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 Here
is a collection of terms that are used to describe coffee
liquors. These terms are used by all areas of the coffee industry
from growers to brokers, roasters and coffee outlets. By
describing particular characteristics or attributes using these
terms all sectors of the industry talk the same coffee language
that can be recognised the world over.
Acidity and body are the most used qualities when assessing a
coffee. Each of these terms are then broken down into three
grades; low or weak, medium, good or strong.
 Tasting (liquoring) sessions would normally be carried out on ten
or more samples.
A sample of the green beans, roasted coffee and a cup from the
roast is prepared. During the liquoring process the taster checks
the bean samples before taking a mouthful of the cup sample. This
is firstly rolled to the back of the palate before being flushed
around the rest of the mouth. The mouthful is then spat into a
spittoon before making the comments and judgments and moving onto
the next coffee. The coffee is tasted black and not too hot.
Liquoring can be fun to try at home, but should be limited to 4
or 5 coffees for obvious reasons.
ACIDITY: A sharp and pleasing characteristic
particularly strong with certain origins. As opposed to a caustic
overfermented sour or bitter flavour.
BODY: A strong full pleasant characteristic as
opposed to being thin, not necessarily with acid.
BITTER: Usually caused by over-roasting.
COARSE: A raspy harsh flavour, lacking in
finesse.
ERPSIG: A potato flavour.
EARTHY: A groundy, wet earth flavour after
storage with damaged coffees.
FINE: A coffee with distinct quality
characteristics such as acid, body etc.
FIREY: A bitter charcoal taste generally due to
over roasting.
FLAT: A lifeless coffee lacking in any acidity.
FULL: A prefix to good characteristics such as
acid and body, to indicate a strong character.
FRUITY: A strong over-ripe characteristic
prevalent in coffees left too long in the cherry.
GRASSY: A greenish grassy or greenish flavour
particularly strong with early crop Arabicas that have been
picked prematurely.
HARSH: A hard raspy often-caustic flavour
sometimes described as Rioy.
MELLOW: A rounded smooth taste but lacking in
acidity.
MUDDY: A dull indistinct and thickish flavour
can be due to grounds being agitated.
MUSTY: A flavour often due to poor storage,
especially with Robustas. Can be due to lack of sufficient drying
and ageing or
overheating. Mustiness due to age is not undesirable.
NEUTRAL: An insignificant liquor not distinct in
any powerful main flavours. Usually a good blender.
POINT: A fine acidy sharpness.
RANK: A dirty unpleasant flavour due mainly to
contamination or over-fermentation.
RICH: An overall lively full-bodied flavour.
RUBBERY: Mainly prevalent in Robustas especially
Indonesians.
SMOOTH: A full body but low acid coffee.
SOFT: A well rounded flavour lacking any
harshness or acidity.
SOUR: A sharp excessively acidic biting flavour.
SWEET: A nice clean soft coffee free of any
harshness.
THIN: A flat lifeless coffee lacking any body or
acidity which can be caused if it is underbrewed.
WILD: A gamey flavour often in Ethiopian
coffees.
WINEY: Rich rounded full-bodied coffee with a
smoothness characteristic of well-matured red wine. A flavour
which is prevalent with Colombians.
WOODY: A hard woodlike flavour often due to old
coffee, which has been stored too long as green bean.
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