Flavor & tasting

The bright, sharp, often citrus- or fruit-like sensation in coffee, a positive quality at moderate levels, perceived on the front of the tongue.

The flavors that linger after swallowing: a long, sweet aftertaste is one of the strongest signs of a high-quality coffee.

Also: finish

The weight, thickness, and tactile fullness of a coffee in the mouth, independent of flavor, ranging from tea-like to syrupy.

A roaster's synonym for positive acidity: the lively, sparkling quality that makes a light-roast cup feel vivid and alert rather than flat.

The tactile experience of a coffee in the mouth (silky, syrupy, tea-like, creamy, drying, prickly), separate from flavor and aroma.

The Specialty Coffee Association's standardized vocabulary for describing coffee flavor: a circular chart organizing notes from broad categories to specific descriptors.

Also: Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel, Flavor Wheel

An attribute on the SCA cupping form: the perception of sugar-like, caramelized, or fruit-derived sweetness in a coffee, with no added sugar.

The descriptive words a roaster prints on a bag ("blueberry, dark chocolate, citrus"), meant to describe what the coffee tastes like, not what is in it.

Also: flavor notes, cupping notes