Coffee tasting has a language all of it's own, and by understanding the language of coffee, coffee lovers can gain an understanding of how they might enjoy a particular coffee - before they've even purchased it.
Professional cuppers have an extensive coffee vocabulary, but the average enthusiast can get a lot of understanding from a few terms.
Here are a few of the main coffee tasting terms:
- Acidity
A desirable sharp / orange-peel like tang. Not to be confused with astringency, which is an undesirable sharpness that includes a dry sensation on the tongue. - Body / Mouth feel
Texture or 'thickness' of the coffee on the mouth as a sensation. A good analogy would be that full-fat milk has more 'body' than skimmed milk. - Bitterness
A primary taste characteristic of coffee. Not unpleasant and is affected by the amount of roasting and the brewing process. - Sweetness
A very mild sugary quality, more used to describe aroma than taste. - Saltiness
A very mild salty characteristic of the coffee. - Caramel / Syrupy
Reminiscent of caramel or toffee - Chocolaty
An aftertaste that can be similar to mixture of cocoa powder and vanilla pods. - Fruity
Although coffee contains no sugar, sometimes you can taste a mild hint of sweet fruitiness, such as blueberries, cherries or plums. - Mellow
A mellow flavour is used to describe a coffee with less body and acidity, without tasting thin or watery. - Nutty
A hint of roasted nuts. - Spicy
A mild complex cocktail of exotic spices, often found with aged coffees - Winey
The coffee has a long, lingering and satisfying aftertaste - rather like fine wine.