Sultana coffee in London
1 speciality roast from 1 London roaster feature sultana notes.
Sultana in the cup presents as a soft, sweet dried-fruit quality with a gentle acidity and a slightly jammy depth, sitting somewhere between fresh grape and raisin without the sharpness of either. The sweetness tends to feel rounded rather than bright, often accompanied by a subtle syrupy body that lingers through the finish. This character typically develops when natural sugars concentrate during processing or when specific organic acids, particularly malic and citric compounds, interact with the roast at a light to medium level.
Sultana in coffee brings a gentle, sun-dried fruit sweetness, soft and slightly winey, reminiscent of the pale, plump raisins you might find in a good fruitcake. This note tends to emerge from coffees grown in Timor-Leste and Peru, where washed processing strips away the fruit skin and pulp before drying, allowing the bean's natural sugars to develop with quiet clarity. Square Mile is currently the London roaster exploring this delicate characteristic.
Top rated sultana coffee roasts in London
Speciality roasts carrying sultana notes, ordered by community rating.
Roasters producing sultana coffee
London roasters with the most approved coffees carrying sultana notes.
Flavours that pair with sultana
Notes that most commonly appear alongside sultana in the same roasts.
Where sultana coffee comes from
Origin countries that most often produce sultana-forward coffees among London roasts.
How sultana coffee is processed
Processing methods associated with sultana notes in London roasts.
How sultana notes develop
This note is often associated with coffees from Ethiopia, where natural and anaerobic processing methods allow fruit sugars to ferment around the bean and leave behind pronounced dried-fruit qualities. Certain washed coffees from Yemen and some regions of Kenya can also carry sultana-like characteristics, typically where the variety and terroir encourage a naturally high sugar content. Processing method tends to play a significant role, with natural and honey-processed lots more likely to exhibit this quality than lightly processed washed coffees.
What to look for
On a bag or cafe menu, look for tasting notes that mention dried fruit, raisin, or grape alongside descriptors like jammy sweetness or stone fruit, as sultana often appears within that cluster of flavours. Natural or anaerobic processing noted on the label is a useful indicator that this kind of dried-fruit sweetness may be present. Brew methods that emphasise body and sweetness, such as French press or a well-dialled filter, tend to allow this note to express itself more fully than espresso-based preparations, where acidity and intensity can sometimes mask it.
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 sultana notes.