Professional Tasting

A day in the life of a professional taster resembles this: a party of tasters settle around a circular table equipped with a rotating plate; they then sip coffee from white porcelain cups. Not a bad gig.

Basic Vocabulary

Between sipping, swishing, and spitting, the professional coffee taster will describe his taste experience using many terms from the coffee connoisseur's lexicon. Three key terms return frequently: acidity, flavour, and body.

Acidity	When speaking of a fine coffee, this term can denote a pleasurable bitterness. It adds life to the cup, accentuating the characteristic flavour of the particular coffee. Coffee with little acidity will be mild, even soft, while a coffee with no acidity will taste flat and stale.
Flavour	Flavour is the perception of the aromatic elements once the coffee is in one's mouth; the term also includes the specific tastes that are found in the coffee: it might be spicy, taste nutty, etc.
Body	Body is related to the density of the liquid, to the texture of the coffee, and the aftertaste. Thus, we can speak of a hard or a full-bodied coffee.

A Balanced Coffee

To say whether a coffee is balanced, one must consider the coffee's body, the aromas it releases, and the flavours that it contains. A good coffee succeeds in offering a balanced harmony among these factors.

Most Frequently Used Words

Here is a basic list of the words most frequently used to describe a coffee's flavour, aroma, and body. Before your first tasting session, familiarize yourself with this terminology. With these words in mind, you will have an easier time describing your coffee.

Acidity - Abrupt - Acrid - Aroma - Astringent - Balanced - Bitter - Bland - Bouquet - Caramelly - Chocolaty - Complex - Creamy - Earthy - Fragrance - Flat - Full - Fruity - Grassy - Harsh - Muddy - Musty - Rich - Rough - Rubbery - Soft - Spicy - Suave - Watery - Wild