Coffee Class

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Coffee Glossary

Acidity

The brightness of a coffee. A pleasant sweetness or snap.

Aftertaste

The sensation of flavor on the palette after swallowing.

American Roast

A light cinnamon brown color, no oil development; generally has a pronounced nut like flavor. Also called Cinnamon Roast.

Arabica

Common name for Coffea arabica, one of two principal species of coffee. Arabica accounts for approximately 75% of world coffee production.

Aroma

The fragrance or odor perceived by the nose. The volatile components released from brewed coffee.

Blending

Combining two or more coffees to achieve a desired result.

Body

The perception of weight and texture in the mouth.

Bright

A term used to define the intensity and quality of acidity.

Buttery

A coffee whose full flavor and oily mouthfeel bring to mind the rich smoothness of butter.

Cafe au lait

Equal portions of brewed coffee and milk.

Cafe Bianco

Very lightly roasted Arabica coffee used in espresso-style drinks to add caffeine and a nutty flavor. Ancora's White Zombie drinks feature Cafe Bianco. Literally means White Coffee.

Cafe Latte

Espresso combined with creamy steamed milk.

Caffeine

An odorless, white, crystalline alkaloid that stimulates the central nervous system. It occurs naturally in coffee and is soluble in water.

Cappuccino

Coffee beverage made from espresso, steamed milk and topped with wet foam. Ancora’s is 2 parts steamed milk, 1 part espresso.

Carbon Dioxide

A gas (CO2) formed in the cells of the coffee bean as a natural by-product of the roasting process.

Cellulose

Fibrous plant tissue constituting the major parts of the cell walls of the coffee bean; accounts for approximately 75 % of the bean’s total weight.

Chaff

The remains of silver skin on green coffee beans that are released during roasting.

Cherry

The fruit of the coffee tree.

Chocolatey

Bringing to mind the richness and sweetness of high-quality chocolate.

Cinnamon Roast

A light cinnamon brown color, no oil development; generally has a pronounced nut like flavor. Also known as American Roast.

Clean

Coffee whose flavors are clear and untainted.

Decaffeinated

Coffee with at least 97 % of its caffeine removed.

Delicate

Very subtle flavors.

Direct

Method by which chemical substances are applied directly to green coffee beans to dissolve extract caffeine.

Dry Process

The method of processing by which ripe coffee cherries fully dry in the sun on large patios or in a mechanical dryer. The dry cherries are then passed through a husker/huller, which removes the dried pulp and parchment covering to expose the beans.

Earthy

An earthy or musty, though not necessarily unpleasant flavor.

Estate

A farm or finca where coffee is grown; an area within a region, also referring to the government controlled coffee farms of certain countries.

Espresso

A coffee beverage created by pressurized extraction from finely ground coffee. So named because it is made expressly for the customer.

Finish

Closely related to flavor, this is the ‘after taste’ or the final flavors lingering after the coffee is swallowed.

Flavor

The combined sensation of aromatic and taste compounds perceived by the senses of taste and smell.

Floral

Having a subtle aroma or flavor pleasantly reminiscent of flowers.

Flavor

Organic and inorganic materials that create coffee’s characteristics, either by evaporating into aroma or dissolving in to liquids.

French Roast

Very dark brown in color with oily surface; pungent and smoky in flavor and aroma.

Freshness

The retention of aromatic and taste characteristics, attributed to proper packaging materials and storage method.

Fruity

Coffee whose aroma or flavor is reminiscent of fruit. This is generally considered a positive attribute.

Full City Roast

A roast point that's dark brown in color with some oil development on the bean.

Grading

Classifying coffees according to altitude, botanical variety, processing method, density, size of bean, cup quality, color, bean imperfections, or the presence of foreign matter. Each producing country establishes its grading standards.

Green

Coffee that tastes sharp or herbaceous, usually resulting from too-early harvesting or under roasting.

High Grown

Coffees grown at elevations of 2000 to 4000 feet above sea level. (HG)

Hulling

The removal of parchment from the coffee cherry.

Indirect

Method by which hot water extracts caffeine from green coffee beans, and the water is then drawn off and treated with a chemical to remove the caffeine.

Italian (Vienna)

Varies by location. Typically lighter than a French Roast on the US West Coast and darker than a French Roast on the East

Lifeless

Lacking in acidity due to under brewing or staleness

Methylene Chloride

A chemical capable of dissolving and extracting caffeine directly from green coffee beans or from the water in which they soak.

Mellow

Smooth and well-rounded in flavor, with moderate acidity

Milling

The process of removing the parchment silver skin from the coffee bean.

Monsooned

Green beans that have been dry-processed and exposed to the humid monsoon winds of India, causing them to absorb moisture, swell, and change to a light brown color.

Mouthfeel

The perception of the tactile sensations on the palate.

Mucilage

The thin, slippery (polysaccharide) coating on freshly pulped coffee.

Natural Process

See Dry Process.

Nutty

Having an aroma or flavor reminiscent of roasted nuts; a distinctive attribute in many quality New World coffees.

Origin

Referring to a coffee from a single country

Parchment

A papery covering over the coffee bean, which is usually removed during the hulling process.

Pulp

The cherry skin and fruit after they have been removed from the coffee bean during wet processing.

Pyrolysis

A series of rapid chemical reactions that occurs during roasting.

Rich

A coffee with intense full aroma, flavor, body or a combination of these characteristics

Roasting

The process of heating green coffee beans to a temperature that reduces moisture and initiates a series of chemical reactions (Pyrolysis). This changes the composition of the coffee and results in the development of compounds associated with the flavor and aroma of coffee.

Robusta

Common name for Coffea canephora, one of two principal species of coffee. Robusta accounts for approximately 25 % of world coffee production.

Silver Skin

The membrane immediately surrounding the coffee bean, which usually has a silvery appearance. Milling before export removes most of the silver skin; the remainder is removed during roasting as chaff.

Spicy

Attractive liveliness of aroma or flavor reminiscent of sweet or savory spices.

Sour

A coffee that tastes excessively sour due to ripe, under-roasted beans or because the grounds are under-extracted grounds during the brewing process.

Stale

Used to describe the aroma or flavor of coffee brewed from roasted beans that have been stored too long.

Strictly High

Coffees grown at elevations of 4000 to 6000 feet above sea level.

Strong

Refers to a coffee's intensity of flavor. This term is often misunderstood and wrongly applied to dark roasts.

Sweet

Smooth, palatable and free of any unpleasant flavors

Swiss Water

A trademarked and patented process involving the use of coffee charged water and activated charcoal filters to remove caffeine from steamed green coffee beans.

Unwashed

See dry process.

Vienna Roast

Varies by location. Typically lighter than a French Roast on the US West Coast and darker than a French Roast on the East Coast.

Vienna Blend

A blend of light and dark roasted coffees.

Washed Process

The processing method by which pulping machines separate the beans from the pulp, the beans soak in tanks to soften the fruit, and the beans are dried on patios in the sun or in mechanical dryers.

Water Process

An indirect contact method of decaffeinating that uses charcoal or carbon filters to remove caffeine from water in which steamed green coffee beans have been soaked.

Wild

Used to describe a coffee that has distinctively unusual characteristics of aroma or flavor.

Winey

Often full-bodied and smooth with anywhere from a hint to a distinctive note of acidity and dryness like fine red wine.