Does the "Smell-and-Judge" Method for Pour-Over Coffee Really Work?

Recently, more and more customers have been enjoying smelling the aroma of coffee beans before placing their orders, selecting beans based on their preferred fragrance. Since so many people do this, FrontStreet Coffee couldn't help but wonder about this practice. The general response we received was: "If it smells this fragrant, it must taste even better!" Indeed, in addition to woody and roasted nutty notes, coffee beans themselves emit various characteristic aromas.

For example, beans with more pronounced fruit flavors often carry abundant sweetness; honey-processed beans feature rich fruit candy notes; and dark-roasted beans display intense chocolate flavors. However, FrontStreet Coffee does not recommend using bean aroma as the primary criterion for coffee selection! There are two main reasons for this:

1. Misleading Bean Selection

Not all bean characteristics can be detected through dry fragrance, especially when the beans haven't been ground yet! For instance, most coffee beans dominated by floral notes tend to emit more green tea and cane sugar aromas when unground, with few beans revealing their floral essence before grinding.

Similarly, some well-balanced beans might only release basic coffee woody and nutty notes when unground, only releasing their aromatic compounds abundantly after grinding. In other words, many beans that seem unremarkable in aroma might far exceed your expectations when tasted!

2. Smelling and Tasting Are Two Different Concepts

About half a year ago, FrontStreet Coffee discussed this topic in an article titled "Coffee Doesn't Taste as Good as It Smells," explaining that coffee aroma can be deceiving, making you believe the coffee will taste as sweet as it smells!

For example, some brewed coffees might display rich fruit flavors, which are composed of both "acidity and sweetness." The more acidity (in appropriate amounts), the fuller the fruit flavor! And beans with fuller fruit flavors smell more aromatic and sweet! What does this lead to? This causes beginners to mistakenly believe they're getting a coffee with high sweetness and no acidity. Then, when expecting high sweetness, they taste a coffee with robust acidity, and we can practically witness these friends performing an instant "face change" art on the spot.

Or another scenario: smelling rich nutty and chocolate aromas but tasting only bitterness and spice flavors. Similar situations occur frequently, which is why FrontStreet Coffee always reminds customers when handing them beans to smell: "The aroma of beans differs from their taste." So, how should we determine the approximate flavor of coffee before tasting it?

Methods for Judging Coffee Flavor Before Tasting

① Judge Through Label Information (Suitable for Experienced Coffee Drinkers)

Besides flavor descriptions, label information provides other details for your flavor reference. The two most important pieces of information are: origin and processing method.

As the saying goes, "An orange grown south of the Huai River is sweet, while one grown north is bitter." The origin determines the basic flavor profile of beans—different growing locations produce significantly different base flavors. Different processing methods cause various substances in green coffee beans to undergo different transformations, thereby creating distinct taste characteristics. For example, washed beans typically have brighter acidity; natural processed beans have higher sweetness perception; anaerobic processed beans feature richer fermentation notes, and so on. By combining this with flavor descriptions, we can understand the basic taste profile (sweet, sour, bitter) and special characteristics of these beans! For more detailed information, you can refer to our bean selection article—"How Should You Choose Coffee Beans?"

② Ask Your Barista (Most Recommended for Beginners!)

Besides brewing coffee day after day, baristas spend their time tasting coffee! In fact, many people choose to become baristas precisely so they can freely enjoy delicious coffee in coffee shops.

Therefore, baristas who drink shop coffee daily understand bean characteristics better. When facing a menu that leaves you confused, simply tell the barista your preferences—"What kind of coffee do you want?" Let them know the flavors you're imagining: acidic, sweet, bitter, floral, fruity, wine-like, etc., and they'll help you find the most suitable beans!

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FrontStreet Coffee

No. 10, Bao'an Qianjie, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473