When talking about coffee, the terms "taste," "notes," and "flavor" are often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to distinct aspects of the overall profile. Simply put: taste + notes = flavor.

Taste

Taste refers to the basic sensations detected by your taste buds: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Sweetness, sourness, and bitterness are the most common tastes in coffee. Bitterness comes from caffeine and the coffee bean itself. However, the sweetness and acidity of coffee can vary based on factors like the coffee bean type, roast, water temperature, and brewing method.

Notes/Aromas

Notes are the specific flavors or aromas that you perceive while tasting coffee. You perceive them via smell and through the back of your mouth where your mouth and nasal cavities meet! Notes are the subtle hints that make each coffee unique, often described in terms like "chocolatey," "citrusy," or "nutty." They come from the chemical compounds in the coffee bean, influenced by its origin, processing method, and roasting technique.

Flavor

Flavor is the overall profile of the coffee, a combination of both taste and notes. It's the interaction between sweetness, bitterness, acidity, aroma, and taste that creates a coffee's identity. While "taste" refers to the direct sensory response on the tongue, "flavor" is influenced by the notes, mouthfeel, aftertaste, and even the brewing process.

Coffee Flavor Note Types

Every coffee bean's flavor notes are shaped by its bean type, geography, and processing method. Some of the common flavor notes are:

• Fruity Notes: Coffees grown in Ethiopia or Kenya often have fruity notes like berries, citrus, or stone fruits. These are more prominent in light roasts, where the natural acids in the coffee remain intact, giving it a bright, tangy taste.
• Floral Notes: These delicate, aromatic floral notes are found in coffees from high-altitude regions, often described as tea-like or jasmine-like.
• Nutty & Chocolatey Notes: Beans from Central America and South America often carry these richer, comforting notes. Roasting methods that bring out the caramelization of sugars within the beans can emphasize nutty or chocolatey flavors.
• Earthy & Spicy Notes: Coffees from Sumatra and other parts of Indonesia are known for their earthy, spicy, and herbal profiles, with a heavier body and less acidity.

The next time you drink coffee, try differentiating the taste, notes, and flavors from each other. When you can identify the three of them separately, it unlocks a new level of appreciation of the coffee's uniqueness and overall depth.