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Coffee Tasting Terms
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Home Coffee Roasting Coffee Tasting Terms How to make a good cup of coffee Storing Coffee Beans Roast Styles Coffee Origins Coffee Recipes Tips for Roasting Machines Blending & Adding Flavors
While tasting the coffee, you should try to discern whether the flavor,
body, acidity and aroma of the coffee is pleasant, or unpleasant. Here are
the criteria that most tasters at the Coffee Shop Diner use to judge coffee:
FLAVOR
is the overall perception of the coffee in your mouth. Acidity, aroma,
and body are all components of flavor. It is the balance and
homogenization of these senses that create your overall perception of
flavor.
ACIDITY The sharp lively quality characteristic of high-grown coffee, tasted mainly at the tip of the tongue. The brisk, snappy quality that makes coffee refreshing. It is NOT the same as bitter or sour and has nothing to do with pH factors. Coffees are low in acidity, between 5 and 6 on the pH scale.
AROMA is a sensation which is difficult to separate from flavor. Without our sense of smell, our only taste sensations would be: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. The aroma contributes to the flavors we discern on our palates. Subtle nuances, such as "floral" or "winy" characteristics, are derived from the aroma of the brewed coffee. The smell of coffee grounds is referred to as the Bouquet.BITTER The taste perceived at the back of the tongue. Dark Roasts are intentionally bitter. Over-extraction (too little coffee at too fine a grind) can cause a bad bitterness.
BLAND The pale flavor often found in low grown robusta coffees. Also caused by under-extraction (too little coffee or too course a grind).
BODY is the feeling that the coffee has in your mouth. It is the viscosity, heaviness, thickness, or richness that is perceived on the tongue. Your perception of the body of a coffee is related to the oils and solids extracted during brewing. Typically, Indonesian coffees will possess greater body than South and Central American coffees. Coffees with a heavier body will maintain more of their flavor when diluted.
BRINY The salty sensation caused by excessive heat after brewing (truck-stop coffee).
EARTHY The spicy "of the earth taste" of Indonesian coffees.
WINY A flavor reminiscent of fine red wine. Kenya is one of the most notables.
ARABICA
The better of the two primary types of coffee. Arabica is grown at higher
altitudes, is less disease- and pest-resistant, and yields less coffee per
year, but has the nuance, liveliness (brightness), intensity, and variety of
flavors prized by coffee lovers, with less caffeine. Arabica contains 1.1
percent compared to robusta's 2.2 percent.
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BAG
A burlap sack
of coffee. In various countries it is a different weight. For example:
Brazil a bag is 132 pounds. Colombia it is 154 pounds. In Hawaii it is 100
pound. (132 lbs is the most common.) the Coffee Shop Diner sells these
fantastic burlap bags !
BARISTA
Someone who makes coffee drinks as a profession.
BATCH
ROASTER A machine which roasts a given quantity at one time.
BLEND
A mix of beans from different growing countries in the world, carefully
crafted to develop new tastes and sensations not found in regular coffee.
BOURBON
One of the older varieties of arabicas, named after the French colony
on an island off the coast of Africa. Though delicious, it is difficult to
find. Farmers began to abandon it long ago because its yield is less than
one half of the newer, less tasty varieties.
CAFFEINE
The drug contained in coffee. A bitter white alkaloid derived from coffee
(or tea) and used in medicine for a mild stimulant or to treat certain kinds
of headache.
CAPPUCCINO
Cappuccino gets its name from the Italian order of Catholic Capuchin monks,
whose hooded robes resemble the drink's cap of foam in shape and color. The
frothed milk from the top of the steaming pitcher is spooned on top to "cap"
the cappuccino and retain heat. The proportion of espresso to steamed and
frothed milk for cappuccino is usually 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and
1/3 frothed milk on top.
CUPPING
The method that professionals use to taste and evaluate coffee. Coffee is
ground into an 8-oz. porcelain or glass cup, and water is poured on top of
the coffee. The coffee steeps for a few minutes and the grinds rise to the
top, forming a crust. The crust is broken with a silver spoon and the cupper
evaluates the coffee's aromas, and, after the coffee cools for a bit, the
cupper slurps the liquid, evaluates the flavors, and spits the coffee out to
avoid caffeine intake.
DEMITASSE
A small (1/2 size) cup used for serving espresso. It is a French term
meaning 'half cup'.
DECAFFEINATION
Green coffee is mixed with water, supercritical carbon dioxide, or methylene
chloride to remove caffeine from coffee. The process removes about 98
percent of the caffeine present in the coffee.
ESPRESSO
A brewing method that extracts the heart of the bean invented in Italy at
the turn of the century. A pump-driven machine forces hot water through fine
grounds at around nine atmospheres of pressure. It should take between 18 to
23 seconds to extract a good shot. This will produce from 3/4 to one ounce
of great liquid. This produces a sweet, thick and rich, smooth shot of
espresso. Comes from the Latin word "Expresere" which means "to press out."
AMERICANO A shot or two of espresso that has been poured into a glass filled with hot water.
CAFE AMERICANO Espresso cut with very hot water to fill an American size cup.ESPRESSO BREVE Espresso with half and half.
ESPRESSO LUNGO A shot that is pulled long for a bit of extra espresso. While many believe this maximizes the caffeine, in most shops this merely produces a bitter cup.
ESPRESSO MACCHIATO Espresso with a minimal amount (or "mark") of steamed milk on top.
ESPRESSO RISETTO Literally "restricted" espresso. A shorter draw, the goal being a thicker and more flavorful espresso.
FRENCH PRESS A device for making coffee in which ground coffee is
steeped in water. The grounds are then removed from the coffee by means of a
filter plunger which presses the grounds to the bottom of the pot. Also
referred to as a plunger pot.
FRENCH
ROAST Dark
Roasted . Taste bittersweet but not like burnt
charcoal.
GRADE
The classification of green coffee by size and density. Every country has
its own method of grading and the highest grade, though always sold at a
premium price, may or may not be the best. In most countries, grades mean
very little.
Green
Coffee Beans
The seeds contained within the coffee fruit that, when
roasted and ground, yield coffee. Usually green, they can range from dull
beige to light tannish green to jade or a blue-green.
HARD
BEAN Coffee grown at relatively high altitudes, 4,000 to 4,500
feet. Coffee grown above 4,500 feet is referred to as strictly hard bean.
This terminology says that beans grown at higher altitudes mature more
slowly and are harder and denser than other beans and are thus more
desirable.
HARRAR
A very old growing region of Ethiopia which almost always uses the dry
process method. It is known for its complex, fruity, winey, and spicy tones.
LATTE
A shot or two of espresso that has been poured into a cup filled with
steamed milk and topped off with foamed milk (about a 1/4").
MOCHA
A small irregular bean which has a unique acid character. Generally shipped
from Mocha Yemen or sometimes mixed with coffee shipped from Mocha Yemen.
PEABERRY
Usually there are two flat green beans inside of the cherry, but
occasionally, only one football-shaped bean develops. This single bean is
called a peaberry and they are frequently separated and sold as its own
distinct varietal. New Guinea is one of the more popular ones.
ROASTING The cooking process that develops the flavors locked in the
green beans. Hot air runs through a machine with a spinning drum that tosses
the beans. Regular coffee beans are all from the same country of origin, and
are also known as varietal, pure, straight, or estate coffee.
SOFT
BEAN Describes coffee grown at relatively low altitudes (under
4,000 ft). Beans grown at lower altitudes mature more quickly and produce a
lighter, more porous bean.
PROCESSING
Two ways to separate the green bean from the cherry and fruit that surrounds
it. The methods are dry (unwashed) processing and wet (washed) processing.
Dry (unwashed) processing. After an initial rinsing, the ripe cherries are spread out to dry in the sun, and raked several times a day to ensure even drying. After two or three weeks of drying, the dry hull is cracked off, much like the shell from the meat of a nut. Dry processing tends to produce earthier flavors that can be very complex but lack the clarity and bell-like tones of washed coffee.
Wet (washed) processing. The ripe cherries are run through a machine that removes the outer cherry, exposing the beans covered with the sticky fruit. The beans are then placed into concrete tanks and covered with water, where, for over 24-36 hours, they ferment and the fruit begins to separate from the bean. They are then dried either in the sun or in mechanical dryers. Beans are wet processed to draw out perfect clarity and brightness of the natural flavors of the coffee.
VARIETAL
The term used for the coffee that comes from a geographical region. A
Sumatra, Kenya, Costa Rica or a Java are varietals. As in wine...soil,
climate and cultivation methods affect the taste of your coffee. The term
varietal is actually a misnomer, since Arabica coffee plants are basically
of the same species, unlike wine grapes which come from different species of
grape vines.
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Acidity
In the case of coffee,
acidity is a good thing
- it is NOT a reference
to pH factors or being bitter
or sour. For high-grown
coffee, acidity
describes a pleasantly
sharp, "snappy" and
lively quality that is
considered a positive
attribute. Relative
terms used to describe
acidity are mellow,
soft, flat, dead,
delicate, bland, and
rough.
Aftertaste The
sensation of brewed
coffee vapors released
after swallowing.
Characteristics will
range from carbony to
chocolaty, spicy to
turpeny.
Arabica A family
of coffee beans from
evergreen plants that
grow at higher
altitudes. The genus,
Coffea,
is a member of the
madder family. These
plants produce a high
quality coffee that is
considered
to be a more flavorful
brew than that made with
Robusta beans.
Aroma The
fragrance of brewed or
fresh ground coffee can
be described as ranging
from sweetly floral
(jasmine) to sweetly
spicy (orange).
Baked A taste
description given to
under-roasted coffee, or
coffee roasted too
slowly at too low a
temperature, so that the
flavor is
underdeveloped. See
Green. A harsh
unpleasant taste
detected on the back of
the tongue. Found in
over extracted brews as
well as in over-roasted
coffees and those with
various taste defects.
Barista A person
trained in the art of
making espresso coffee
drinks. Considered an
art throughout the
world, the skills of
blending the espresso
shot with properly
frothed milk are
patiently practiced to
achieve the
well-respected title.
Bitter Perceived
by the back of the
tongue and characterized
by solutions of quinine,
caffeine, and other
alkaloids; usually
caused by over-roasting.
Bland Perceived
by the sides of the
tongue and ranging in
taste from soft to
neutral. Found often in
washed Arabica coffees
such as Guatemalan Low
Grown.
Blend Mixing two
or more varieties of
roasted coffee or
different roasts (light
or dark) to produce a
balanced, pleasing
taste. Many shops
feature a "house" blend.
Body The
"mouth-feel" in terms of
weight and texture.
These terms are best
described as syrupy,
harsh, lifeless, thin,
heavy, medium, muddy,
and of course, full.
Bouquet The total
aromatic profile,
resulting from compounds
in the fragrance, aroma,
and aftertaste.
Burnt
A bitter, burnt flavor
characteristic of dark-roasted coffees.
Burr mill The
preferred tool for
fine-grinding coffee,
especially for espresso.
A grinder's burrs are
two corrugated steel
cylindrical plates with
cutting edges.
Adjustable, they slice
or shave the beans to a
consistent grind.
Buttery A coffee
with an oily body or
texture in the mouth.
Denotes full flavor and
rich texture.
Café au lait
French style coffee made
by simultaneously
pouring equal amounts of
strong coffee and boiled
milk into a cup.
Caffeine The drug
found in coffee.
Caffeine is a bitter
white alkaloid, used in
medicine chiefly as a
mild stimulant and to
treat certain types of
headaches.
Cappuccino An
espresso based drink
with frothed milk and
foamy milk on top. The
name was coined because
the white cap was
reminicent of the
Cappucin monks, who wore
white hooded robes.
Caramelly A
common aromatic
sensation; reminiscent
of candy or syrup.
Chocolaty A
common aromatic
sensation in a brew's
aftertaste, reminiscent
of unsweetened chocolate
or vanilla.
Cinnamon
Underlying spice accent
sometimes detected in
the aroma of fine
coffee, a flavor nuance.
Not a common
description. (Also, a
term describing a very
light roast).
CITY
ROAST A
medium to slightly dark
roast, excellent for
breakfast blends or when
a full bodied cup is
desirable.
Clean Opposite of
dirty. Characteristic of
all fine coffees. Does
not necessarily imply
clarity of flavor
impression (see natural
coffee and wild).
Associated with washed
coffees.
Cocoa
Characteristic
sweetish smell of
completely stale roasted
coffee. See Stale.
Crema The tan foam
formed on the surface of
the espresso during the
brewing process. The
crema makes a "cap"
which helps retain the
aroma and flavors of the
espresso within the cup.
The presence of crema
indicates an acceptable
brew. As the shot is
poured, the crema
momentarily should make
three layers in the
glass - these layers are
referred to as the
"body", "heart" and
"soul" by Italian
baristas.
Delicate Related to
mellow; characterized by
a fragile, subtle
flavor; perceived by the
tip of the tongue. Found
in washed New Guinea
Arabica coffees. as sourness,
earthiness, or
mustiness. See Natural
Coffee and Wild.
Earthy An unclean smell
or taste that can be
specific, such as
sourness or mustiness,
or a more generalized
taint that reminds one
of eating dirt.
Espresso A method of
quickly extracting the
heart of coffee flavor,
under pressure, from
specially roasted,
finely ground Arabica
beans. 1-1/2 ounces of
Espresso is known as a
"shot" and serves as the
basis of many delicious
coffee drinks.
Espresso Machine A piece
of equipment which uses
a pressurized boiler to
force steam through the
coffee into a shot glass
or cup.
Flat
Used when
describing bouquet to
denote a lack of strong
perceptions in
fragrance, aroma, and
aftertaste; also called
dead. This is
characteristic of a
coffee with a low
acidity.
Flavor The combination
of the aroma and the
taste that the coffee
impresses in the mouth.
Terms relating to flavor
are nutty, caramelly,
earthy, spicy, fruity,
smoky, musty, rich,
grassy, chocolaty,
neutral, sweet, and
winey.
Fragrance The aromatic
sensations inhaled by
sniffing; can be
described as ranging
from floral to spicy.
French (or Italian)
Roast A style of
roasting coffee beans
that leaves them very
dark brown, almost
black. Especially used
in beverages with milk,
such as Café au Lait.
French Press (or Press
Pot) a glass caraf with
a plunger, used to steep
coffee by adding the
beans and boiling water.
The plunger separates
the grounds from the
resulting beverage which
can be poured out.
Fresh Opposite of stale.
Applies to roasted
coffees.
Froth / Foam The term
given to milk which has
been made thick and
foamy by aerating it
with hot steam reaching
140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fruity An aromatic
sensation reminiscent of
citrus fruit or berries.
Full City Roast A style
of roasting coffee beans
that gives them a strong
flavor, due to the
extraction of oils in
the roasting process.
Not quite as dark as
French Roast.
Grassy Used to describe
an odor and/or taste in
some coffees that is
reminiscent of a freshly
mown lawn, with
accompanying astringency
like that of green
grass. Often occurs from
improper drying or the
use of water of poor
quality when the beans
are washed.
Green (a) A flavor taint
found in coffee
harvested before fully
ripe. (b) Characteristic
taste of under-roasted
coffee; pasty. May have
the aroma of dried beans
or pea soup.
Hard Opposite of sweet
or mild; harsh.
Description of Brazils
between soft and Rio-y.
Harsh crude raw taste;
used to describe certain
Brazils and robustas.
Hidy
Smell of hides or
leather from improper
storage.
Latte Coffee with
steamed milk, usually in
a 1 to 3 ratio. It can
contain a flavored syrup
and be topped with a
layer of froth.
Light Used to qualify
aroma, acidity, or body.
A light coffee would be
delicate in flavor.
Mellow A well-balanced,
smooth taste,
characteristically low
in acidity.
Mild Refers to coffee
that lacks any
overriding
characteristic, either
pleasant or unpleasant.
Mouth-feel The tactile
sensations the coffee
produces on your palate.
How a coffee "feels" in
your mouth.
Muddy A dull,
indistinct, and thickish
flavor that can be
caused by the grounds
being agitated.
Musty A flavor that
often occurs due to poor
storage or lack of
sufficient drying,
aging, or overheating.
In aged coffees,
mustiness is not
necessarily undesirable.
Natural Coffee Aroma and flavor
characteristics of
coffees processed by the
dry method. They are
often blander than
washed coffees and may
lack clarity of flavor
and pointed acidity.
Some may have intense,
complex flavors and
full, thick body. See
Wild.
Neutral A flavor
characteristic that is
desirable in good
blending coffees. Used
to denote a lack of any
strong flavors.
Nutty An aromatic
sensation that is
released as a brew is
swallowed; reminiscent
of roasted nuts.
Past-Croppish
Not to be
confused with stale.
Said of coffees that
have deteriorated in the
green state before
roasting and this taste
as if from a past crop.
See Strawy and Woody.
Portafilter Sometimes
nicknamed "guns" - the
removeable handles on an
espresso machine which
is loaded and packed
with ground espresso
coffee. Steam is forced
through the portafilter
and coffee to make the
espresso shot.
Rancid Extremely sour
and very unpleasant.
Indicates depth and
complexity of flavor and
full, buttery body;
overused.
Rich Used when
describing bouquet to
denote intense
perceptions of
fragrance, aroma, and
aftertaste.
Rio-y A harsh, heavy
medicinal or iodine
flavor typical of the
poorest grades of
Brazils but encountered
in other coffees as
well. Said to be caused
by allowing berries to
dry on the tree.
ROASTS
Varietals or blends
roasted to a specific
color, such as FULL CITY
ROAST ,
Continental
ROAST
, and French
ROAST
.
Robusta Coffee grown at
lower altitudes. Robusta
beans, by themselves,
does not produce a cup
of coffee worth
drinking. However, the
characteristics of
Robusta coffee lend well
to blending with Arabica
beans to enhance
characteristics in a
blend. A small amount of
Robusta is usually
included in espresso
blends to develop the
all-important crema.
Robusta, or Coffee
Robusta, is a member of
the madder family of
evergreens.
Rough
Characterized by a
parched sensation on the
tongue, related to
sharp, salty taste
sensations.
Rubbery Burnt-rubber
odor characteristic of
Robusta.
Sour Low-acid coffees
are described as soft,
mellow, sweet. Not to be
confused with acidity. A
distinctly sour, rank,
or rancid taste is a
defect often due to
improper processing. See
Wild.
Spicy
An aromatic and
taste perception
reminiscent of spices.
Stale Roasted coffee
that has faded in
quality after excessive
exposure to air. Aroma
of stale coffee changes
from flat to rancid and
finally to cocoalike;
the flavor of stale
coffee changes from
bitter to rancid and
tastes cardboardy. Not
to be confused with
past-croppish.
Strong
Term used to
indicate intensity of
either defects or
virtues (as in "a
strong, sour taste" or
"a strong, fine aroma").
A strong-flavored coffee
is therefore not
necessarily a
fine-flavored coffee.
Sweet
A smooth,
palatable coffee, free
from taints or
harshness. Also soft.
Thin Coffees with watery
body and lack of flavor,
typical of low-grown
coffee or due to under
brewing.
Varietals A single bean
type from a country,
region or estate, such
as "Guatemala Antigua",
"Costa Rica Tarrazu" and
"Colombian Supremo".
Watery Caused by wrong
water-to-coffee ratio,
which results in a low
level of oils in the
coffee. This is mouth
feel.
Wild Coffees with
extreme flavor
characteristics, or odd,
racy, tangy nuances in
aroma and taste. Usually
applied to natural
coffees. These
characteristics may be
intriguing or
undesirable. See Dirty.
Winey Coffees with
extreme flavor
characteristics, or odd,
racy, tangy nuances in
aroma and taste. Usually
applied to natural
coffees. These
characteristics may be
intriguing or
undesirable. See Dirty.
Woody A flavor taint
caused by lengthy
storage in warm spaces;
also a characteristic
denoted by scent and
taste of old, past-croppish
coffees.
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