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Decoding the Language of Coffee characters of Crypto Baristas. By being incredibly lucky we this is a ‘Castillo’ variety. One thing is certain. We’ve become
were picked in third place for a trip to Colombia. The first way more picky about the coffee that we drink. And we can
Miscommunication can happen not only when two person couldn’t go and the second didn’t respond, so we recognise a super dark roasted supermarket coffee, from a
parties speak different languages but also when the language ended up going.” nice well roasted and grown bean from a specialty store now.”
of communication is coffee itself. Coffee has its own culture StefÀnija and Jelle suddenly found themselves amongst Julián would have approached it a bit differently “Lan-
and language that needs to be learned and understood in order a large group of coffee professionals, who spoke fluent “coffee”. guage is central in all human interaction, verbal and nonverbal.
for relationships between producers, buyers, roasters and “Coffee is way more complex than we anticipated. Now, when it comes to the coffee specialized language, cus-
baristas to develop. There’s a lot in the process that we had no idea about. Like tomers should be approached gradually and assertively so they
I’m talking about terminology, descriptors, sensory the fermentation and different kinds of drying and processing can learn about this culture through their experience without
perceptions and the many things that happen during the beans. What is a fermentation process? What is a kind of bean feeling overwhelmed.”
coffee journey from farm to cup. It’s essential for everyone in or plant? Is a geisha a plant or a taste or a part of the process This would indeed be the best way to introduce some-
the supply chain to have a basic understanding of it in order or like I thought before this trip only a cultural phenomenon one to the language of coffee, allowing them to learn and
to communicate effectively. of 18th century Japan? All of these terms are thrown around understand it at their own pace. What StefÀnija and Jelle
The language of coffee is constantly evolving and chang- a lot in dialogue and that makes it challenging to keep follow- experienced was an introduction to specialty coffee through
ing over time as more knowledge is gained by producers, ing what is being talked about in that moment.” Jelle explains. a more immersive approach, but Julián’s way is equally im-
buyers and baristas alike. Understanding this language is the Being introduced to coffee through such an immersive portant, especially when the customers might not be ready
key to building relationships, developing quality and advanc- experience can be intimidating at times, but it’s also a great to change a favorite habit.
ing specialty coffee. way to gain understanding and appreciation for the language
While in Colombia for Mystery Coffee Vacation, I was of coffee. StefÀnija and Jelle went back home to The Neth- An Exploration of Coffee Flavor Descriptors
in the same group with StefÀnija Duntava and Jelle Romviel, erlands with a greater understanding of the complexities
who ended up on the trip after winning a giveaway contest. of specialty coffee. One would think that the language of coffee can be
“Last year we decided to get into NFTs. When we were “Before flying back we invested in a good amount of easily understood by those who work in the industry, but
picking out an art project to invest in, we ran into Crypto coffee to bring back. After learning a lot about the tastes of things are more complicated than they seem at first glance.
Baristas, the NFT project by Coffee Bros. Later that year we certain kinds of processes and plants we were very excited to Different countries, regions and even farms have their own
were notified of a giveaway that we were unaware of joining. try everything out. We are way more able to recognise a ‘nat- ways of describing coffee. Language is rooted in culture and
We automatically entered by owning one of the artwork ural’ coffee or can talk to each other now about how we think coffee is no exception.
Take the Cup of Excellence competition as an example.
The prestigious competition awards the highest-scoring cof-
fees from a certain region. There is an elaborate and complex
language associated with that type of coffee. It includes terms
StefÀnija Duntava and Jelle Romviel
such as “acidity”, “body”, “sweetness” and more.
The jury is of course well-versed in these terms but when Munari, Brazil’s 2023 Coffee in Good Spirits (CiGS) Cham-
it comes to flavor descriptors, things can get tricky. Yiannis pion , likes to use local Brazilian ingredients in his drinks. “I
is a member of the judging panel and he talks about how in- believe it’s about showing more of our countries. Exploring
teresting it can be to see so many flavor descriptors for the the native flavors that Brazil has, is a way of showcasing more
same cup of coffee because the members of the jury come of my country, going beyond the stereotypes and bringing up
from different countries and have different backgrounds. more reasons for people to fall in love with it.”
“Take fruits as an example, not every region can have Additionally, many competitors aim to create drinks
the same type of fruit, so when we try to describe a cup with that challenge conventional flavor expectations, making it
fruity notes, we need to keep in mind that not everyone has difficult to find pre-existing categories in which to place them.
tried guava for example or knows what it tastes like. More Daniel points out that there is a need for more variety
often than not, the same coffee will end up having a different and exploration of flavors within the Coffee Flavour Wheel.
flavor description depending on the juror,” Yiannis says. “I understand why the flavor wheel should be universal, but
The Coffee Flavour Wheel is another example of how often it is much easier to relate to flavors that are closer to
language can play a role in specialty coffee. The wheel is a home. For instance, some berries that we see on the flavor
guide that includes terms such as “earthy”, “citrus” and “spicy” wheel aren’t common here in Brazil.”
but it also breaks down those terms into more specific de- The flavor descriptors that accompany specialty coffee
scriptors. This allows baristas, roasters, and consumers to be are an ever-evolving language. As new coffees hit the shelves
more precise when describing a cup of coffee. and consumers become more educated, the language of coffee
However, there are still a limited number of flavors on continues to change and adapt. From Cup of Excellence judg-
the Coffee Flavour Wheel. This means it may not always be es to the evolution of the Coffee Flavour Wheel, it is clear
able to accurately capture all of their desired flavors. Daniel that there is still much to learn in the world of coffee.

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