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What is the Coffee Flavor Wheel? More Than Just a Circle - A Tangible Approach to Understanding Coffee Flavors

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Coffee Flavor Wheel Introduction ~~Acidity~~: The most easily perceived taste by the taste buds, which can indicate the texture of the coffee and the altitude of growth. It may carry some fruit notes (citrus, lemon, berry, etc.), or it may be a pure sensation on the tip of the tongue

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For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Coffee Flavor Wheel

Acidity

The most easily perceived taste by the taste buds, capable of indicating the texture and growing altitude of coffee. It may carry fruity notes (citrus, lemon, berry flavors, etc.), or it could be a pure numbness sensation at the tip of the tongue (sounds like eating unripe, astringent fruit?).

Aftertaste and Finish

The mouthfeel that remains in the mouth, sometimes the lingering aftertaste differs from the coffee's flavor.

Bitterness

Mainly a sensation at the back of the mouth, specifically the soft palate, typically used for appreciating coffee's finish. For very dark roasted strong coffee, bitterness becomes extremely pronounced.

Body

The perception of coffee's texture or the thickness of the liquid in the mouth. A light body means more moisture content, like ripe Arabica coffee, while full-bodied coffee resembles that produced in Sumatra, Java, and most Robusta varieties.

Neutral

Mild coffee with very low acidity, no flavor transformation process during tasting, where all flavors in the coffee blend well together, such as ordinary Brazilian Arabica coffee.

Flawed/Off-Flavor

Rancid, greasy coffee, similar to spoiled nuts or olive oil, with extremely unpleasant flavors.

Salty

One of the four basic taste types, often detected in coffee, also used to indicate the presence of chicory in coffee blends.

Balanced and Uniform

Coffee with uniform blending and good mouthfeel in terms of acidity, body, and aroma.

There are many more flavors that can be briefly summarized. For instance, unpleasant aromas that make you frown: dusty, rubbery, metallic, earthy, musty, pungent, chemical, ashy, tobacco, foul odors, etc.

There are also delightful aromas: sweet, woody, wine-like (makes you want to drink), toasted bread (makes you want to eat), caramel (makes you want to drink), cheesy, nutty, floral, malty, grainy, black currant fruit notes, etc.

How to understand these flavors? The answer is to taste more!

Knowledge Point

The renowned American Counter Culture Coffee launched a new Coffee Tasters Flavor Wheel, a system based on the traditional SCAA version but more contemporary and up-to-date.

About FrontStreet Coffee

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a dedicated coffee research establishment, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unrestrained sharing is purely to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three discount coffee events every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants more friends to enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price—this has been our mission for six years!