tags: [] - coffee/tasting - coffee/sensory aliases: - Coffee flavour vocabulary - Core coffee descriptors - Coffee flavour terms

Flavour Palette¶

Tags: #coffee/tasting #coffee/sensory Aliases: Coffee flavour vocabulary, Core coffee descriptors, Coffee flavour terms Related: Sensory Science MOC | SCA Flavour Wheel | WCR Sensory Lexicon | Cupping Protocol | Flavour Memory Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

A flavour palette is the set of core descriptors used consistently across tasting notes, origin profiles, and quality assessments. In specialty coffee, descriptors are drawn from the SCA Coffee Taster's Flavour Wheel and the WCR Sensory Lexicon, organised into families that mirror the wheel's structure: fruity, sweet, floral, nutty/cocoa, spice, and roasted. Alongside these flavour-specific terms, four structural attributes — sweetness, acidity, body, and aftertaste — provide the evaluative framework common to cupping scoresheets.

Fruity Descriptors¶

Fruity notes are the most varied flavour family in specialty coffee and are particularly prominent in high-quality washed and natural process coffees.

Descriptor	Character
Citrus	Bright, zesty acidity; lemon, lime, or orange; sharp and refreshing
Lemon	Clean, tart citrus; high, almost sparkling acidity
Orange	Sweet, round citrus; less sharp than lemon, more juicy than sour
Red berry	Strawberry or raspberry; sweet-tart, jammy brightness
Dark berry	Blackberry or blackcurrant; deeper, winey fruit with slight tannin
Stone fruit	Peach, nectarine, or apricot; soft, juicy sweetness with gentle acidity
Dried fruit	Raisin, date, or fig; dense, chewy sweetness with a hint of oxidation

Sweet and Sugar-Browning Descriptors¶

These descriptors arise primarily from the Maillard reaction and caramelisation during roasting.

Descriptor	Character
Caramel	Cooked sugar sweetness; smooth, buttery, toffee-like
Butterscotch	Rich, buttery caramel with a creamy feel
Honey	Light, floral sweetness with a soft, coating mouthfeel
Molasses	Dark, heavy sweetness; treacle, liquorice, slightly bitter edge
Brown sugar	Round, mellow sweetness with faint molasses depth

Floral Descriptors¶

Floral notes are driven by terpene and terpene alcohol compounds, most concentrated in Ethiopian heirlooms and Gesha varieties.

Descriptor	Character
Floral (generic)	Lightly floral without a specific flower character
Jasmine	High, sweet, perfumed floral; typical of washed Ethiopian and Gesha
Rose	Soft, sweet floral with a slightly rich, perfumed character

Nutty and Cocoa Descriptors¶

Nutty and cocoa notes are characteristic of medium-roasted coffees from Brazil and Central America.

Descriptor	Character
Nutty	Peanut or hazelnut-like; dry, toasty, lightly sweet
Almond	Soft, marzipan-like nuttiness; slightly sweet, dry finish
Milk chocolate	Sweet, creamy cocoa; low bitterness
Dark chocolate	Rich cocoa with noticeable bitterness and low sweetness
Cocoa powder	Dry, dusty chocolate; more bitter than sweet

Spice Descriptors¶

Spice notes appear primarily in medium and dark roasts and in some naturally processed coffees.

Descriptor	Character
Brown spice	Baking spices — cinnamon, clove, or nutmeg; warm and sweet-leaning
Cinnamon	Sweet, woody spice; classic baked goods aroma
Clove	Pungent, warming spice; slightly medicinal edge

Roasted and Fermented Descriptors¶

These descriptors mark heavier roast development or fermentation influence.

Descriptor	Character
Toasted	Lightly browned bread or nuts; gentle roast character
Roasty	Strongly roasted flavour; char, dark toast, approaching smoky
Smoky	Campfire or smoke character; typically from very dark roasting
Winey	Red wine-like acidity and fruit; tangy, sometimes slightly boozy

Structural Attributes¶

The following four terms describe cup structure rather than specific flavour families. They appear on all standard cupping scoresheets and are used across every coffee evaluation.

Attribute	Description
Sweetness	Perceived sugar-like quality; independent of any sugar added
Acidity	Bright, lively sensation; can be citrusy, malic (apple-like), or tart
Body	Sense of weight and texture; ranges from tea-like and light to creamy and syrupy
Aftertaste	Flavours that linger after swallowing; assessed for length and quality (clean, sweet, dry, or bitter)

Key Facts¶

Specialty coffee flavour vocabulary is organised into six primary families on the SCA Flavour Wheel: fruity, sweet, floral, nutty/cocoa, spice, and roasted
Four structural attributes (sweetness, acidity, body, aftertaste) form the evaluative framework across all cupping methods
Terpene-driven floral notes (jasmine, rose) are most prominent in Ethiopian heirlooms and Gesha; they are lost at medium-dark and dark roast
Sweet and sugar-browning descriptors (caramel, honey, brown sugar) arise from Maillard and caramelisation reactions during roasting
Consistent descriptor use across a project or team requires calibration against physical reference standards from the WCR Sensory Lexicon

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-05-03	Compliance review: added frontmatter, metadata block, all required sections; removed navigation link header; removed inline citation markers; removed project usage note; converted glossary bullet lists to comparison tables; moved source URLs to References section; added copyright

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