A speciality coffee flavour note across London.
Pencil shavings is a dry, woody flavour note with a faintly cedary, slightly resinous quality that sits somewhere between raw timber and the waxy, graphite-tinged scent of a freshly sharpened pencil. In the cup it registers as a clean, understated earthiness rather than anything musty or off, and can add structural complexity to a coffee's finish. It is typically associated with natural wood-derived aromatics released during light to medium roasting, where certain volatile compounds in the green bean are preserved rather than roasted away.
This note is often found in coffees from East African origins, particularly Ethiopia and Kenya, where the combination of heirloom varieties and high-altitude growing conditions can produce complex aromatic profiles that include dry, woody elements. Washed processing tends to present it with greater clarity, allowing the cedary quality to emerge without the fruit-forward sweetness of natural-processed coffees obscuring it. It can also appear in some Central American coffees, particularly those from higher elevations where slower cherry development concentrates certain phenolic compounds.
On a bag or cafe menu, look for tasting notes that include cedar, pencil shavings, raw wood, or sandalwood, which often signal this same family of aromatic character. Filter brewing methods such as pour-over or Chemex typically highlight it most clearly, as the cleaner extraction allows the delicate, dry woody tones to come through without being muted by milk or a heavy body. Espresso can also express this note, particularly at lighter roast levels, where it may surface on the finish after brighter acidity has faded.
Take our 60-second flavour quiz and discover roasts across London that are aligned with your palate — including ones carrying pencil shavings notes.