How to Read a Simple Coffee Label

Q: What does the dot scale on the Simple Coffee bag mean?

The dot scale indicates roast level. One dot = Med-Light, two dots = Medium, three dots = Med-Dark, four dots = Dark. The same scale appears on the product pages at simplecoffeeco.com/coffee/.

Q: What is the difference between 100% Arabica and Arabica Catimor on the label?

100% Arabica means the coffee is pure Arabica species — the benchmark of specialty coffee, grown across Northern Thailand. Arabica Catimor is a hybrid variety of Arabica developed for disease resistance; it is still an Arabica-family plant, but the varietal is noted on the label for transparency. Both are grown in Thailand unless the label states Import.

Every Simple Coffee bag carries three pieces of information that most labels skip entirely. Together they tell you what the coffee tastes like, how dark it is roasted, and exactly what plant it came from.

01

Hex Letters

Flavor zones from the Continuum — what it tastes like

02

Dot Scale

Roast level — Med-Light through Dark

03

Varietal Line

Species and origin — what plant, from where

Label Element 01

The Hex Letters

The letters on the bag are abbreviations that map directly to flavor categories on the Simple Coffee Flavor Continuum — a 14-node flavor system developed for our coffees. Some letters appear more than once: F covers both Floral and Fruit, C covers both Cereal and Chocolate, and S covers four zones — Sweet, Sugary, Spice, and Savory. When a letter repeats, the sub-label printed beneath it on the bag identifies which zone applies. A bag showing C · N with a Chocolate sub-label means the coffee sits in the Chocolate and Nut zones.

Letter	Category	What it means
	Earthy	Soil, forest floor, cedar, mushroom. More common in naturally processed and lower-altitude coffees.
	Herb	Green, herbaceous, grassy. Typically a secondary note alongside Vegetal in lighter, less-developed profiles.
	Vegetal	Bell pepper, green wood, raw vegetable. Rare as a primary descriptor in specialty-grade coffee.
	Floral Sub-label: Floral	Jasmine, rose, lavender, orange blossom. Delicate aromatics. More prominent in lighter roasts and washed-process coffees.
	Fruit Sub-label: Fruit	Berry, stone fruit, citrus, tropical fruit. Common in lighter roasts from high-altitude Northern Thailand lots. The sub-label on the bag distinguishes Fruit from Floral.
	Nut	Almond, walnut, hazelnut, peanut. Often appears alongside Chocolate and Sweet in medium-roast profiles.
	Grain	Toast, malt, cereal. Appears at lower intensity in medium roasts and more prominently in darker profiles alongside Roast.
	Cereal Sub-label: Cereal	Oat, rice, bran, raw grain. Sits between Grain and Roast on the Continuum. More pronounced in medium-dark profiles.
	Roast	Smoky, ashy, toasted. Appears more prominently on Med-Dark and Dark roast profiles.
	Chocolate Sub-label: Chocolate	Cocoa, dark chocolate, milk chocolate. One of the most common zones for Thai Arabica. The sub-label on the bag distinguishes Chocolate from Cereal.
	Sweet Sub-label: Sweet	Brown sugar, caramel, toffee, honey. A naturally occurring sweetness from the coffee's sugars. Common in well-developed medium roasts.
	Sugary Sub-label: Sugary	White sugar, syrup, candy. A more intense, refined sweetness than the Sweet zone. Often paired with Fruit or Floral notes.
	Spice Sub-label: Spice	Cinnamon, clove, pepper, cardamom. Warm spice character. Often found in naturally processed or honey-processed coffees.
	Savory Sub-label: Savory	Umami, broth, leather, tobacco. The furthest point from Earthy on the Continuum. Rare in specialty coffee; more common in dark or aged profiles.

The Flavor Continuum maps all 14 nodes visually. If you want to see how these zones relate to each other, the full system is at simplecoffeeco.com/flavor-continuum/.

Label Element 02

The Dot Scale

The dot scale is the roast level indicator. One to four filled dots correspond to four roast levels. The same scale appears on every product page at /coffee/.

Med-Light

Bright acidity. Fruit and floral notes dominant. Higher perceived sweetness.

Medium

Balanced. Chocolate, nut, and sweet notes. Lower acidity. Most Simple Coffee products.

Med-Dark

Deeper body. Roast character present. Chocolate and grain forward.

Dark

Bold and full. Roast, smoky, and bittersweet notes dominant. Low acidity.

Label Element 03

The Varietal Line

The varietal line tells you the species and source of the coffee. Simple Coffee uses two varietal designations and two origin designations. All four combinations are possible.

100% Arabica Varietal

Pure Arabica species — Coffea arabica. The benchmark of specialty coffee worldwide. Grown across Northern Thailand, Nan Province, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and Mae Hong Son. Higher sweetness potential, more complex flavor development, and greater sensitivity to growing conditions than other species.

Arabica Catimor Varietal

A hybrid variety within the Arabica family, developed for disease resistance — specifically coffee leaf rust. Still an Arabica-family plant. Catimor is noted on the label for full transparency; it is not a lower-grade designation, simply a different cultivar with its own flavor characteristics.

Thailand Origin

Sourced from our direct trade farms in Northern Thailand. All Simple Coffee Thailand-origin products come from Nan Province and the northern growing regions. Direct trade means we know the farmer, the processing method, and the harvest season.

Import Origin

Sourced from outside Thailand. Import-origin coffees are selected to complement the Thailand range — typically where a specific flavor profile or processing style is not yet available from Thai producers.

Go Deeper

Explore the Full System

The hex letters on the bag connect directly to the Flavor Continuum — a 14-node system that maps every flavor zone from Fruit and Floral through to Earthy and Grain. Once you understand the Continuum, the label becomes a precise flavor prediction tool.

View Flavor Continuum Browse Coffees

Flavor Continuum Explained Coffee Freshness Guide

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the letters on a Simple Coffee bag mean?

Each letter maps to a flavor category on the Simple Coffee Flavor Continuum. Left to right: E = Earthy, H = Herb, V = Vegetal, F = Floral, F = Fruit, N = Nut, G = Grain, C = Cereal, R = Roast, C = Chocolate, S = Sweet, S = Sugary, S = Spice, S = Savory. When a letter appears more than once — F, C, and S each do — the sub-label beneath it on the bag identifies which zone applies.

What does the dot scale mean?

The dot scale indicates roast level. One dot = Med-Light. Two dots = Medium. Three dots = Med-Dark. Four dots = Dark. The same scale is used on every product page at /coffee/.

What is the difference between 100% Arabica and Arabica Catimor?

Both are Arabica-family plants. 100% Arabica is pure Coffea arabica — the specialty coffee standard. Arabica Catimor is a hybrid variety within the Arabica family, developed for resistance to coffee leaf rust. It is noted on the label for transparency, not as a quality distinction.