Glossary of Coffee Terminology: Coffee Descriptors

Coffee Descriptors (Words to Describe Coffee Flavors)

Coffee Glossary Table of Contents

Some of the many ways to describe coffee characteristics are listed below. What are we missing?

• Aroma: Also known as Bouquet, used to describe the scent of the coffee.

• Berry-like: The coffee has hints of berries in its aroma.

• Bitter:  Taste that is affected by how the coffee beans are prepared through the roasting

• Bland: Flavor of the coffee comes out flat. 

• Body: Refers to how the coffee feels with the tongue.

• Bright: Acidity flavor of the coffee. 

• Briny: Flavor of saltiness caused by exposure to heat.

• Burnt: Coffee tasting charred due to different factors like the roasting.

• Caramelly: Coffee with a candy-like taste. Has to do with roasting it properly. 

• Chocolatey: Coffee with a chocolate flavor, usually found in beans from Central America.

• Citrus: Fruity and citrusy aroma in the coffee. 

• Dirty: Muddy taste caused by factors like roasting, or where it was harvested.

• Earthy: Coffee with hints of earthiness if dried on earth rather than concrete.

• Exotic: When coffee contains notes that are more berry-like and floral.

• Floral: Aroma that has a flowery note to it.

• Fragrant: How coffee smells before it’s brewed.

• Fruity: Coffee with a hint of fruit in its taste, smell, or both.

• Herby: Coffee aroma with a leafy or grassy scent

• Malty: Aroma with grain-like scents such as toast, corn, malt, bread, etc

• Nutty: Aroma of nuts in the coffee

• Sharp: Taste that is salty and acidic

• Smokey: Taste of slight bitterness and ashiness. 

• Sour: Tartness, flavor deriving from acidity

• Spicy: Aroma and taste of coffee that contains notes and hints of spices

• Stale: Coffee that comes out flat-tasting after being left out.

• Sweet: Palatable coffee free of bitter flavors

• Tart: Coffee with taste that’s pleasantly sour

• Tangy: A combination of sweet and sour that you mostly feel along the sides of the tongue

• Tone: Physical appearance and color of the coffee

• Vanilla-like: Coffee with an aroma of vanilla