Coffee Flavor Wheel HD Download - What is the Coffee Flavor Wheel? How Many Flavors in the Chinese Version? SCA Flavor Wheel Description

In addition to drinking more, smelling more, and feeling more, systematically learning the classification of coffee aromas is also a significant shortcut to enhancing flavor perception. The coffee flavor wheel, as an authoritative coffee flavor guide, can help beginners better identify the aromas emanating from coffee. When used properly, we can significantly improve our flavor perception ability simply by drinking more coffee. Therefore, today FrontStreet Coffee will guide everyone through how to understand the "Coffee Flavor Wheel"!

Before reading this article, FrontStreet Coffee recommends that friends first read "Is Coffee Flavor Mysticism?" (today's headline article). As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Only by first understanding what flavor is can we better absorb these methods for organizing flavor attributes. The coffee flavor wheel used this time is a completely new version launched in 2016! It was created when the SCAA organized experts from various fields to analyze and test 105 different samples from 13 coffee-producing countries, ultimately compiling the perceived flavors into the "World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon" as the foundation for the new coffee flavor wheel. Then, a team from the University of California, Davis adapted it using sensory and statistical methods, with 72 experts sorting the flavor attributes in the lexicon. What we ultimately obtained is this colorful new version of the coffee flavor wheel.

This version of the flavor wheel is more detailed and easier to understand than the original version. Everyone can first briefly review the structure and flavor distribution of this flavor wheel. However, we need to note that what the flavor wheel can do is merely help us organize the flavor attributes of coffee and find methods to identify flavors. We cannot completely blindly follow the specific flavors described on the flavor wheel. Although these flavors all appear in coffee, we have not necessarily encountered all the food items. Conversely, these experts may not have encountered all the foods we have experienced.

If we haven't tasted these foods, then even if the coffee contains these types of flavors, we won't be able to perceive them. Therefore, relatively speaking, the organizational function that the flavor wheel provides us is more important! Well, then next, FrontStreet Coffee will help everyone understand how to read this flavor wheel!

Finding Flavor Relationships in Coffee within the Flavor Wheel

As you can see, the entire flavor wheel is divided into three rings: inner ring, middle ring, and outer ring. The inner ring contains the main categories, equivalent to a table of contents in a book. It has nine main categories: Fruity, Fermented, Vegetative, Roasted, Spices, Nutty, Sweet, Floral, and Other.

The middle ring is the secondary subdivision of the inner ring, further breaking down the major categories. For example, the Fruity category is subdivided into: Citrus, Dried Fruit, Berry, and Other Fruits; the Roasted category is subdivided into: Burnt, Grainy, Tobacco, and Pipe Tobacco.

The outermost ring is a further subdivision of the middle ring, which directly specifies individual items. For example, the Floral category in the middle ring is subdivided into: Chamomile, Rose, Jasmine; the Berry category is subdivided into Blackberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Strawberry.

Then, when we drink coffee, we can use the flavor wheel to train our senses! Learn to identify specific flavors in coffee according to the flavor wheel's classification. Let's take a simple example: suppose we taste acidity in a cup of coffee. At this point, we don't immediately identify the specific flavor, but rather determine what type of acidity it is. Is it fruit-type acidity or fermented-type acidity? If you determine it's fruit-type, then we move to the fruit category in the middle ring and follow the same pattern to find the corresponding middle ring item: if this acidity is very lively and pleasant in aroma, then it's likely citrus-type acidity; whereas if this acidity has obvious sweetness and a slight fermented sensation, then it might be dried fruit-type acidity.

Finally, we determine the flavor's origin. Based on the aroma characteristics combined with the overall taste of the coffee, we judge which food this flavor belongs to. For example, in the citrus category, there are lime, lemon, orange, and grapefruit. When actually tasting these fruits, we can clearly feel the differences between them. However, in coffee, due to the lower aroma threshold, it's difficult to judge, so we need to find characteristics to make the final identification.

Using Color Associations from the Flavor Wheel

Not only is it rigorous in terms of flavor, but this version of the flavor wheel also carefully selects colors corresponding to each flavor. The color scheme was精心 crafted by the London creative agency One Darnley Road to help people better establish connections with flavors. For example, seeing white makes people think of white jasmine flowers, while pink makes people think of roses.

In addition to associations, we can also see the distinction between good and bad flavors from the colors. For example, in the flavor wheel, blue, gray, and dark green are cold colors that tend to reduce appetite! In the flavor wheel, the flavors they correspond to are mostly negative flavors.

Distances Between Flavors

If you observe carefully, you'll notice that the distances between flavors are not consistently the same. Some gaps are wide, while others are narrow. For example, both belonging to the nutty category, the interval between hazelnut and almond is relatively close, while the interval between peanut and hazelnut is relatively distant; or, both belonging to the brown sugar category, the interval between maple and syrup is relatively close, while the interval between maple and caramel is relatively distant. From this, we can see the degree of similarity between flavors.

Well, the above is all the content shared by FrontStreet Coffee this time. As before, the flavor wheel can only help us organize the connections between flavors in coffee; it cannot immediately help you acquire flavor identification skills. The most important thing still relies on your own efforts to drink more, smell more, and feel more! After all, only through thousands of hammerings can steel be forged, and only through perseverance can one achieve success~

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