Is Coffee Flavor the Same as the Aroma of Ground Coffee Beans? How to Describe Coffee Taste

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Introduction

Recently, FrontStreet Coffee's barista was asked by a customer during a conversation: "Is coffee flavor the same as coffee aroma? Why can't I smell the flavors described in the flavor notes?" In a previous article, FrontStreet Coffee discussed how to improve one's judgment of coffee taste. This article continues from that discussion, exploring the composition of coffee flavor and how we should describe coffee flavor when tasting a cup of coffee.

Coffee Flavor Composition = Volatile Aroma + Water-Soluble Taste + Mouthfeel

Volatile Compounds — Aroma

What we can immediately smell after grinding coffee is its volatile aroma. The aroma presents itself in sequence according to the molecular weight of the compounds. The first to appear are light molecular weight aromas, such as jasmine, ginger flower, citrus, strawberry, etc.; followed by medium molecular weight aromas, such as hazelnut, almond, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, etc.; and finally, heavy molecular weight aromas, such as burnt aroma, pine resin, etc. Generally, heavy molecular weight odors only appear in dark roasted coffee beans.

With this sequence of appearance, light molecular weight aromas continuously dissipate outward. Therefore, when experiencing the dry aroma of coffee, you can try changing the distance between your nose and the coffee powder (of course, not too far away) to experience the changes in coffee dry aroma from far to near.

The dry aroma mentioned above refers to aromatic substances that can volatilize at room temperature, while others require high temperatures to volatilize, which we call wet aroma. When coffee powder comes into contact with hot water at a suitable temperature, the dry aroma has also volatilized, and some aroma compounds that dissolve in water will dissipate with the steam. This is also why we experience different aromas when smelling wet aroma compared to dry aroma.

Water-Soluble Compounds — Taste

What we can taste in coffee is the taste of water-soluble substances in coffee, namely sourness, sweetness, bitterness, and saltiness. Our tongues only perceive these sour, sweet, bitter, and salty sensations. Any feelings that can be associated with specific items are not data transmitted to the brain by taste.

Many people think that the citrus acidity and honey sweetness experienced after entering the mouth are tasted directly. In fact, when coffee enters the mouth and is catalyzed by saliva, the aromatic molecules hidden in the coffee oils are released and enter the nasal cavity through the oral-nasopharyngeal passage, creating an olfactory experience. When the olfactory sense perceives these aromas, it transmits them to the brain to find similar taste memories, thus telling us whether it's citrus or honey.

Oral Sensation — Mouthfeel

Coffee mouthfeel descriptions are mainly divided into thickness and astringency.

"Thickness" should be distinguished from "concentration." Concentration is determined by the proportion of soluble components in the coffee and belongs to taste perception; while thickness is the perception of oils and fibers that are insoluble in water in coffee, belonging to tactile sensation. Thickness changes with the degree of coffee roasting. The lighter the roast, the less oil, the lighter the mouthfeel; the darker the roast, the more oil, the smoother the mouthfeel, creating a tongue-coating sensation.

Astringency, on the other hand, is the opposite of smoothness; it refers to the rough sensation experienced in the mouth. Astringency mainly comes from the tactile sensation of chlorogenic acid in coffee through degradation during roasting. The quality of coffee green beans determines the amount of chlorogenic acid, and too light roasting can easily cause green, astringent tastes in coffee beans. Additionally, small amounts of tartaric acid in coffee are also sources of astringency.

Describing Coffee Flavor = Dry and Wet Aroma + Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Salty + Smoothness and Astringency

Taking FrontStreet Coffee's Brazilian Queen Estate coffee beans as an example, the aroma after grinding the coffee beans is that of dark chocolate. After pouring 88°C hot water, what follows is the burnt aroma of roasted nuts. The first sensation upon entering the mouth is slight acidity, with bitterness followed by a sweet aftertaste. As the aroma enters the nasal cavity, one senses the aroma of fermented fruits, roasted peanuts, and the fresh scent of sucrose. When the coffee passes over the tongue, it has a creamy smoothness that creates a full sensation in the mouth.

After "identification" through smell and taste, FrontStreet Coffee's barista will combine the above experiences and simplify them to describe the flavor of Brazilian Queen Estate coffee beans, resulting in the final flavor notes: peanut cream, sucrose, dark chocolate, fermented fruits.

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Important Notice :

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