Coffee Lingo: Learn How to Describe Your Favorite Drink

Joe, Java, go-go juice, rocket fuel—whatever you call it, one thing is certain: coffee is a must. Whether you require a couple of cups to get ready in the morning or prefer a nice, after-dinner roast, enjoying coffee should be more than routine. When you learn how to taste and describe coffee flavors, every sip becomes an elevated experience.

If you’ve ever looked closely at the label on your favorite bag of beans or had a conversation with a coffee aficionado, you’ve probably heard a few descriptive words already. But what does acidity really mean? What is a top note? With our help, we’ll answer all these questions and more to help you become a true expert on coffee flavors.

Why Should You Learn to Describe Coffee?

Anyone can enjoy a good brew, but actually learning how to describe coffee is a game changer. When you understand how to taste each layer in a complex bean, you’ll be able to appreciate the experience even more. Understanding proper vocab will also help you communicate your taste preferences to baristas at local shops or online roasters the next time you’re looking to buy. Once you speak the language of coffee, there’s no going back!

Did You Know That Every Coffee is Unique?

At first glance, it’s easy to assume that every coffee is the same, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are countless factors that can affect the coffee flavors in each batch, including bean varietal, growing conditions, roast profile, processing methods, and country of origin. And that’s not even accounting for how different brewing methods can change the outcome of a brew!

How Country of Origin Affects Coffee Flavors

As you learn to describe coffee, you’ll quickly realize that every country is known for different flavors—but why? To put it simply, the different coffee flavors are impacted by the unique growing conditions in each region. Climate, growing altitude, farming practices, and what nutrients are present in the soil all contribute to the final taste. Each region within a country can produce its own unique crops.

Coffee Flavors by Popular Producing Countries:

• Kenya: citrus, floral, herbal, wine-like
• India: spicy, fruity, bright
• Colombia: caramel, nutty, citrusy
• Ethiopia: fruity, floral, clean
• Costa Rica: brown sugar, citrusy, nutty
• Hawaii: mildly fruity, bright, complex
• Indonesia: fruity, nutty, earthy, woody
• Brazil: chocolatey, sweet, nutty
• Honduras: vanilla, nutty, chocolatey
• Peru: fruity, floral, light
• Mexico: sweet, caramel, floral

How Does the Roasting Process Affect Coffee Flavor?

When it comes to a roast, everyone has their preference. Light, medium, dark—whatever you enjoy, the roasting level affects more than you think! Describing coffee becomes easier when you understand what each roast does to your favorite beans.

When raw coffee beans are exposed to heat, the acids and sugars are broken down within each bean. This process results in a very unique aroma and taste in each batch. Generally, the lighter the roast, the brighter and more acidic the cup. Darker roasts end up with less acidity, producing a strong and bitter feel. The same Costa Rica Tarrazu bean could taste wildly different depending on the roast level.

The Essential Vocab Words for Describing Coffee

When describing coffee, you have to remember that every roast can be broken down into several distinct categories. These words have become a universal standard, and once you understand how to find the coffee flavors you like, you can buy a bag of beans anywhere. Learn the most basic vocabulary terms to become a pro:

What is Coffee Acidity?

Acidity is a term that can scare off new coffee drinkers, but it’s not as daunting as it may seem. It’s not really about how puckered a sip makes your mouth (though it can be!), but rather about the sharp, bright, or crisp quality that a coffee can possess. Some people prefer absolutely no acidity in their cups, while others love that extra jolt—but most people go for something in between.

Contrary to the name, it has nothing to do with the pH level, which remains the same across the board. Think of acidity levels as feeling like a green apple's tang or citrus's zesty kick. When you take a sip, you’ll be able to feel the acidity near the front of your mouth, either as a tingling sensation on the tip of your tongue or a dryness towards the back of your palate.

Words to Describe Coffee Acidity:

• Bright
• Sharp
• Crisp
• Dry
• Dull
• Tart
• Sweet

Bitterness in Coffee

Whether you’re an experienced coffee connoisseur or a novice, you’ve definitely heard “bitter” used to describe a bean—but it’s not necessarily a bad thing! Bitterness can range from mild to intense and is most noticeable in darker roasts, where sugars break down completely to create a rich, bold coffee flavor.

Well-balanced blends and single origins will often have a hint of bitterness. Similar to dark chocolate, it adds contrast to the sweet notes and acidity. Bitterness becomes a bad trait when it’s used to describe coffee that’s been over-roasted.

Why Does My Coffee Taste Bitter?

While some bitterness is expected and purposefully brought forward during roasting, it’s not always a good thing. If you find that a Brazil Sul De Minas bean you’ve bought tastes overly bitter, it’s likely due to over-extraction. This occurs when grounds are exposed to water for too long in a brewing method. To avoid this, make sure you’re always using the right size grounds, appropriately heated water, and suggested brewing time.

What Does Smooth Mean When Describing Coffee?

When you shop for coffee, you’ll likely hear and see the word “smooth”—but what is it actually referring to? Smooth means that the coffee lacks acidity or bitterness, presenting a mellow, balanced, and soft taste. Smooth blends are a great choice for a coffee drinker who’s looking for something “inoffensive” or “easy.”

What is Coffee Body?

Body is a term used to describe how the coffee feels when you take a sip. This can include variables like weight, texture, thickness, and viscosity and is often referred to as “mouthfeel.” It plays a bigger role in coffee flavor than one may think and is oftentimes the deciding factor of whether or not you like a specific roast.

Coffees with more body feel fuller and velvety on the tongue, while light-bodied roasts are more slippery and thin, in a tea-like consistency. Roasting, brew time, and ratio can all affect the body of a Colombia Supremo bean. The next time you drink a blend, you can focus on how it feels on your tongue to determine what kind of body it has.  

Words to Describe Coffee Body:

• Heavy
• Creamy
• Oily
• Watery
• Buttery
• Syrupy
• Thin

Coffee Bean Aroma

Tasting coffee is a multi-faceted sensory experience that starts far before your first gulp. Aroma refers to the scents that the beans and brewed coffee give out. Whether it’s the smell that hits you when you walk into your favorite café or the scent that wakes you up in the morning, the aroma can tell you almost everything you need to know about a roast.

Did you know that there are hundreds of aromatics in coffee? The roasting and brewing processes can transform these minute and unique scents, giving you endless possibilities when finding your perfect cup. In general, dark roasts have more intense, pronounced aromas, whereas light has more delicate and bright notes that highlight the bean’s origin.  

How to Properly Smell Coffee Aroma

It’s easy to get a baseline whiff of coffee, but if you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss all of the complex layers and notes when describing the coffee. To unlock the true aroma, you should bring the freshly ground Guatemala Antigua beans or brewed cup close to your nose and take a slow, deep inhale. Soon, subtle notes and flavors will pop out at you, giving you a better understanding of the coffee flavors at hand.

Words to Describe Coffee Aroma:

• Floral
• Fruity
• Earthy
• Robust
• Nutty

Coffee Sweetness Levels

If you have a bit of a sweet tooth when it comes to your morning cravings, you’re In luck! Sweetness in coffee is a subtle element but is often the deciding factor for whether or not someone enjoys a roast. The sweetness balances out acidity and bitterness, giving the coffee a smoother finish.

While it won’t be as sweet as, say, adding a flavored syrup to your latte, certain beans are traditionally sweeter than others. Central America, South America, and Hawaii produce naturally sweeter coffee, especially when it comes to their lighter roasts.

The processing method used can also affect the sweetness of a bean. For instance, honey-processed coffees are also generally sweet due to the sugars left on the mucilage during the drying process, while the washed process leads to a cleaner and more acidic batch. If you’re trying to buy sweeter traditional coffee blends, make sure to ask about how they were processed. 

Your Coffee’s Aftertaste

To accurately describe coffee, you need to understand aftertaste. This essential term is made up of the taste, body, acidity, and aromas left in your mouth after you swallow your coffee. It’s the final coffee flavor your palate will remember, making it an extra-important factor when buying beans or choosing a coffee supplier.

High-quality beans have been grown and harvested by experts to produce unbeatably delicious aftertastes. If the coffee flavors pleasantly linger on your tongue when you’re done, it is generally considered a great cup of coffee. To fully enjoy the aftertaste and describe coffee to your friends and family, you should try slowly breathing in and out as you swallow to focus solely on each sensation.

Ways to Describe Coffee Flavors

Coffee flavor is made up of all of the above factors and is one of the most fun things to explore when trying new roasts. This is not to be confused with our seasonal flavored coffee, which is its own delicious type of bean. As you learn how to describe coffee, you should discover the range of flavors in each of these common categories so you can find the best bean for you:

Berry Coffee Flavors

Describing coffee with berry notes is easy—just think of the bright and tart flavors of all your favorite summertime fruits. Coffee with berry flavors is typically sweeter, featuring bright bursts of raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, or strawberry.

Citrus Coffee Flavors

Describing coffee known for citrus notes is simple. You’ll be able to find that vibrant zest that oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit are known for in every refreshing sip.

Stone Fruit Coffee Flavors

Describing coffee with stone fruit notes is all about finding that deep and subtle flavor. Peach, plum, and apricot are the most common stone fruit flavors found in this type of coffee.

Nutty Coffee Flavors

Nutty coffee is warm, comfortable, and usually pretty mild. If you’ve never described coffee with nutty notes before, you can use words like almond, hazelnut, or walnut to relay what you’re looking for.

Chocolate Coffee Flavors

Who doesn’t love chocolate and coffee together? Cocoa notes are often used to describe coffee—it’s just a matter of whether you prefer bitter dark, bittersweet, or milk chocolate!

Floral Coffee Flavors

Floral notes are a delightful addition to your vocabulary when describing coffee. Ethiopian coffee, in particular, is known for its strong floral aromas, similar to a bouquet of fresh flowers. This type of description often includes tea-like words, such as jasmine, lavender, or chamomile.

Spicy Coffee Flavors

If you want a bean with a little kick to it, you have to find coffees that are described as spicy. These spices tend to be more warm than hot and include cinnamon, clove, and black pepper.  

Herbaceous Coffee Flavors

Some describe coffee as herbaceous. These flavors are subtle but always add a unique and intriguing note to the cup. When you’re trying roasts, try to taste fresh herb flavors, such as basil, rosemary, and thyme.

Earthy Coffee Flavors

If you want an extra rich and deep flavor, you’ll want to describe coffee that’s earthy. This can include mushroom umami, wet clay, and dark soil—all notes that sound off-putting at first but can transform a coffee into something wonderful!

Coffee preferences are unique to every drinker—but so many people who love their cup of Joe have no idea how to describe the coffee they enjoy! Don’t settle for the first roast you come across. With a few vocabulary words, definitions, and explanations, you’ll be able to describe coffee like a pro in no time!