Coffee Glossary

Coffee Glossary

Acidity

The sharp brisk quality characteristic of high-grown java, savored mainly at the tip of the tongue. The fresh, lively tone that makes coffee energizing. It is NOT the equal to bitter or sour and has nothing to do with pH scale components. Coffees are low in acidity, between five and six on the pH scale.

Americano

A shot or two of espresso that is poured into a glass filled with hot water.

Aroma

The perfume of brewed coffee. The smell of coffee grounds is referred to as the fragrance or Bouquet.

Bag

A burlap sack of coffee. In several nations it is a different weight. For example: Brazil a bag constitutes 132 pounds. In the Republic of Colombia it's 154 pounds. On the Hawaii Island it is 100 pound. (132 lbs is the most common.)

Barista

A individual who creates coffee beverages as a profession.

Batch Roaster

A machine which roasts a given amount at one time. It doesn't continually roast beans. There is an acknowledgeable beginning and end time to the roasters capableness.

Bitter

The taste sensed at the back of the tongue. Dark Roasts are by design bitter. Over-extraction (too little coffee at too fine a grind) can induce a bad bitterness.

Bland

The pale flavour often encountered in low grown robusta coffees. Likewise caused by under-extraction (insufficient coffee or too course a grind).

Blend

A concoction of two or more individual variants of coffee.

Body

The tactual feeling of the weight of the coffee in the mouth. May range from sparse to medium to full to buttery to syrupy.

Bright

Lemon like acidity is oftentimes described as brightly.

Briny

The salty sensation stimulated by excessive heating after brewing (truck-stop coffee).

Caffe Americano

Espresso that is cut with very hot water to fill up an American size cup.

Caffe Mocha

This can be prepared a assortment of fashions. In essence this is a chocolate cafe caffè latte. Oftentimes prepared with whipped cream on top.

Cafe Noir

Coffee served without cream or milk (café - French for Coffee, noir - French for black).

Cappuccino

Cappuccino gets its name from the Italian order of Catholic Capuchin monks, whose hooded robes resemble the beverages cap of froth in figure and color. The foamed milk from the crest of the steaming pitcher is spooned on top to "cap" the cappuccino coffee and keep heat. The symmetry of espresso to steamed and foamed milk for coffee cappuccino is generally 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 foamed milk on the crest.

Cupping

While sampling wine is called "tasting", tasting coffee is called "cupping".

Demitasse

A small (1/2 size) cup used for serving espresso. It is a French term meaning 'half cup'.

Doppio

A double shot of espresso. see also solo.

Caffeine

The drug contained in coffee beans. A acid white alkaloid derived from coffee (or tea) and applied in medicine for a mild stimulative or to care for certain kinds of headache.

Crema

The caramel colored froth that appears on the crest of a shot of espresso during the brewing period. It shortly disperses after brewing. If your Cream or crema is no more then you waited too long...or you unfortunately received a bad shot! The crema creates a 'cap' which helps retain the aromatic and flavors of the espresso within the cup - the presence of crema indicates an good brew.... Crema is due to colloids and lipids driven out into an emulsion under the force of a espresso machine.

Earthy

The spice "of the earth taste" of Bahasa Indonesia coffees.

Espresso

A brewing formula that draws out the heart of the bean. It was invented by the Italians at the turn of the century. A pump-driven machine pushes hot water through very fine grounds at around 9 atmospheres of pressure. It should take between eighteen to twenty-three seconds to draw out a good shot. This will produce from 3/4 to one ounce of distinguished liquid. This produces a sweet, thick and rich, smooth shot of espresso. Comes from the Latin word "Expresere" which means "to press out."

Espresso Breve

Espresso with half and half(cream).

Espresso Lungo

A shot that is pressed long for a bit of extra espresso. While many think this maximizes the caffeine, in most shops this merely produces a bitter cup of java.

Espresso Macchiato

Espresso with a small amount (or "mark") of steamed milk on top.

Espresso Ristretto

Literally "bounded" espresso. A shorter draw. The end result being a denser and more flavourful espresso.

Exotic

Unusual fragrant and flavor notes, such as berry,frutiy or floral.

Flavor

The total picture of Aroma , Acidity , and Body.

French Press

A device for making coffee in which ground coffee is steeped in water. The grounds are then abstracted from the coffee by means of a filter plunger which compacts the grounds to the bottom of the pot. Likewise referred to as a plunger pot.

French Roast

Dark Roasted. Taste bittersweet a manly drinkl.

Froth or Foam

Think foamy steamed milk created by aerating it with hot steam.

Hard Bean

Mountain Man Coffee grown at relatively high elevations, 4,000 to 4,500 feet. Coffee that is grown above 4,500 feet is referred to as purely hard bean. This nomenclature says that beans grown at higher altitudes mature at slowler rate and are harder and heavier than other beans and are thus more desirable.

Latte

A shot or 2 of espresso that has been poured into a cup filled with hot steamed milk and topped off with frothed milk (about a 1/4").

Mocha

A small abnormal bean. Has a unique acid quality. Generally shipped from Mocha Yemen. It is oftentimes mixed with coffee shipped from Mocha Yemen.

Monsooned Coffee

Coffee intentionally exposed to monsoon winds in open storage warehouse to increase consistency and reduce acidity.

Peaberry

Generally, each coffee cherry contains two beans. At times, a cherry will form with only one bean. These are called peaberries and are oftentimes assorted, sperated and sold as its own distinct varietal. New Guinea is one of the most common ones.

Ristretto

This is the one of strongest and most concentrated espresso drink made. It is created with about one-half the amount of water but the same measure of coffee as a regular espresso. It is pure, intense, and marvellous in taste. Ristretto in Italian means "restricted."

Solo

A single shot of espresso. Also see doppio.

Soft Bean

Describes coffee grown at comparatively low altitudes (under 4,000 ft). Beans grown at lower altitudes age quickly and produce a cleaner, more porous bean.

Spicy

The flavor of specific spices.

Stale

Coffee that has been exposed to oxygen for too long( like the one your drinking right now Just Kidding). It becomes flat and has a cardboard like taste(yuk!).

Sweet

Smooth and tasteful coffee that is free from faults and abrasive flavors.

Tone

The appearance or coloration of coffee. That is. "this light toned coffee resembles the brown robes of the JEDI Order."

Varietal

The terminus used for the java that comes from a geographical region. A Sumatra, Kenya, Costa Rica or a Java are varietals. As in wine...soil, climate and refinement techniques affect the taste of your coffee bean. The term varietal is in reality a misnomer, since Arabica coffee plants are basically the same species, contrary to wine

grapes which come from different species of grape vines.

Winy

A flavor reminiscent of fine red vino. Kenya is one of the most notables