Coffee Flavour Wheel
How the coffee flavour wheel organises sensory vocabulary and how to use it without treating descriptors as objective measurements.
A vocabulary map
The flavour wheel groups sensory descriptors from broad categories toward more specific terms. It is a communication aid rather than a chemical analyser.
From general to specific
A taster may begin with a broad perception such as fruit, then move toward citrus, then orange, depending on the strength and clarity of the perception.
Reference materials
Sensory reference materials can help tasters learn what a descriptor means. The same word can be interpreted differently if tasters have different life experiences.
Use it flexibly
The wheel should support observation rather than force a taster to find a note. If a coffee does not resemble a particular reference, a different description may be more useful.
Continue exploring
Green coffee
Follow coffee from plant and cherry through processing, drying, milling and storage.
Green coffee →Coffee chemistry
Explore the compounds and reactions that shape roasted coffee.
Coffee chemistry →Coffee extraction
Connect grind, water, temperature, time, concentration and extraction.
Coffee extraction →Coffee Knowledge presents technical subjects as an educational reference. Terminology, grading systems and production practices can vary by country, producer, equipment and commercial context.