Lemon Grass coffee in London
1 speciality roast from 1 London roaster feature lemon grass notes.
Lemon grass in the cup presents as a soft, aromatic citrus quality with a slightly herbal, almost floral edge that sits somewhere between fresh lemon zest and dried grass. It differs from the sharper brightness of straight lemon acidity, carrying instead a gentler, more diffuse quality that lingers on the mid-palate. This note tends to emerge in coffees with naturally occurring aromatic compounds such as linalool and certain aldehydes, and is most commonly associated with lighter roast profiles where these delicate volatiles are preserved rather than driven off by heat.
Lemon grass in coffee brings a clean, aromatic brightness — think freshly bruised herb stalks with a citrus lift that lingers gently on the palate. This character tends to emerge from Panamanian beans, where the terroir lends itself to distinctive, fragrant profiles. Natural processing, in which the whole fruit dries around the seed, draws out those herbaceous, fruit-forward qualities that make lemon grass such an intriguing note to seek out.
Top rated lemon grass coffee roasts in London
Speciality roasts carrying lemon grass notes, ordered by community rating.
Roasters producing lemon grass coffee
London roasters with the most approved coffees carrying lemon grass notes.
Flavours that pair with lemon grass
Notes that most commonly appear alongside lemon grass in the same roasts.
Where lemon grass coffee comes from
Origin countries that most often produce lemon grass-forward coffees among London roasts.
How lemon grass coffee is processed
Processing methods associated with lemon grass notes in London roasts.
How lemon grass notes develop
Coffees from East African origins, particularly Ethiopia and Kenya, typically produce this kind of aromatic, herbaceous citrus quality, especially when processed using the washed method, which tends to allow the bean's intrinsic floral and citrus character to come through cleanly. Ethiopian coffees from regions such as Yirgacheffe are often noted for this type of note alongside jasmine and bergamot. Some naturally processed coffees from Central America can also carry a similar quality, though it often presents alongside sweeter, fruitier tones in those cases.
What to look for
On a bag or cafe menu, look for tasting notes that combine citrus descriptors with herbal or floral language, such as "lemon verbena", "green herbs", or "aromatic citrus", as lemon grass is part of this broader flavour family. Filter brew methods, particularly pour-over styles such as V60 or Chemex, tend to highlight these delicate aromatic qualities most clearly by allowing the coffee's lighter volatile compounds to express themselves without the intensity that pressure-based methods introduce. A grind that is slightly coarser and a water temperature around 90 to 93 degrees Celsius can help preserve the note's subtlety in the cup.
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 lemon grass notes.