Amaretto coffee in London
1 speciality roast from 1 London roaster feature amaretto notes.
Amaretto as a coffee flavour note presents as a warm, sweet almond character with a subtle bitter edge, closely resembling the Italian liqueur from which it takes its name. The sensation sits somewhere between marzipan and toasted nuts, often accompanied by a gentle sweetness that lingers in the finish. This note typically arises from naturally occurring benzaldehyde compounds in the bean, and is most pronounced at medium roast levels where heat has developed sweetness without obscuring the underlying fruit and nut chemistry.
Amaretto in coffee brings a soft warmth of marzipan and sweet almond, rounded and gently nutty with an almost confectionery-like depth. This quality tends to emerge from Mexican-grown beans, where the country's high-altitude growing conditions lend themselves to such sweet, distinctive character. In London, Alchemy are currently the roasters drawing this note out, with just one approved roast carrying it — making it a quietly rare find on the city's speciality coffee scene.
Top rated amaretto coffee roasts in London
Speciality roasts carrying amaretto notes, ordered by community rating.
Roasters producing amaretto coffee
London roasters with the most approved coffees carrying amaretto notes.
Flavours that pair with amaretto
Notes that most commonly appear alongside amaretto in the same roasts.
Where amaretto coffee comes from
Origin countries that most often produce amaretto-forward coffees among London roasts.
How amaretto notes develop
Coffees from Central America, particularly Guatemala and El Salvador, often produce amaretto characteristics, as do certain lots from Ethiopia when processed using natural or anaerobic methods. The note is typically more pronounced in naturally processed coffees, where extended contact between the cherry fruit and the bean during drying encourages the development of sweet, almond-adjacent compounds. Washed coffees can also express this quality, though it tends to be cleaner and more restrained in those examples.
What to look for
On a bag or cafe menu, look for tasting notes that include almond, marzipan, cherry, or stone fruit alongside amaretto, as these tend to cluster together and suggest a similar underlying flavour profile. Medium roasts are generally the most reliable place to find this note, as lighter roasts may emphasise brightness over sweetness, while darker roasts can push the almond quality towards something more bitter and generic. Filter methods such as pour over and AeroPress tend to articulate the note with clarity, though a well-pulled espresso can express it with pleasing intensity and body.
Find coffee matched to your taste
Take our 60-second flavour quiz and discover roasts across London that are aligned with your palate — including ones carrying amaretto notes.