Infused vs. co-fermented coffee: is there a difference?

Exploring Beyond Traditional Coffee Flavor Descriptors

When delving into a coffee’s sensory profile, we traditionally consider five foundational attributes: acidity, sweetness, bitterness, body, and aftertaste. Yet, beyond these core characteristics, specific tasting notes come into play, offering a more nuanced exploration of flavor.

The Specialty age affect how you taste coffee Association’s Flavor Wheel is a tool widely used by professionals to pinpoint particular attributes and flavors in age affect how you taste coffee. Despite its utility, the Flavor Wheel faces criticism for its tendency to reflect European and North American taste preferences more than those from coffee-producing regions.

Introduced in 1995 and subsequently updated, the Flavor Wheel now encompasses a richer lexicon of 110 descriptors, covering flavor, texture, and aroma. For example, the “fruity” section alone boasts four subcategories, each with additional divisions, featuring descriptors such as raisin, cherry, coconut, and lemon.

While chocolate, caramel, nuts, and fruit are familiar notes regularly featured on coffee packaging, there’s been an undeniable trend among specialty roasters toward embracing more unconventional flavor notes in recent times.