The Coffee Tasting Guide: Learn to Identify Notes Like a Pro

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine your palate, understanding how to taste coffee properly can completely transform your daily cup. Here’s a simple Coffee Tasting Guide to walk you through the basics and help you start identifying the unique flavors in every brew:

Once the coffee is ground, smell the ground coffee and take in the Fragrance.

What do you Smell? 

Fruity (berries, citrus)

Nutty (almond, hazelnut)

Roasted (brown Spice, milk chocolate, dark chocolate)

Spicy (cinnamon, clove)

Earthy (mushroom, tobacco)

Floral (jasmine, rose)

Before sipping, inhale deeply.

What do you smell now? Has it changed?

Like Fragrance, Aroma can reveal:

Fruity (berries, citrus)

Nutty (almond, hazelnut)

Roasted (Brown Spice, milk chocolate, dark chocolate)

Spicy (cinnamon, clove)

Earthy (mushroom, tobacco)

Floral (jasmine, rose)

Yes—slurp! It sprays the coffee across your palate, activating all taste zones and activates your olfactory senses as well. Use a soup spoon as well as taste it from your cup. 

See how the flavors intensify when you slup compared to when you sip.   

Where do you feel the flavors and sensations on your tongue?

Front = Sweetness

Sides = Acidity

Back = Bitterness

Use a coffee flavor wheel to help describe what you taste:

Sweet (caramel, honey, brown sugar, vanilla)

Floral (black tea, chamomile, rose)

Fruity (citric, berries, dried fruit) 

Sour/Acidic (lemon, green apple)

Bitter (dark chocolate, burnt toast)

Umami (savory, soy)

Note how long the flavor lingers and whether it changes.

Use a light roast to better taste origin characteristics.

If you are having trouble picking out specific flavors, think of colors..what colors come to mind when your tasting then think about what notes are associated with those colors Examples being: Red - berries, Green- apple or vegetal, Yellow - Citrus 

Try coffees from different regions (e.g., Ethiopia = fruity, Colombia = balanced, Sumatra = earthy).

Keep a tasting journal to track your favorites and improve your palate.

Use the below Specialty Coffee Association Flavor Wheel to help you locate flavors

Photo by Kerri Wolff on Unsplash