Ever wondered why one coffee tastes fruity and another feels more chocolatey? The flavour wheel helps make sense of it. Here’s a simple guide to understanding coffee flavours and to put words to what your palate already notices.
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Fruity: Berries, citrus, stone fruit. Often associated with African coffees or naturally processed beans.
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Sweet: Caramel, honey, chocolate. Commonly found in Central American coffees and honey-processed styles.
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Nutty & Spice: Almonds, cinnamon, clove. Sometimes present in South American coffees, especially washed processes.
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Roasty: Toasted bread, cocoa, smoke. More typical in darker roasts or coffees with higher Robusta content.
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Other: Earthy, herbal, floral. Can appear in certain Indonesian coffees or distinctive single origins
These are general patterns rather than rules. Factors like altitude, processing method, and roast style all play a role in how a coffee tastes.
You don’t need to taste everything at once. Even noticing one or two flavour categories can make a cup more interesting.
Try taking a sip and seeing which category stands out first. Over time, you’ll start to recognise small patterns between coffees, regions, and processing methods, without ever needing to memorise the full wheel.
