When a bag says “blueberry, dark chocolate”, nothing has been added. Those words describe flavours the coffee reminds tasters of.
Where flavours come from
- Origin and altitude: high-grown coffees often taste brighter.
- Variety: different plants, different flavours.
- Processing: natural (dried in the fruit) tends to be fruity and winey; washed tends to be cleaner and brighter.
- Roast: darker roasts trade fruit for chocolate, caramel and smoke.
How to taste
Smell it first, sip, then let it cool a little and sip again: flavours open up as coffee cools. Start broad (fruity? nutty? chocolatey?) and get specific later. On Kaapi Cup you can tick tasting notes when you rate a drink.