Aromas
Animal-like: wet fur, sweat, leather hides – not necessarily considered negative but generally used to describe strong notes
Ashy: smell of an ashtray, not used as negative attribute but to indicate the degree of roast
Burnt/Smokey: Burnet wood odor, frequently used to indicate degree of roast. More commonly found in dark-roasted or oven roasted coffees
Chemical/Medicinal: used to describe coffees that have aromas such as rio flavor, chemical residues or highly aromatic and volatile coffee.
Chocolate-like: aroma and flavor of cocoa powder and chocolate
Caramel: smell and flavor produced with caramelizing sugar without burning it.
Cereal/Malty/Toast-like: a grain type aroma and terms used interchangeably by tasters
Earthy: smell of fresh, wet soil or some people might even say the smell of humus. Sometimes this is associated with moulds and raw potato flavor.
Floral: associated with the slight scent of flowers: honeysuckle, jasmine, dandelion, nettles. Found in intense fruity or green aroma is perceived.
Fruity/Citrus: natural aroma of berries. Most coffees with citrus characteristics tend to be high in acidity. This does not describe an unripe nor overripe fruit.
Grassy/Green/Herbal: the smell of a freshly mown lawn, fresh green grass or herbs
Nutty: aroma and flavor of fresh nuts – not rancid nuts nor bitter almonds
Rancid/Rotten: Rancid is an indicator of fat oxidation (rancid nuts) and rotten is deteriorated vegetables.
Rubber-like: smell of hot tires, rubber bands. It is not necessarily considered a negative attribute but it is a strong one.
Spicy: odor of sweet spices such as cloves, cinnamon and allspice. This term does not describe savory spices.
Tobacco: smell and taste of fresh tobacco – but not to be confused with ashy or burnt tobacco.
Winey: a combination of smell, taste and moth-feel as when drinking wine. Strong acidic/fruity notes are found. Careful not to confused with a sour/fermented flavor.
Woody: smell of dry wood, an oak barrel or even cardboard paper
Taste
Acidity:Desirable sharp and pleasing taste not an over-fermented sour taste.
Bitterness: Taste considered to be desirable up to a certain level. Bitterness is affected by the degree of roast and brewing method used.
Sweetness:Derived by the solutions of sucrose or fructose, which are associate with sweet aroma such as fruity, chocolate and caramel.
Saltines:Also know as the Umami flavor.
Sourness:excessively sharp, biting and unpleasant flavor. Sometimes associated with the aroma of fermented coffee.
Mouth-feel:
Body: descriptor of the physical properties of the coffee.
Astringency: characteristics of an after-taste, which creates a dry feeling in the mouth. This attribute is undesirable in coffee.
