Flavor Wheel and the Sensory Lexicon
Besides being a go-to guide for what you are likely to find when you are sipping and slurping, the Flavor Wheel is also categorized in a way that novice tasters can use to explore from broad flavors in the middle to gradually more specific as you work your way out. Does the coffee taste fruity? What kind of fruit? A Berry? What kind of berry? Blueberry! The same can be done with any of nine broad categories working your way to more and more specific flavors as you develop your sensory skills.
Here at CoLabOps we teach Barista, we teach Roasting, we teach Brewing, but the one thing that we teach that runs through all of these is: We Teach Sensory!
Sensory is the common thread with all the coffee skills that we teach because if we haven’t honed our palate, if we don’t know how to taste critically, honestly, and in an organized manner then it’s almost impossible to find the flavors and executions we are looking for in our coffees.
Fortunately for us, many intelligent & organized people have done a lot of work ahead of us to make our lives easier. One of the most powerful tools these palate pioneers have bequeathed is the SCA Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel.
The Specialty Coffee Association’s Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel.
Initially launched in 1995 and evolved to its current state in 2016, the Flavor Wheel is your one-stop shop for commonly agreed upon attributes that can be found in specialty coffee, observed in the U.S.
Besides being a go-to guide for what you are likely to find when you are sipping and slurping, the Flavor Wheel is also categorized in a way that novice tasters can use to explore from broad flavors in the middle to gradually more specific as you work your way out. Does the coffee taste fruity? What kind of fruit? A Berry? What kind of berry? Blueberry! The same can be done with any of nine broad categories working your way to more and more specific flavors as you develop your sensory skills.
From the WCR Sensory Lexicon - The Blueberry reference is the slightly dark, fruity, sweet, slightly sour, musty, dusty, floral aromatic associated with blueberry. These definitions are one of the great advantages of using this tool. Check out this Instagram page for a nice reference.
But how do we define these flavors?
The World Coffee Research organization had the same question and worked with The Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University and thus was born the Sensory Lexicon. The Lexicon is a comprehensive list of 110 flavors, textures, and aromas present in coffee with specific and easily obtainable references (in the US, anyway).
The flavor wheel as a tool, however efficient and organized it is, can be daunting, and this is why we love to take the time to acquire as many of these references as possible and create a tasting experience along with a cross section of coffees with similar attributes.
Our Exploring the flavor class will offer a chance to do just that, in a laid back and conversational environment with our skilled. team as well as a group of peers looking to dive into the world of sensory without needing to be a sommelier.
Workshop held at Bluekoff Thailand
It’s all in the process.
In coffee, what does the process have to do with anything?
Raised drying beds and a green house at Nine One Organic Coffee Farm on Doi Saket, Chiang Mai, Thailand
In coffeeworld, we use the term “Process” to describe various methods by which harvested fruit from a coffee plant is further transformed into the GREEN seed that is either doomed OR destined to be further alchemized by our agents.
From seed to tree to cherry, pulped or dried , washed and fermented, dried and hulled, stacked by the hundreds into a metal cocoon and whisked across the globe. Once again they hatch from their burlap chrysalis and undergo yet another dance of changes, oscillating within flames where flavors both apparate and escape.
By Means of fire and various thermokinetic manipulations we coax these would-be trees into a potent potentiality potion. A dark pool, resting and whispering steam into the skies, that has discernable characteristics beyond ”Coffee “ is the result of many intentional yet mysterious transformative moments..
A mug of freshly hand-brewed dry-processed coffee from Nine One Coffee.
The dance continues. Tumultuous relief when seeds we call “beans” are broken into 1,000,000 pieces by Zen like metal. A feast for olfaction. Those nearby know this smell and adore it, what was the name from that nose tickle? Oh yes COFFEE!
It doesn’t stop at that, from the soil of a far off land, one person with or without a plan has engaged in intentional manipulation, taking the time to slowly coax with the true nature of the seeds , the songs that they want to sing, harmonizing with the sun and the soil, a perfect red cherry plucked at it’s most resonant hue. When we slow down and take a moment to not just glug the dark movement mixture that baptizes our 9-5, but to sip the vivid harmony of that just So.
When we speak of process our agents tend to speak from a technical standpoint. They talk about a very specific stage of a coffee’s journey. The point at which a farmer, or a coven of farmers, or a benevolent tree god decides the flavor fate of the seed in question. Without further fermenting this thought I’d like to provide a brief overview of 3 of the most common methods for this fundamental aspect of a coffees actualization. All of which start with picking the ripest fruit from the tree.
Wet mill located at Nine One Farm uses the natural flow of the nearby river to operate the machine.
Washed Process-
aka wet, parchment dried
Fruit is removed by running the cherries through a wet mill, typically within 24 hours of harvest. Next, fermentation occurs in a tank for up to 72 hours. Various types of agitation and floating occur to remove seeds and other materials with less than ideal density (floaters) and to fully clean the surface of the GREEN coffee. Coffee is then sent to take a little nap and rest in parchment, a protective layer like a peanut shell, before it is ready to take its next adventure on it’s way to a roaster near you!
Check out our coffee from Nine One for sale here.
Attributes- Clean and Sweet/Floral and fruity/bright Citric or Malic Acidity
The man, the legend, Nine One with his washed coffee.
Natural Process-
aka dry, fruit-dried, the original process
Ripe Cherries are harvested and then spread upon either a patio or a raised bed which may result in a higher quality coffee. Coffees will dry for up to 30 days, with meticulous monitoring, movement, and management by the farm team. The dried fruit is hulled off when the ideal moisture level is reached, and much like it’s rub-a-dub buddy the washed coffee, it is sent to take a little slumber for up to 90 days before it begins it’s next adventure.
Attributes- Berries/Wine/Funky/Syrupy Body/Acetic Acidity
Honey-
aka pulp natural, mucilage dried, black/yellow/red honey
The coffee fruit is put through a wet mill where water runs over it and the mill squeezes the seeds out of the fruit. The fruit is separated from the seeds for compost. Through the flow of water in this process, varying levels of mucilage (sticky fruit layer) are allowed to remain on the seed and dry with it as it ferments. Different amounts of mucilage are usually given different names like black honey, red honey, and yellow honey.
Attributes-Fruity/Carmel/Stone Fruits/Smooth Body
Honey processed coffee fermenting with some of the sticky-fruit layer still attached.
Our roasted Coffees from Honduras were produced by the same Farmer on the same land and with the same varieties, the difference being purely in the process. If you are interested in learning more about how process can affects the flavor of coffee first hand check out our offerings from Juan Adolfo
Words from the mysterious cast of coffeeTRON
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Words from the mysterious cast of coffeeTRON 〰️
ARTO- Processing is all about the farmers and the magic of the land, it’s the story they tell of their through a cherry and how it which is aligns with their hearts.
CYRUS- Coffee Processing is a fascinating technique through which farmers and mill operators practice scientific rigor in order to achieve specific results.
HOGAN- Farmers can and should achieve maximum profits by effective use of processing techniques and also growing high yielding high caffeine crops like Robusta! I love the extra caffeine Kick!
PHONIE- PROCESSING…
HOMEBODY-I don’t know much about coffee processing tbh, but I know that I like the way Natural process coffees Taste. Especially in my French press!
BIV- Coffee Farmers are Artistes! Processing is just another tool in their arsenal in which they can shape this world and create more aesthetic bliss.