Have you ever read “blueberry,” "chocolate," or “cinnamon” on a bag of coffee and wondered what exactly it means? Are those added flavorings? Will it taste just like blueberries or chocolate, and what exactly is meant by "flavor notes"?
Get cozy and let’s embark on a coffee tasting note journey. Here we’ll explore what coffee flavor notes are, where they come from, and what else we look for when tasting or “cupping” our favorite morning brew.
What Are Coffee Tasting Notes?
Coffee tasting, or cupping, is what professional roasters and coffee lovers alike do to evaluate a coffee. The difference is that professionals use standardized forms with ranking systems that the Specialty Coffee Association designed. The rest of us just use coffee tasting notes to describe the natural flavors, aromas, and other sensations we notice when we take a sip of coffee.
People sometimes get confused and think we’re talking about added flavors, like vanilla or hazelnut, that you might find in flavored coffees. But determining coffee tasting notes is entirely different.
Tasting notes are the flavors that develop naturally from the origin (climate, elevation, soils), coffee variety, processing methods used, and roast profile, not from added flavorings.
For example, our certified organic, Fair Trade Mexican Chiapas coffee from our farmer partners at the Cooperativá de Producción Tzeltal-Tzotzil offers smooth cinnamon and brown sugar cupping notes. We don’t add any cinnamon or brown sugar to the beans, nor does it mean it tastes exactly like cinnamon and brown sugar. Those words are sensory descriptions we use to help communicate what the aroma or flavor reminds the taster of.
The Core Qualities to Look For
Whether you're tasting casually or conducting a formal cupping, these are some of the main qualities to look for.
Flavor Notes
Flavor notes may be delicate or obvious, but they describe a resemblance rather than an added ingredient. It may include descriptors like baking spices, chocolate, nuts, florals, or various fruits. So an Ethiopian coffee described as having blueberry notes has hints of blueberry flavor but won’t taste exactly like blueberries.
Acidity
When people hear about acidity in coffee, they sometimes think of sourness like vinegar. But really, all coffee is slightly acidic, and it doesn’t taste anything like vinegar. Acidity in coffee is more about bright flavors, like lively hints of lemon or green apples.
Body
The body refers to how coffee feels in your mouth, including its perceived weight or texture, which can range from light and tea-like in a light roast to creamy and full in a dark roast.
Sweetness (or Bitterness)
When we use “sweetness” in coffee, it doesn’t mean sugary sweet. It’s more about the absence of bitterness and having a smooth taste than about being dessert-like.
We often associate bitterness with dark roasts and over-extraction. Yet, bitterness isn’t inherently unpleasant and can still have perceived sweetness. For instance, it can hint at delicious notes of bittersweet dark chocolate or molasses.
One of the differences between dark vs. medium roasts is that dark roasts often have bittersweet chocolate notes, while medium roasts have notes of sweet chocolate or caramel.
Aroma
The aroma is the smell that wafts up when the coffee meets hot water or when you smell your freshly brewed coffee in your mug.
It shouldn’t be confused with fragrance, which describes the scent of freshly ground coffee. Still, grinding beans fresh is recommended to fully experience the aromas of freshly brewed coffee.
Aftertaste
"Aftertaste" refers to the flavors, aromas, and other sensations that linger on your palate after taking a sip. Dark roasts tend to have more lingering flavors than light roasts.
How to Start Tasting Coffee With Intention
Start With What You Already Know
It’s a good idea to practice tasting with coffees you already know using your usual brew methods. But if you’re new to home brewing, our coffee brewing guide has tips for making excellent coffee.
Freshly Ground Coffee Works Best
And if you really want to taste with intention, freshly roasted whole-bean coffee that you grind yourself is always preferred to capture the fullest and freshest aroma and flavor profile.
Taste it Black
Even if you love cream and sugar, tasting coffee black allows you to taste its inherent flavor profile without added ingredients stealing the show. Of course, after tasting, you can still add cream and sugar.
Also, be sure to taste it hot and again at different temperatures as it cools, since the flavor will change.
Slow Down Your First Sip
Give the first sip a little time and don’t forget to use your senses. First, smell the aroma and see what it reminds you of.
Then slowly sip, paying close attention to your first impressions. Professional tasters sometimes slurp it from a spoon to aerate the coffee and spread it across their palate.
Was it sweet, bright, roasty, fruity, or bitter? Describe the flavor notes those taste sensations remind you of.
Compare Side by Side
To really understand the differences, compare different roasts and origins side by side. Keep a journal and track your observations, and over time you’ll start to notice which flavor notes you enjoy most.
How Origin Shapes What You Taste
Climate, elevation, soils, and sun, known as terroir, all shape how your coffee tastes. Then, the different varieties, farming practices, and processing methods the farmers use also shape the flavors. This is just one of the reasons we always meet the farmers who grow our beans so we can learn directly where their flavor notes originate.
One of the most enjoyable ways to see how origin shapes flavor is to choose single origin coffees and see for yourself.
For instance, our certified organic, Fair Trade Guatemalan coffees from our farmer partners at Asociación Barillense de Agricultores (ASOBAGRI) are known for cocoa, baking spice, and citrus flavor notes.
Or, for more fruit-forward coffees, try our certified organic, Fair Trade Ethiopian coffees from our partners at the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union. These offer flavor notes of blueberry, florals, and citrus with lively acidity and a tea-like body that’s unique compared to most other coffees.
How Roast Level Changes the Picture
Roast level also shapes which qualities stand out in your cup, but keep in mind that the resulting flavors may still vary with the origin.
For instance, light roasts tend to let more origin character through. They often have subtle flavor notes like florals, citrus, or others, depending on the origin and processing methods used. Light roasts also tend to emphasize bright acidity with notes of lemon or green apples, with an often lighter body and a smoother, cleaner, quicker finish.
Then, as you continue roasting, medium roasts tend to balance the notes from the origin with more roast-forward notes like caramel, cocoa, nuts, or baking spices. They tend to have a medium body and may still retain a bit of the bright acidity of a light roast while taking on some of the roasted character of a dark one.
Dark roasts naturally have the most robust roast-forward flavor notes like bittersweet chocolate, toasted nuts, and smoky flavors that start coming through much stronger than notes from the origin. Those roast-forward notes and natural oils tend to produce a fuller body and smoother mouthfeel, with a more muted acidity and a lingering aftertaste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Tasting Notes Mean Flavor Has Been Added to the Coffee?
No, flavor notes in coffee are the naturally occurring flavors in the coffee, not flavors that roasters add afterward. So, when we talk about “blueberry notes," it doesn’t mean blueberries are added or that it tastes just like blueberries, but when you sip it, you can taste hints of blueberry flavor.
Why Can’t I Taste the Notes Listed?
Not everyone tastes all the listed flavor notes because taste is somewhat subjective and develops with time and experience. Also, some notes are incredibly subtle or become more pronounced by specific brewing methods. Finally, freshness and quality typically make more pronounced flavors.
Are Tasting Notes the Same as Cupping Notes?
Yes, cupping notes and tasting notes essentially refer to the same process, though cupping tends to be more standardized and used in the professional tasting realm. Still, both use sensory descriptions to assess the flavor notes, aroma, acidity, body, sweetness, and aftertaste in a cup of coffee.
Start Exploring, One Cup at a Time
Exploring the world of coffee tasting is a lot of fun, but it also helps teach us about what flavors, body, acidity, mouthfeel, and aftertastes we enjoy the most in a coffee.
To get the most out of your taste adventures, start with freshly roasted certified organic, Fair Trade, shade-grown coffees sourced through long-term partnerships with farming cooperatives. You’ll get more information about where your coffee comes from, and you’ll get the freshest roast possible because we always roast to order, so your coffee never sits on a shelf. Then you can learn firsthand how origin and roast shape the flavors in your cup.
