- Acidity
- The lively, tart quality in coffee, a technical attribute, not a flaw. Think the crisp snap of green apple or citrus, not “sour.” Cold brew naturally has less of it.
- Brightness
- How acidity feels in the mouth: a lift, a sparkle, a sense of liveliness. We say “bright” for the sensation and “acidity” for the underlying attribute.
- Body
- The weight and texture of the coffee: light and tea-like, medium, or full and coating. It’s about how heavy the cup feels, not how strong or intense it tastes.
- Mouthfeel
- The physical sensation of the coffee: silky, syrupy, creamy, thin, or drying. Closely related to body but more about texture than weight.
- Finish (aftertaste)
- What lingers after you swallow. A short finish disappears cleanly; a long finish keeps developing, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter.
- Sweetness
- Natural sweetness from the coffee itself, not added sugar, ranging from clean and delicate to brown sugar, caramel, molasses, or fruit.
- Fruity
- Fruit-like flavors: citrus (lemon, bergamot), stone fruit (peach, cherry), tropical (mango, jackfruit), or berry. Natural processing tends to amplify these.
- Floral
- Flower-like aromatics: jasmine, rose, hibiscus, lavender. Common in high-grown Arabica and washed Ethiopian coffees.
- Chocolate / Cocoa
- A spectrum from cocoa powder to milk chocolate to dark chocolate to raw cacao nib. The comfort zone of most darker and roast-driven coffees.
- Fermented / Winey
- A boozy, wine-like quality from natural or anaerobic processing. Intentional and prized, a feature, not a defect.
- Roast-driven
- Flavors that come from roasting rather than the bean’s origin: toast, caramel, smoke. Dark roasts are the most roast-driven.
- Processing
- What’s done to the cherry after picking: washed, natural, honey, anaerobic. It shapes flavor as much as origin. Full guide →
- Single origin
- Coffee traceable to one place (a country, region, or single farm) rather than blended from many. Highlights a specific character.
- Blend
- Coffee mixed from multiple origins for consistency, balance, or a target flavor. Not lesser than single origin, just a different goal.
- Extraction
- The process of dissolving flavor out of ground coffee with water. Grind size, water temperature, and time are the main levers. Brew methods →
- Mucilage
- The sweet, sticky fruit layer between the cherry skin and the bean. How much of it stays on during drying drives washed vs honey vs natural flavor.
- First crack
- The audible pop during roasting (around 196°C) when the bean expands and real coffee flavor appears. Light roasts stop right around here.
- Crema
- The golden-brown foam on top of an espresso shot, formed by pressure forcing oils and gases into the brew.
- Specialty grade
- Coffee scored 80+ points out of 100 by certified graders. A quality benchmark, signalling distinct character and minimal defects.
- Cupping
- The standardized way pros taste and score coffee, slurping it from a spoon to assess aroma, flavor, acidity, body, and finish side by side.
Malamig Brew