Aroma
Aroma is the smell of freshly-brewed coffee.
Coffee’s Volatile Components and their Effect on Aroma
A coffee’s aroma, which may range from herbal to fruity, is created by the coffee’s volatile components – vapors and gases – which are released from the brewed coffee and then inhaled through the nose where they come in contact with the olfactory membranes.
Primary Coffee Qualities
Aroma is one of the primary coffee qualities denoting a coffee’s flavor along with body, acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and aftertaste. A coffee’s aroma is one of the main categories used by professional coffee tasters (cuppers) to judge the quality of a coffee.
Gourmet Coffee Beans – Coffee and Espresso Brewing Equipment
Coffees are Roasted To Order and Shipped Quickly – The Best!
Asian, Indonesian & Pacific Coffees – Arabian and African Coffees – Coffees of the Americas
Sumatra Mandheling Coffee – Java Arabica Coffee – Indonesia Sulawesi Coffee
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee – Decaf Ethiopian Coffee – India Monsooned Malabar Coffee
Kenya AA Coffee – Decaf Kenya Coffee – Tanzania Peaberry Coffee – Organic Fair Trade Sumatra Coffee
Coffee Aroma Descriptions
The aroma may be described as, for example, complex, smoky, nutty, herbal, or fruity. Many fine coffees reveal subtle floral notes in the aroma – the notes are often best experienced at the moment the crust of grounds is broken during a proper coffee cupping.
For example, Yemen Mocha coffee is known for its fresh floral aroma.
Also known for nice floral notes are the finer Kona coffees and the best Columbian coffees. A coffee’s freshness and its roast are important factors in preserving and enhancing the coffee’s desirable floral aroma.
Coffee Aroma and its Relation to Coffee Taste and Acidity
A coffee’s aroma is also related to the coffee’s flavor and acidity. For example, if a coffee is very rich-flavored, then the aroma will also reflect that richness, and if a coffee is acidic it will smell acidy.
Some of the more subtle flavor notes (e.g., high, fleeting notes) of a gourmet coffee appear most clearly in the aroma. Since human senses tend to work in concert, the aroma may also affect the coffee flavor characteristics/taste sensations, which may be very subtle.
The Nose, or Bouquet of Coffee
A coffee’s aroma is also referred to as its Bouquet or Nose, and is distinguished from a coffee’s fragrance, which in gourmet coffee terms refers to the smell created by the coffee’s vapors and gases – the volatile organic compounds – which are released from the coffee beans during grinding and then inhaled as aromatic compounds through the nose, contacting the nasal membrane. Also see Aromatic Profile.
To prepare great gourmet coffee drinks see our Espresso Drink Recipes as well as Pulling A Perfect Espresso Shot and the Barista Guide to Perfect Lattes and Cappuccinos.
You can also read about the world’s top Gourmet Coffees and learn about coffee’s rich past in the World’s Best History of Coffee.
Coffee terminology, coffee tasting terms, and lots more coffee and espresso information can also be found in the Espresso Coffee Guide’s Coffee and Espresso Glossary.
Once You Try Fresh-Roasted Premium Coffee Beans You’ll Realize How Coffee Should Taste!
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Guatemala Antigua Coffee - Guatemala Huehuetenango Coffee - Decaf Guatemalan Coffee (Green, Unroasted)
Italian Espresso Roast - Sunshine Espresso Blend - Black Hole Espresso Blend
Papua New Guinea Coffee - Costa Rica Tarrazu Coffee - Decaf Costa Rican Coffee
Nicaraguan Coffee - Mexican Altura Coffee - Brazil Santos - Mexican Chiapas Coffee
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Special Roasts & Blends - Flavored Coffees - Decaffeinated Coffee
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