Coffee Tasting Terms
While tasting coffee, you should try to discern whether the Fragrance, aroma, flavor, body, and acidity of the coffee is pleasant, or unpleasant. Here are the criteria that most tasters use to judge coffee:
Fragrance
Fragrance is the smell of the roasted whole coffee beans and/or the smell of the ground coffee beans. Beans or ground coffee that smells like coffee is desirable. They indicate what is to come when the coffee is brewed. Beans or grounds with little smell are either under roasted or have gone stale.
Aroma
Aroma is a sensation that 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.
Flavor
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
Acidity is a desirable characteristic in coffee. It is the sensation of dryness that the coffee produces under the edges of your tongue and on the back of your palate. The role acidity plays in coffee is not unlike its role as related to the flavor of wine. It provides a sharp, bright, vibrant quality. With out sufficient acidity, the coffee will tend to taste flat. Acidity should not be confused with sour, which is an unpleasant, negative flavor characteristic.
Body
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. A good example of body would be that of the feeling of whole milk in your mouth, as compared to water. Your perception of the body of a coffee is related to the oils and solids extracted during brewing. Coffees with a heavier body will maintain more of their flavor when diluted.
Aftertaste
… or Finish. The vapors released by the coffee in the mouth resulting in the residual taste left in the mouth after swallowing. Characteristics can range from sweet or spicy, smoky, light, heavy or long lasting.
The following are typical flavor characteristics:
General flavor characteristics:
Richness-refers to body and fullness
Complexity- the perception of multiple flavors
Balance- the satisfying presence of all the basic taste characteristics where no one over-powers another
Typical specific desirable flavor characteristics:
Bright, Dry, Sharp, or Snappy- Caramelly -candy like or syrupy
Chocolaty- an aftertaste similar to unsweetened chocolate Delicate- a subtle flavor perceived on the tip of the tongue
Earthy- a soily characteristic
Fragrant- an aromatic characteristic ranging from floral to spicy
Fruity- an aromatic characteristic reminiscent of berries or citrus
Mellow- a round, smooth taste, typically lacking acid
Nutty- an aftertaste similar to roasted nuts
Spicy- a flavor and aroma reminiscent of spices
Sweet- free of harshness
Wildness- a gamey flavor that is not usually considered favorable but is typical of Ethiopian coffees
Winy- an aftertaste reminiscent of well-matured wine
Typical specific undesirable flavor characteristics:
Bitter- perceived on the back of the tongue
Bland- neutral in flavor
Carbony- burnt charcoaly overtones
Dead- see "flat"
Dirty- a mustiness reminiscent of eating dirt
Earthy- see "dirty"
Flat- lack of acidity, aroma, and aftertaste
Grassy- an aroma and flavor reminiscent of freshly cut lawn
Harsh- a caustic, clawing, raspy characteristic
Muddy- thick and dull
Musty- a slight stuffy or moldy smell
Rioy- a starchy texture similar to water which pasta has been cooked in.
Rough- a sensation on the tongue reminiscent of eating salt
Rubbery- an aroma and flavor reminiscent of burnt rubber
Soft- see "bland"
Sour- tart flavors reminiscent of unripe fruit
Thin- lacking acidity, typically a result of under brewing
Turpeny- turpentine-like in flavor
Watery- a lack of body or viscosity in the mouth
Wild- gamey characteristics
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