Tasting notes like "chocolate," "blueberry" or "caramel" describe flavors and aromas naturally present in the coffee — nothing is added. They’re a shorthand for what your brain recognizes while tasting.
The Simple Guide
Common flavor families you'll see on our bags:
- Chocolate / Nutty / Caramel — common in medium-dark roasts, especially from Latin America.
- Fruity / Citrus / Floral — common in light roasts from Africa, especially Ethiopia and Kenya.
- Spice — often shows up in Indonesian and some natural-processed coffees.
Why It Matters
Tasting notes are the fastest way to find coffee you'll actually enjoy. If you already know you like chocolatey drinks, a "chocolate, caramel" coffee is a safer bet than a "bright, floral" one.
What To Do
Taste actively. Notice your first impression, then what lingers after you swallow (the aftertaste). Compare it to something familiar — "does this remind me of an orange, or more like brown sugar?" That's tasting notes in practice.
Professional cuppers slurp coffee loudly on purpose — it aerates the coffee and sprays it across the whole tongue at once, which makes flavors much easier to detect. Try it (quietly, at home) next time you're tasting something new.