A Good Coffee

Fragrance - Aromas and Flavors

As with wine, it is possible to detect certain special notes, which can even be categorized. In the context of coffee, probably the best known classification of its smells is in the Aromas and Flavors Wheel, which was created exclusively for the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), according to the various data researched by the team of the renowned French aromaist Jean Lenoir.

The group took into account the aromas and flavors of plants and ready-to-drink beverages from around the world. With that, a first fundamental division of aromas was reached, pointing out three categories: aromas that have an enzymatic nature, those of caramelization of sugars and those that have dry distillation. It is considered that the fragrance can already be verified in the dried coffee powder, but the definitive aroma, as well as the most decisive flavor that coffee offers, must be experienced from the finished beverage.

Light – Floral, Fruity and Herbal

The group of enzymatic balms represents aromas with more volatile notes that come from fermentative or enzymatic processes that are formed during the final phase of fruit maturation or just before drying the beans. These reactions produce some types of alcohols and other substances that, when the drink is ready, leave aromas in the environment that may cause floral, fruity and herbal remnants.

Medium - Caramelized, Nuts and Cereals

This group of aromas presents medium volatility notes, which are reached during the coffee roasting process. As a result, they provide caramel, nutty or cereal aspects.

Intense – Woody and Chocolatey

These are aromas with notes of lesser volatility, resulting from the coffee roasting process in its most intense or final phase, and with that they can give rise to more woody, peppery or chocolatey (cocoa) aromas.

Texture and Body - Smooth or Full-bodied

A simple way to understand what coffee “body” is: when you taste it, and it tastes like water, your coffee probably doesn't have enough body. The perfect coffee should have just the right balance of viscosity and weight, and it should roll on your tongue like velvet. If it leaves your tongue and you feel like you haven't had a drink, you're probably unlucky with your coffee.

The full-bodied presence that coffee brings in the mouth is characterized by two factors: roasting and extraction. A full-bodied coffee will be thick and dense. A lighter, smoother coffee will be more fluid.

Balance and Taste - Acidity, Sweetness and Bitterness

A high-quality coffee must balance acidity, sweetness and bitterness in a single gulp, with a smooth, complex and nuanced flavor. Some main features are:

Acidity is characterized by the solution of an organic acid present in coffee. It is a desirable, strong and pleasant flavor, present in several fruits (such as oranges, pineapples, apples), but it cannot be confused with a very acidic vegetable or cupric taste.

Bitterness is a primary taste, characterized by the solution of caffeine, quinine and some other alkaloids. This taste is considered desirable to a certain extent, and is affected by the degree of roasting more intensely during caramelization.

Sweetness is the basic flavor, characterized by sucrose or fructose solutions, which are commonly associated with aromas such as fruity, chocolatey or caramelized. It is generally used to describe coffees that are free of external flavors. Even the most acidic and strong coffees can be delicious and refreshing if there is a balanced mix with sweetness.

Sourness describes an excess of unpleasant flavor (such as vinegar or acetic acid), and is often related to the aroma of brewed coffee. Tasters have to be careful not to confuse this term with acidity (which is generally considered a desirable taste in coffee).