Coffee flavor wheel for beginners

Coffee tastes of more than coffee. Berries, flowers, chocolate or smoke can all turn up in a cup with nothing added.

Fruity Floral Sweet Nutty Spicy Roasty Tea-like Taste

Tap a slice to read more

Fruity and bright

Berries or citrus, with a tang like juice.

Often found in

  • Natural-process beans
  • Ethiopian naturals, think blueberry
  • Kenya, bright with blackcurrant
Light vs dark roastArabica vs robusta

A simplified wheel, inspired by the SCA/WCR Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel. Tendencies only: process and roast change the cup.

How to taste these flavors

Start with black coffee, nothing added. Take a sip and name the nearest food: citrus, caramel, nuts or black tea. Then brew a second coffee from another country and taste the two side by side. Ethiopian and Brazilian coffee usually land on different slices. Two cups that far apart make the easiest start.

Why the same bean tastes different

The same bean can taste very different. Processing comes before roasting. Washed beans give the clearest taste of origin. Naturals bring more fruit. Honey process adds sweetness. Then the roast. A light roast keeps the fruit and flowers of the origin. A dark roast covers them with smoke. Then the brew. More coffee per water makes a stronger cup.

Questions people ask

Does coffee really taste like blueberries?

Some does. Natural-process Ethiopian coffee is the classic example. The taste comes from the bean, the way it was dried and a light roast.

Why does my coffee taste bitter or burnt?

Check the roast first. Dark roasts are oily and smoky, with pronounced bitterness. Robusta beans also taste more bitter than arabica. Try a lighter roast, or a bag marked arabica.

Is this the SCA coffee flavor wheel?

No. The SCA and World Coffee Research wheel has three rings. Its inner ring holds nine categories. This site's wheel is a separate design with seven slices in plain words.

Sources

  1. Sensory lexicon World Coffee Research
  2. The Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel poster SCA
  3. Creating the coffee flavor wheel (Spencer et al. 2016) Journal of Food Science
  4. The flavor wheel Coffeester
  5. Coffee flavor wheel The Coffee Folk
  6. Washed, natural and honey processing 101 Perfect Daily Grind
  7. How processing affects coffee chemistry and flavour Perfect Daily Grind
  8. Everything you need to know about honey processing Perfect Daily Grind
  9. Roasts National Coffee Association
  10. Coffee regions of the world National Coffee Association
  11. Coffee origins guide Online Coffee Guide
  12. How coffee flavour varies by country Klatch Coffee
  13. A guide to coffee flavours from 16 countries Icosa Brewhouse
  14. Monsooned coffee Sweet Maria's
  15. Coffea canephora Wikipedia