As we sip our coffee, we can’t help but show a shrunken and crumpled face. This is natural, as coffee is known for its sour and bitter taste. Hence, coffee is unique and has its own charm.
Each type of coffee also has its own characteristics, depending on the variety and where it is grown. Also, it is affected by special human treatments such as fertilization and generative treatments.
Well, to know the various tastes and aromas of coffee, there is a special kind of guide and technique to understand it, namely by using the Coffee Flavor Wheel chart.
What is Coffee Flavor Wheel?
It is a visual tool used to explain the different types of coffee flavors and aromas. This guide was developed by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCA) to help cupping professionals and coffee connoisseurs explore the flavors and aromas of coffee.
The Coffee Flavor Wheel is a very useful tool for categorizing coffee flavors and aromas. The wheel consists of eight main categories that include: floral, fruity, herbal, caramel, nutty, cocoa, spices, and tobacco.
Each category consists of more specific subcategories, such as the types of fruits or spices that can be found in coffee. This makes the Flavor Wheel a very useful tool in identifying the taste and aroma of different types of coffee.
Coffee Flavor Wheel helps professional cuppers in the coffee cupping process
Cupping is the process of evaluating the quality of coffee flavor and aroma. By using the Coffee Flavor Wheel, cuppers can quickly and efficiently identify the aromas and flavors contained in the coffee being tested.
For example, if a coffee has a clear and strong flavor of the “citrus” subcategory in the “fruity” category, it can be considered a sign of good quality and a distinctive feature of the coffee. On the other hand, if the coffee is identified with foreign flavors such as chemical or ferment, this could indicate that there is an error in the coffee making process.
Some people even use this wheel to help them discover new types of coffee that suit their tastes. For example, if someone likes a very floral coffee flavor, this wheel can be used to find a type of coffee that matches that preference.
Flavor Wheel also helps in the coffee marketing process
Coffee manufacturers can use the Coffee Flavor Wheel to explain the flavor characteristics of their coffee, which can attract consumers.
To try using the tool , you can do the following steps:
- Provide the coffee we will be cupping and the Coffee Flavor Wheel chart.
- Brew the right amount of coffee
- Smell the coffee after brewing and after the coffee has been brewed, compare the aroma with the flavor wheel.
- Take a small amount of coffee from the cup using a cupping spoon
- Taste the coffee and try to find the flavor that fits the category on the wheel.
- Record the flavors found and compare them with the corresponding categories on the wheel.
- Repeat several times to reconfirm the aroma and flavor of the coffee
Be sure to obtain reference wheels issued by recognized organizations in the coffee industry, to ensure the accuracy and quality of the information obtained.
The conclusion is that the Coffee Flavor Wheel serves as a guideline in the cupping process, flavor identification, and as a means of communication in the coffee industry. By learning and using the Coffee Flavor Wheel, we can get to know and appreciate coffee more deeply.
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