Coffee Glossary

The pleasant tartness of a fine coffee, often referred to as brightness or liveliness that carries the high notes of flavor in a coffee.

The smell that is released from freshly ground coffee (dry aroma) and from freshly brewed coffee.

A tasting term applied to coffee for which no single characteristic overwhelms the others, yet the coffee displays sufficient complexity to be interesting.

A term used to describe coffee with no discernible defects in its flavor.

A term describing coffees whose favors layer pleasurably, giving the impression of depth and resonance.

A taste characteristic found primarily in coffee from Sumatra and Sulawesi in which wet coffee has come into contact with earth during drying.

The sensory  experience of coffee just as it is swallowed.

Flavor is what distinguishes the sensory experience of coffee once its acidity, body and aroma have been described.

Light brown in color, this roast is generally preferred for milder coffee varieties. There will be no oil on the surface of these beans because they are not roasted long enough for the oils to break through to the surface.

• Light City
• Half City
• Cinnamon

This roast is medium brown in color with a stronger flavor and a non-oily surface. It’s often referred to as the American roast because it is generally preferred in the United States.

• City
• American
• Breakfast

Rich, dark color, this roast has some oil on the surface and with a slight bittersweet aftertaste.

• Full City 

This roast produces shiny black beans with an oily surface and a pronounced bitterness. The darker the roast, the less acidity will be found in the coffee beverage.  Dark roast coffees run from slightly dark to charred, and the names are often used interchangeably — be sure to check your beans before you buy them!

• High
• Continental
• New Orleans
• European
• Espresso
• Viennese
• Italian
• French