, and processing method. If a roaster pushes the coffee too far past this point, those delicate, origin-specific nuances are often eclipsed by the flavors of the roast itself, such as smoke or carbon.

For the roaster, managing the City+ profile requires precision in heat, time, and airflow. Unlike standardized color-measurement systems, such as the Agtron scale which provides a numerical value for roast color, terms like 'City+' are subjective and can vary between different roasters and regions. This lack of universal standardization means that a City+ roast from one roastery may not be identical to one from another. Consequently, many modern specialty roasters are moving toward more objective metrics, such as roast-color numbers or detailed sensory descriptions, to provide consumers with clearer expectations.

Despite the shift toward more technical language, the term remains deeply embedded in the culture of home roasting and small-batch specialty coffee. It serves as a shorthand for a 'medium' roast that is approachable for a wide range of consumers. It is often considered versatile enough to be enjoyed as a standard drip coffee, yet it retains enough complexity to be interesting to the discerning palate. It bridges the gap between the bright, acidic profiles favored by some and the bold, bittersweet profiles favored by others.

In the current state of coffee science, the industry is actively working to move away from purely descriptive, non-standardized terms. Research supported by organizations like the Coffee Science Foundation and the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) emphasizes that roast level is a primary driver of flavor differences. As the industry seeks to provide more scientifically valid information to consumers, the reliance on legacy terms like 'City+' is being supplemented or replaced by data-driven approaches that prioritize consistency and clarity over traditional nomenclature.