A Glossary of Coffee Terminology

Delve into the world of great coffee, and you'll encounter the wide range of terms to describe not only coffee flavors but also coffee varieties, coffee grades, and coffee processing. Coffee terminology may sometimes seem strange at first. But it all aims to describe the many elements that make up a perfect cup of coffee—and other descriptive terms you might come up with will be just as valid. Use the following glossary as a beginning guide. (For still more coffee speak, check out Coffee Geography, Coffee Roasts, and Coffee Drinks.)

Acidy

All coffees are relatively low in acid, compared to, say, citrus fruit or vinegar. But this coffee flavor characteristic nonetheless contributes to a sharp, bright, noticeably dry taste.

Aftertaste

The flavor, hopefully pleasant, that lingers in the mouth after coffee is swallowed.

Aged

Refers to green coffee beans stored for a year or more before roasting, which reduces their acidity and increases their body and sweetness.

Arabica

Refers to the coffee beans from the species of coffee tree that produces the best quality coffee, Coffea arabica, which accounts for about three-quarters of the world's commercial coffee production.

Aroma

The smell of a brewed cup of coffee.

Barista

Italian terms for someone who works the espresso machine to make espresso coffee.

Bitter

A sometimes pleasant "bite" of flavor at the back of the tongue, often found in darker roasts.

Blend

Two or more kinds of coffee beans from different geographic origins, joined together so their characteristics complement each other to achieve a desired flavor profile.

Body

How heavy, thick, or thin brewed coffee feels in the mouth.

Bouquet

The combined perception of a cup of coffee's aroma, fragrance, and aftertaste.

Bright

Sometimes used to describe a coffee with good, brisk acidity.

ButtButtery

Describes brewed coffee that combines a richness and pleasantly oily feeling in the mouth reminiscent of butter.

Caramel

When brewed coffee has a rich sweetness reminiscent of burnt sugar.

Chocolaty

Describes brewed coffee with a richness and sweetness reminiscent of chocolate.

Clean

Refers to brewed coffee that has no odd or tainted tastes.

Complex

Brewed coffee that provides a variety of pleasant aromas and tastes.

Creamy

Similar to buttery, a coffee that tastes and feels rich in the mouth.

Cupping

The technical term for tasting coffee to judge its characteristics. (See Coffee Cupping.)

Delicate

Sometimes used to describe coffee with light, subtle flavors, discerned usually with the tip of the tongue.

Dry Process

Describes coffee beans processed by drying the coffee cherries in the sun before removing the pulp and parchment that covers the seeds, or green coffee beans, inside.

Estate-Grown

Refers to a finer coffee grown on a specific plantation or farm within a growing region.

Earthy

A flavor characteristic describing robust, somewhat spicy flavor.

Flavor

The overall taste impression of brewed coffee, combining acidity, aroma, and body, gained by swirling the coffee around in the mouth.

Floral

Describes notes in a brewed coffee's aroma or flavor reminiscent of flowers, usually found in lighter roasts.

Fragrance

The sensory impression gained by sniffing a cup of brewed coffee.

Fruity

Refers to flavor overtones reminiscent of fresh, ripe fruit such as berries.

Grading

From country to country, different coffee grades are assigned to crops or harvests of green coffee beans based on where and how they were grown and processed, their size and density, their overall quality, and a sample cup they produce.

Green Coffee Beans

Coffee beans that have been harvested and processed but not yet roasted.

Hard Bean

Describes the denser, harder-textured, and therefore generally more flavorful beans resulting from slower growth at altitudes above 4,000 feet.

High Grown

Refers to coffee beans grown at an elevation between 2,000 and 4,000 feet.

Mellow

Describes brewed coffee with medium or low acidity and a smooth, well-rounded flavor.

Monsooned

Describes particular coffee beans that after processing were exposed to humid monsoon winds in open-sided warehouses, a process that increases the body and reduces the acidity of the resulting roasted and brewed coffee.

Nutty

Refers to brewed coffee with a rich, earthy flavor recalling roasted nuts.

Peaberry

Rounded, pea-shaped coffee beans, which result when only a single bean develops inside a coffee cherry instead of the usual pair of beans that develop rounded on one side and flat on the side facing each other. Peaberries are sometimes hand-selected and sold as specialty coffees, particularly in areas with premium Arabica coffee production such as Kenya, New Guinea, Tanzania, and even Kona; as a result, they represent an outstanding example of the particular varietal coffee.

Rich

Having intense, full aroma, flavor, and aftertaste.

Robusta

Refers to coffee beans from the second most productive species of coffee tree, Coffea robusta, accountable for about one quarter of world production and used for lesser grade coffees and as a base for some commercial blends.

Spicy

Describes flavor overtones in brewed coffee reminiscent of usually sweet spices such as cinnamon or cloves.

Strictly High Grown

Coffee beans grown at elevations between 4,000 and 6,000 feet.

Sweet

Refers to brewed coffee with smooth, generally mild overtones associated with sweetness.

Syrupy

Describes brewed coffee with a combination of good body and sweetness that brings to mind syrup.

Toasty

Having aroma and flavor reminiscent of good toast, a sign that the coffee was roasted well.

Wet Process

Refers to green coffee beans that have first been mechanically separated from their pulp, then soaked to eliminate their mucilaginous inner coating before drying. Also called "washed process."

Winy

Describes coffee flavor combining fruitiness and acidity.