Coffee is not simply something to drink. It is a magical, sensory experience unlike any other.
It is magical in the sense that the taste of coffee beans can vary widely depending on the method of production, how it is roasted, and on the brewing method.
The journey of coffee from farm to cup will dictate its taste.
Coffee, in the words of Forest Gump, “…is like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you are going to get.”
That is until you try new and different kinds and find your favorite flavor.
You might be thinking how does one describe good coffee taste, though?
There must be good coffee and bad coffee, right?
By Andrew.
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In my opinion, taste is subjective, so I personally feel that there is not one way to describe good coffee and bad coffee.
Everyone is different.
My father loves to eat sweet foods and drink bitter coffee.
I personally love sweet coffee with just about anything. Others in my family like a well-balanced medium roast coffee that is only slightly sweet.
The taste of coffee is so wide ranging and so are people’s taste bud sensitivity to different tastes, so everyone will describe coffee in a different way.
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How Do You Describe Good Coffee? Use the Coffee Wheel
However, coffee tasting professionals everywhere believe that generally people agree that certain flavors are attributed to “good” coffee.
In fact, coffee tasting professionals have made a lexicon, or wheel of flavors that describe the flavor that different types of black, “unflavored coffee” have.
View the coffee wheel here.
Coffee aficionados everywhere generally believe that the sweeter the coffee the better quality the coffee is.
What Does a Good Coffee Taste Like? The General Rule: Sweet = Good
After reviewing articles online, I think it is safe to say that it is generally agreed upon that naturally sweet coffee is good quality coffee as it is easier on the palette.
While natural sweetness does not match adding a couple teaspoons of pure, granulated sugar, it is noticeable on the palette when a black coffee has sweetness to it.
The taste descriptor itself can be described as the concentration of sugary qualities when it is smoothly swished around in your mouth.
Light Roast vs. Dark Roast
This means that lighter roast coffee is usually preferred over darker roasts. This is due to the fact that light roast coffee is not roasted for as long, thus contains more of its original sugar content whereas darker roast coffee is roasted for a longer period of time caramelizing the sugar content, leaving the coffee drinker with a more bitter, dark chocolatey taste.
Some words used to describe sweet coffee include mild, smooth, caramelly, fruity, citrusy, chocolatey, or honey-based.
The full list is much too long for this article!
View more coffee descriptors here.
Coffee Sweetness Varies by Region
Coffee professionals also agree that the sweetness of coffee differs depending on the region where it is grown. The amount of sunlight, altitude, precipitation, and temperature all affect the taste of coffee.
Coffee grown in Latin America are known to be sweeter and more well-balanced.
African coffee is generally fruitier with citrusy and floral notes.
And Asia coffees tend to be more earthy and woody.
Words to Describe Coffee Aroma
The aroma of coffee is the smell that is released from the ground coffee beans when it is being brewed. It can be perceived through the nose and can even be tasted at the back of the throat when inhaled deeply without sipping the coffee and being processed by our tastebuds on our tongue.
Darker roast coffee will have a stronger smell when being brewed because more of its chemical traits are being altered compared to lighter roasts.
Some words that describe coffee aroma of fresh, good quality coffee are:
- Fruity
- Earthy
- Nutty
- Spicy
- Chocolatey
- Caramelly
Stale, old or bad quality coffee will smell musty or burnt.
Read more about coffee aroma here.
Conclusion
Coffee is very versatile due to the fact that coffee beans have a diverse journey from farm to cup.
Taste depends on the region where it is grown and the type of roast.
While I believe taste is an opinion, coffee professional agree that good coffee generally tastes and smells sweeter and can be described using the coffee wheel.
For a fun activity, taste some coffee and use the coffee wheel to describe it.
Photo by Los Muertos Crew and Hansuan Fabregas
