Koffee Klutch :: Coffee Terminology

Coffee Terminology
Here is a partial list of the most frequently used terms when talking about coffee and coffee beans in the industry. Each one of these terms is used during cupping to determine each coffee's characteristics. Cupping basically means taste-testing.

Acidity : : The taste of the high, thin notes, the dryness of the coffee you can taste on the back of your palate. It's a pleasant tartness that is referred to as the acidity. It should be distinguished from sour, or an unpleasant sharpness. Aged coffees, and some old crop, low-grown coffees, have little acidity and taste almost sweet. An acidy coffee is almost like a dry wine. In some coffees the acidy taste actually becomes distinctively winey.

Arabica : : Arabica are the bean of choice in "gourmet" or "specialty coffees." Arabica coffee produces the rich flavor and body found in a good cup of coffee. These coffee beans are grown at high altitudes between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. Robusta beans lack this flavor and body.

Balance : : This term is used when coffee does not localize at any one point on the palate. It is not imbalanced in the direction of some one, often undesirable taste characteristic. Balance means that no one quality overwhelms all others, but there is enough complexity in the coffee to arouse interest. A well-balanced coffee contains all the basic characteristics to the right extent.

Body : : Used to describe the sense of heaviness, richness, and thickness at the back of the tongue when you swish the coffee around your mouth. The coffee is not actually heavy; it just tastes that way. You can distinguish body by pouring cream into different types of coffee. The flavor of the heavy-bodied coffees carry through the cream, whereas the flavor of the lighter bodied ones die. If you drink coffee with cream, get a heavy-bodied coffee to get the best results. If you drink black coffee, you may like a lighter-bodied type.

Caramel or Caramelize : : The aromatic sensation created by a slightly volatile set of sugar carbonyl compounds found in the nose of the coffee. It produces a sensation that reminds you of candy.

Earthy : : The smell within the coffee bean that produces a mineral-like taste sensation. This happens when fats in the coffee beans absorb organic materials from the ground in the drying process during harvesting.

Flavor : : Acidity has something to do with flavor, and so do aroma and body. Some coffees just have a richer, fuller flavor than others, whereas other coffees have an acidy tang that tends to dominate everything else.

Fruity : : Either a sweet sensation reminiscent of citrus fruit or a dry sensation reminiscent of berry fruit.

Richness : : This refers partly to body and partly to flavor. Sometimes it even refers to acidity. Richness describes an interesting, satisfying fullness.

Sharpness : : A taste sensation created as acids in the coffee combine with salts increasing the overall saltiness.It is found most often in unwashed robusta coffee.

Thin : : The coffee lacks body or substance and is insufficiently concentrated and not roasted to full potential.

Winey : : This taste happens when the sugars in the coffee combine with the acids to reduce the overall sourness.

Latte — espresso and steamed milk
Cappuccino — espresso and foamed milk
Americana — espresso and hot water
Breve — espresso with stemmed half and half