A speciality coffee flavour note across London.
Mouldy as a flavour note presents as a damp, musty quality in the cup, sometimes described as reminiscent of wet cardboard, cellar air, or aged wood. It sits at the less desirable end of the flavour spectrum and is generally considered a defect rather than a deliberate characteristic. It typically arises from poorly dried or stored green beans, where fungal activity or moisture exposure during processing or transit has altered the bean's chemistry before roasting.
This note is not associated with any particular origin as a positive regional trait, but it can appear more often in coffees that have been processed or stored in humid conditions, which can occur across producing regions in Central America, West Africa, and parts of Asia. Natural and wet-hulled processing methods, such as those typically used in Indonesia, can occasionally carry musty or earthy undertones that border on mouldy if fermentation or drying has not been carefully managed. Coffees that have been held in storage for extended periods without adequate moisture control are also more likely to carry this quality.
A mouldy note is rarely listed intentionally on a bag or cafe menu, as it is generally regarded as a processing or storage fault rather than a sought-after characteristic. If you encounter it in the cup, it may suggest the coffee has passed its optimal freshness window or was affected at origin. Brew methods such as cupping or filter tend to expose it most clearly, as they allow the full flavour profile of the bean to express itself without the masking effect of milk or high-pressure extraction.
Take our 60-second flavour quiz and discover roasts across London that are aligned with your palate — including ones carrying moldy notes.