What is Coffee Flavour?
Flavour in coffee encompasses the total sensory experience of taste and aroma, including sweetness, acidity, body, and aftertaste. Specialty coffee uses precise descriptors, such as citrus, berry, chocolate, floral, or nutty, to communicate nuances in cup profile. These descriptors help roasters, buyers, and baristas evaluate, compare, and highlight the unique qualities of each lot.
Why Flavour Descriptors Matter
Cup understanding and communication
Accurate flavour descriptors allow professionals to articulate cup qualities consistently and clearly. This is essential for quality control, cupping evaluation, and guiding roasters and customers in selecting coffees that match desired flavour profiles.
Origin and processing influence
Flavour arises from a combination of genetics, environment, and post-harvest handling. Varietal, altitude, rainfall, and soil composition establish a coffee’s flavour potential, while processing and drying methods further shape the expression. For example, naturals often emphasize fruit-forward flavours, washed coffees highlight floral and citrus notes, and honey processed lots strike a balance between fruit sweetness and clarity.
Roasting considerations
Roasting transforms inherent flavour compounds into their final cup expression. Light roasts preserve origin-specific nuances, emphasizing acidity and complex aromatics. Medium roasts enhance body and caramelized sweetness, while darker roasts can bring chocolatey, nutty, or roasted notes forward, sometimes at the expense of subtle origin characteristics. Understanding how roast level interacts with flavour is essential for achieving a target cup profile.
Where Nordic Approach Fits In
Our role is to bridge origin and roaster. Through origin trips, direct evaluation, and close collaboration with producers, we assess how varietal, terroir, and processing translate into flavour. This insight helps roasters source coffees that deliver precise, consistent flavour profiles while reflecting the origin’s unique characteristics. We focus on lots where processing quality and cherry selection maximize cup clarity, balance, and expressive flavour.
FAQ About Coffee Flavour
Q1: Are flavour and aroma the same?
A1: Not exactly. Flavour combines taste (sweetness, acidity, bitterness) and aroma (volatile compounds perceived by smell). Aroma contributes heavily to perceived flavour, but flavour also depends on the tactile experience in the mouth.
Q2: How do processing methods affect flavour?
A2: Natural processes tend to enhance fruit-forward and wine-like flavours, washed coffees highlight citrus and floral clarity, and honey processes balance sweetness and fruit complexity.
Q3: Can roast level change the perceived flavour?
A3: Yes. Light roasts preserve origin-specific notes, medium roasts enhance body and sweetness, and darker roasts bring chocolate, caramel, or roasted notes to the forefront, sometimes masking subtle origin characteristics.