Coffee Terms

The qualities Teds Favorite Coffee looks for in our coffees vary from bean to bean. Understanding coffee is like understanding fine wines. Not surprisingly, a great deal of coffee terminology is derived from wine tasting. To help you better understand and appreciate coffee, we have compiled a quick glossary of terms we use when selecting and describing our coffee.

Acidity
The dry, tart and snappy sensation a coffee leaves around the edges of your tongue. Examples of high-acidity coffees are Kenya or Costa Rica. An example of a low-acid coffee would be Sumatra.

Body
The sensations of fullness, heaviness or thickness as you "swish" the coffee around your mouth. A good illustration would be the difference between whole (heavy) and skim (light) milk. Examples would be Sumatra for heavy-bodied and Mexican organic for a light bodied coffee.

Flavor
Flavor describes the overall character of the coffee. Get creative. Does the coffee taste like chocolate? What kind: dark or milk? Does it taste like berries, citrus fruits, or nuts? Does it have a caramel quality? Are there unpleasant flavors? Is it bitter, sour or sharp?

Aroma
The smell of a freshly brewed coffee plays an important part in how you perceive a particular coffee as the nasal passages are inundated by the coffee's aromatics as you drink. Try inhaling the aromas of a wild Ethiopian Harrar and you will fully understand.

Fragrance
The first impressions or scent of dry coffee as it is ground.