Is there a difference between infused and flavoured specialty coffee?

WHAT ARE FLAVOURED AND INFUSED COFFEES?

Here is one way to rewrite the paragraph:

Defining infused and flavored coffees can be tricky since no formal industry terms exist. Personal opinions shape loose definitions.

Nanelle Newbom, Sales West representative at Equal Exchange and roaster/buyer at Torque Coffees, explains her view on flavored coffee:

“It’s when you add separate ingredients to green or roasted coffee to create new flavors. In my opinion, altering flavor via yeast strains or oxygen control during processing doesn’t make a flavored coffee. However, adding ingredients like cinnamon sticks during fermentation does result in a flavored coffee.”

She notes an important distinction between natural and artificial additives. “For many professionals, natural versus artificial additions exist on a spectrum. The answer isn’t always clear-cut. Because definitions vary so greatly, conflicting opinions can still be valid.”

In summary, no consensus defines flavored or infused coffees. Yet most agree adding separate flavorings, especially artificial ones, constitutes a flavored coffee. More nuance exists around ingredients introduced during processing. Shared dialog and transparency will build collective understanding within specialty coffee.