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 Coffee Taste

Ever wondered about the lingo of the barista? How do they talk about taste? And what makes a good brew? Where do the beans come from? Well, I will find out more about these topics. Please keep visiting this page as it will always be updated.

For now, lets start with the four most important terms that describes the taste:

Aroma  Aroma is a sensation which is difficult to separate from flavor. Without our sense of smell, our only taste sensations would be: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. The aroma contributes to the flavors we discern on our palates.

Acidity  This refers to the crispiness of the coffee, that provide a sharp, bright, vibrant quality. The taste of freshness. It is the sensation of dryness that the coffee produces under the edges of your tongue and on the back of your palate. Without acidity, the coffee would taste flat.

Acidity is often confused with bitterness. It happens because of two basic reasons: too much water running over too little coffee, also known as overextraction; and dark roasting. Guess what - it could also be the result of small and undetectable traces of caffeine.

Body As you sip the coffee, you can feel its weight on your tongue. Like heaviness, viscosity, thickness or richness that you perceive on your tongue. Like whole milk feeling.  It could range from the full (buttery and syrupy) to medium to light. Full bodied coffee usually originate in Indonesia such as Sumatra, like the Sumatra Mandheling. Latin American coffee are usually light- to medium-bodied. Coffees with a heavier body will maintain more of their flavor when diluted.

Flavour   Flavour refers to the total impression of the aroma, acidity and body. Flavor is the overall perception of the coffee. It is generally used to describe the flavour,   such as the fruitiness, chocolateness, spiciness in your mouth.

What's in the koffee menu?


Espresso  A small but potent coffee served black, in a small demitasse cup or glass. Characterised by a flavour and aroma so intense they bite. The perfect Espresso can only be created by forcing water at 9 bar pressure and 88 C through a tightly compact wad of 8 grams of freshly ground coffee beans, producing 1.7 fluid oz of coffee in exactly 22 seconds. Such precision is crucial for what is the base of most speciality coffees.


Espresso con Panna  Short, strong and sweet. Full bodied Espresso with real whipped cream served in a demitasse cup or glass.


Macchiato  A small strong coffee with a delicate first impression created by placing a small amount of foamed milk on top of the crema. Served in a demitasse cup or glass.


Mocha   A delicious medley of pure Espresso and real chocolate filled with steamed milk and crowned with a swirl of whipped cream. Completed with a garnish of sweet chocolate powder or real chocolate shavings. A rich and indulgent chocolate experience, served in a tall straight glass.


Ristretto An extra strong variation of the Espresso, using the same amount of coffee but half the quantity of water. Typically served in a demitasse cup or glass. Not to be confused with a double Espresso.


Cafe Creme  A velvety smooth coffee, brewed fresh from the bean which results in a thick moussy head called a crema. The crema is sometimes mistaken for cream, but is actually an indication of the freshness of the coffee bean. Delicious with or without cream and served in a conventional coffee cup.


Caffee Latte  A long refreshing coffee, usually served in a tall glass. The fresh espresso and steamed milk should always be topped with a small amount of frothy milk, to seal in the warmth.


Cappucino  A decadent combination of strong Espresso smoothed out with equal quantities of steamed milk and foamed milk, creating a luxurious cap that can be garnished with either chocolate or cinnamon powder. Usually presented in a large classic cup.

  Brewing a perfect kup of koffee

1. Make sure that your equipment is thoroughly cleaned. Leftover residue, oils and grounds will leave strange flavors in your brew.
   
2. Buy and start with fresh quality beans. Otherwise you should not expect quality coffee in the cup.
   
3. Use fresh clear water to prepare the coffee.
   
4. Always grind your coffee immediately before brewing. This will give a fresh taste.
   
5. Make sure that the grind of the coffee matches your method and tastes.
   
6. Use the right amount of coffee. A good rule of thumb is 2tbsps for each 6oz cup of coffee.
   
7. Warm your cup before pouring the coffee in; this keeps the coffee hot longer.
   
8. Before serving, stir the coffee. Heavier oils and inconsistent extraction will cause differences in the consistency of the coffee.
   
9. If you are making more than you intend to drink, store the coffee in a quality thermos. Leaving the brew in the coffee warmer will slowly destroy its flavor.
   
10. After going through all of this work, take the time to enjoy the fruits of your labors. Don't just drink it up! Slurp, spread the flavour over the tongue,  and feel it's aromatic flavour. Describe your experience.

Know this simple coffee formula:

Freshly grounded coffee beans
+
Pure water
+
Correct temperature (195F ~ 205F)
+
Right brew Time (4 ~ 6 minutes)
=
A savoury brew of coffee!

 Speak Javanese to your barista!

Acidity - The sharp lively quality characteristic of high-grown coffee, tasted mainly at the tip of the tongue. The brisk, snappy quality that makes coffee refreshing. It is NOT the same as bitter or sour and has nothing to do with pH factors. Coffees are low in acidity, between 5 and 6 on the ph scale.

Americano - A shot or two of espresso that has been poured into a glass filled with hot water.

Aroma - The fragrance of brewed coffee. The smell of coffee grounds is referred to as the Bouquet.

Barista - A person who makes coffee drinks as a profession.

Bitter - The taste perceived at the back of the tongue. Dark Roasts are intentionally bitter. Over-extraction (too little coffee at too fine a grind) can cause a bad bitterness.

Bland - The pale flavor often found in low grown robusta coffees. Also caused by under-extraction (too little coffee or too course a grind).

Blend - A mixture of two or more individual varietals of coffee.

Body - The tactile impression of the weight of the coffee in the mouth. May range from thin to medium to full to buttery to syrupy.

Briny - The salty sensation caused by excessive heat after brewing (truck-stop coffee).

Caffe Americano - Espresso that is cut with very hot water to fill an American size cup.

Caffe Mocha - This can be prepared a variety of ways. Basically this is a chocolate caffe latte. Often prepared with whipped cream on top.

Cappuccino - A shot or two of espresso that has been poured into a cup filled with half steamed milk and half foam milk.

Cupping - While tasting wine is called "tasting", tasting coffee is called "cupping".

Demitasse - A small cup used for serving espresso. It is a French term meaning 'half cup'.

Doppio - A double shot of espresso. Also see solo.

Caffeine - The drug contained in coffee. A bitter white alkaloid derived from coffee (or tea) and used in medicine for a mild stimulant or to treat certain kinds of headache. Found in very small quantities in the coffee beans. Soluble in water and alcohol.

Crema - The caramel colored foam that appears on top of a shot of espresso during the brewing period. It soon dissipates after brewing. If your Crema is gone then you waited too long...or you received a bad shot! The crema makes a 'cap' which helps retain the aromatics and flavors of the espresso within the cup - the presence of crema indicates an acceptable brew.... Crema is due to colloids and lipids forced out into an emulsion under the pressure of a espresso machine.

Earthy - The spicy "of the earth taste" of Indonesian coffees.

Espresso - A brewing method that extracts the heart of the bean. It was invented in Italy at the turn of the century. A pump-driven machine forces hot water through fine grounds at around nine atmospheres of pressure. It should take between 18 to 23 seconds to extract a good shot. This will produce from 3/4 to one ounce of great liquid. This produces a sweet, thick and rich, smooth shot of espresso.

Espresso Breve - Espresso with half and half.

Espresso Lungo - A shot that is pulled long for a bit of extra espresso. While many believe this maximizes the caffeine, in most shops this merely produces a bitter cup. (Sometimes because of overextraction.)

Espresso Macchiato - Espresso with a minimal amount (or "mark") of steamed milk on top.

Espresso Ristretto - Literally "restricted" espresso. A shorter draw. The goal being a thicker and more flavorful espresso.

Exotic - Unusual aromatic and flavor notes, such as berry or floral.

Flavor - The total impression of Aroma , Acidity , and Body.

French Press - A device for making coffee in which ground coffee is steeped in water. The grounds are then removed from the coffee by means of a filter plunger which presses the grounds to the bottom of the pot. Also referred to as plunger pot, or cafetiere.

Froth or Foam - Milk which has been made thick and foamy by aerating it with hot steam.

Hard Bean - Coffee grown at relatively high altitudes, 4,000 to 4,500 feet. Coffee grown above 4,500 feet is referred to as strictly hard bean. This terminology says that beans grown at higher altitudes mature more slowly and are harder and denser than other beans and are thus more desirable.

Latte - Prepared by pouring milk into the espresso.

Macchiato - A shot or two of espresso that has been poured into a cup filled with steamed milk and topped off with foamed milk (about a 1/4").

Peaberry - Normally, each coffee cherry contains two beans. Occasionally, a cherry will form with only one bean. These are called peaberries and are frequently separated and sold as its own distinct varietal. New Guinea is one of the more popular ones.

Portafilter - The cupped handle on an espresso machine which holds the finely ground coffee during the brewing process.

Ristretto - This is the strongest and most concentrated espresso drink. It is made with about half the amount of water but the same amount of coffee as a regular espresso. It is pure, intense, and wonderful in taste. Ristretto in Italian means "restricted."

Solo - A single shot of espresso. Also see doppio.

Soft Bean - Describes coffee grown at relatively low altitudes (under 4,000 ft). Beans grown at lower altitudes mature more quickly and produce a lighter, more porous bean.

Spicy - The flavor of particular spices.

Sweet - Smooth and palatable coffee that is free from defects and harsh flavors.

Tone - The appearance or color of coffee. Usually in three tones - light, medium and dark.

Varietal - The term used for the coffee that comes from a geographical region. A Sumatra, Kenya, Costa Rica or a Java are varietals. As in wine, soil, climate and cultivation methods affect the taste of your coffee. The term varietal is actually a misnomer, since Arabica coffee plants are basically of the same species, unlike wine grapes which come from different species of grape vines.

Winy - A flavor reminiscent of fine red wine. Kenya AA coffee is one of the most notables.

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Last modified: March 30, 2000