Coffee Basics 101 - Choosing a Great Coffee!

1. The aroma of a coffee is basically one's first impression or "sniff" as the gases released from the brew hit your nose. Words like "earthy," "fruity" and "herby" can be used to describe a coffee's aroma.
2. The acidity of a coffee is the "pleasant sharpness" you taste when you take a gulp (or a sip). Acidity is good in a coffee, in that if it had no acidity, the coffee would taste flat. A low acidity coffee is a pleasant-tasting, mellow coffee, whereas a high acidity coffee is very robust and knocks your socks off!
3. The flavor factor of a coffee is the perception in your mouth of those hundreds of aromatic elements or compounds of the coffee bean. It also refers to any specific taste you notice in the coffee, such as a "nuttiness" or "spiciness."
4. Finally, the body of a coffee is the impression of weight and texture that the coffee leaves in your mouth. This is known as "mouthfeel" and can often be described as "heavy," "watery" or "light."

• Brazil -- smooth, sweet and spicy with hints of allspice and cloves. Complex aroma, mild acidity, medium body. Look for Santos coffees, with Bourbon Santos being the best.
• Colombia -- rich, full aroma, mild with good acidity, sweet caramelly taste, medium body. Look for Excelso and Supremo grades.
• Costa Rica -- the SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) grade has a good aroma, high acidity, and a fine body. The GHB (Good Hard Bean) grade has a good aroma, very good acidity and a good body. Both provide a sweet, smooth cup. Look for Tarrazu.
• Guatemala -- aromatic, a soft mild flavor with a subtle smokiness, heavy body.
• Haiti -- very mellow and flavorful with a mild sweetness, heavy body.
• Hawaii -- the famous Kona coffee has a splendid aroma and is rich with a mellow character. Very flavorful with a hint of cinnamon and cloves, full-bodied.
• Jamaica -- Blue Mountain being the best, it has a delightful aroma, is extremely mellow and sweet-tasting with a full body. High Mountain Supreme comes in second with a medium to sharp acidity and a good body.
• Mexico -- wonderful aroma, sweet, medium acidity, hints of hazelnuts in the flavor, smooth body.
• Nicaragua -- good acidity and mild flavor with a hint of cognac. Look for Matagalpa.
• Panama -- smooth and sweet, good acidity and mild flavor with a heavy body.
• Peru -- good acidity with a mild flavor and excellent body.
• Venezuela -- great aroma, smooth and mellow with low acidity, rich and delicately winey, a little on the sweet side, light body.

• Burundi -- high acidity with a rich strong flavor and good body.
• Ethiopia -- amazing aroma of cinnamon, strawberries and fresh-mown grass, very acidic, winey, pungent, earthy flavors, spicy and complex, full-bodied. Look for Harrar - Longberry and Shortberry, and Yirgacheffe.
• Kenya -- Very fragrant and floral, sometimes winey, a mild coffee with a delicate acid flavor, and a great smoothness.
• Rwanda -- high acidity, strong flavor and good body.
• Tanzania -- rich and mellow with a delicate acidity. Look for peaberry varieties.
• Zaire -- rich, highly acidic, excellent flavor and body. Look for Kivu.

• India -- spicy aroma with hints of cinnamon and cedar, delicate acidity, complex and very rich, full-bodied. Look for Nilgiris and Monsoon Malabar.
• Indonesia -- rich with low acidity, spicy, strong flavor, heavy body - almost syrupy. Look for Sumatra, Celebes or Sulawesi.
• Papua New Guinea -- sweet and full-bodied. Look for Sigri and Koban.
• Yemen -- age old Mocha coffee - uniquely smooth and complex with a bit of sharpness, tremendous flavor, can be winey with cherry notes, heavy body. Look for Mattari or Sunani.

» left by JL

from US 4 years 270 days ago.

You have made me wish I liked coffee. I love the smell of the coffee aisle at the grocery store and just have to settle for savoring the scents as I walk past a coffee shop. If it only tasted as good as it smells!

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