As I sit here, sipping on a rich, aromatic cup of coffee, I can’t help but marvel at the complex sensory experience it provides. The aroma alone is captivating, hinting at notes of dark chocolate, toasted nuts, and a subtle citrus undertone. And the flavor – it’s a symphony of sweetness, acidity, and body, with each sip revealing new depths of complexity.
But how do we, as coffee enthusiasts, capture the essence of these sensations in words? The journey to develop a comprehensive and inclusive vocabulary for coffee tasting has been a fascinating one, with experts and industry stakeholders alike striving to create a common language that can truly do justice to the diverse flavors we encounter.
The Origins of Coffee Tasting Vocabulary
The story of the coffee tasting vocabulary begins in the 1970s, when the wine industry underwent a seismic shift in the way it described its products. As Ann C. Noble, a professor at the University of California, Davis, introduced the concept of the Wine Aroma Wheel, wine experts began to move away from the ambiguous, personified language of the past and toward a more formal, classification-based approach.
Around the same time, Michael Jackson, often referred to as the “father of modern beer writing,” was also elevating the appeal and appreciation of beer by using relatable, accurate, and evocative language to describe its flavors. This coincided with industry efforts to develop a more concise and considered language for brewing, which culminated in the creation of the original beer flavor wheel in 1978.
The coffee industry soon followed suit, with the development of the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) Coffee Tasters’ Flavor Wheel in 1995. This tool was designed to “meet the dual needs of i) enabling brewers to communicate effectively about flavor and ii) naming and defining each separately identifiable flavor note in coffee,” as explained by its creator, Morten Meilgaard.
Evolving the Coffee Tasting Vocabulary
Over the years, the Coffee Tasters’ Flavor Wheel has undergone several revisions, each reflecting the industry’s evolving needs and the growing complexity of the specialty coffee landscape. The original wheel, with its focus on negative characteristics or faults found in coffee, quickly proved to be inadequate in capturing the diverse and nuanced flavors that were emerging.
In the early 2010s, stakeholders in the coffee industry recognized the need to reinvent the wheel. This led to a collaboration between the SCA and World Coffee Research (WCR), which resulted in the development of the World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon – a groundbreaking tool that identified 110 flavor, aroma, and texture characteristics present in coffee.
The next step was to translate this lexicon into a user-friendly format, and that’s where the University of California, Davis came into the picture. Using a novel adaptation of traditional sensory and statistical methods, the UC Davis team reorganized the lexicon into scientifically valid clusters, laying the foundation for the updated Coffee Tasters’ Flavor Wheel released in 2016.
This new and improved wheel, with its vibrant design and comprehensive coverage of coffee’s sensory profile, became a symbol of the specialty coffee industry’s commitment to quality and innovation. However, as the wheel gained popularity, some began to question its inclusivity and accessibility, particularly for those outside the Western coffee-drinking sphere.
Addressing Diversity in Coffee Tasting Language
One of the primary criticisms of the Coffee Tasters’ Flavor Wheel is its cultural bias, with many of the descriptors being rooted in Western or American flavor references. Anudeep Mutyala, a beer educator and writer based in Bangalore, India, emphasizes the importance of translating the language of coffee tasting to be more relatable for local audiences.
In India, for example, Mutyala might describe a lime Gose as being more akin to a lime soda, or a Belgian Dubbel as tasting like mixed fruit jam – references that resonate more with the Indian consumer. Similarly, Lana Svitankova, a Ukrainian beer writer and translator, draws upon local food descriptors like pickled apple to capture the flavor profile of sour beers.
Jonathan Vaz Matías, a coffee consultant from South Africa, has even developed his own Fruits Flavor Wheel, which features a more diverse and globally inclusive set of descriptors compared to the SCA’s version. By expanding the vocabulary to include fruits and flavors found worldwide, Matías aims to make the language of coffee tasting more accessible and representative of the global coffee community.
Embracing the Subjectivity of Flavor
As the coffee industry continues to evolve, the debate around the universality of tasting language has become increasingly nuanced. Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, emphasizes the importance of cultural sensitivity when communicating about flavors, noting that the descriptors used in Japan may not resonate in New York.
Similarly, Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela, South Africa’s first female brewmaster, encourages people to trust their own senses and not get too caught up in trying to memorize specific flavor descriptors. For her, the experience of tasting is deeply personal, and the words used to describe it should be reflective of one’s own cultural references and memories.
This sentiment is echoed by Michelle Tham, the head of beer education at Labatt Breweries of Canada, who stresses the importance of meeting the drinker where they are. While the industry may use highly specific and evocative language to describe a beer, the average consumer is more likely to reach for simpler, more relatable terms like “smooth” or “refreshing.”
The Future of Coffee Tasting Language
As the coffee industry continues to globalize and diversify, the need for a more inclusive and representative tasting vocabulary has become increasingly clear. While the SCA’s Coffee Tasters’ Flavor Wheel and the World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon have been invaluable resources, there is a growing recognition that these tools may not fully capture the richness and complexity of the coffee experience for all drinkers.
Peter Giuliano, the Chief Research Officer of the SCA and Executive Director of the Coffee Science Foundation, acknowledges that the wheel is a work in progress and that the organization is open to revision and improvement. The goal, he says, is to create a tool that is descriptive, not prescriptive, and that can evolve alongside the industry.
As for the future of coffee tasting language, experts suggest that a multifaceted approach may be the way forward. This could involve regional or culture-specific tools that complement the overarching SCA framework, as well as a continued emphasis on individual interpretation and personal expression when it comes to describing the sensory experience of coffee.
Ultimately, the journey to develop a comprehensive and inclusive vocabulary for coffee tasting is an ongoing one, filled with challenges and opportunities. But as we continue to explore, experiment, and refine the way we talk about coffee, we can be sure of one thing: the richness and diversity of the coffee experience will continue to captivate and inspire us, one sip at a time.
So, the next time you find yourself savoring a cup of coffee, take a moment to inhale the aroma, savor the flavors, and revel in the complexity of the experience. And remember, your personal tasting notes are just as valid and valuable as any industry standard – because the true essence of coffee lies in the unique and individual sensory journey of each and every drinker.
