Glossary
AA. Capitalized letters are grade indicators, and they usually describe the size of the bean.
Acidity, Acidy, Acid. Acidity is one of the principal categories used by professional tasters in cupping, or sensory evaluation of coffee. How "acidic" a coffee is to the taste - not in terms of how it well it would clean lime off a pipe.
Aged Coffee. Holding green coffee for years in storage reduces acidity and increases body. To be called "aged coffee" it has been held longer than either "old crop" coffee or "mature" coffee. Some coffees are subject to deliberate ageing, by exposure to moist air or other elemental extremes usually associated with the degradation of foods.
Americano, Caffè Americano. An espresso with hot water, more hot water than a Long Black, and usually the crema is broken.
Aquapulp. A processing method of coffee cherries in which the fruit pulp (mucilage) is removed from freshly picked coffee beans by scrubbing in machines. Mechanical demucilaging is gradually replacing the traditional wet processing procedure of removing mucilage by fermentation and washing.
Arabica. The earliest cultivated species of coffee tree and still the most widely grown. It produces approximately 70% of the world's coffee, and is dramatically superior in cup quality to the other principal commercial coffee species, Coffea canephora or Robusta .
Balance. Tasting term describing a flavour wherein no single characteristic overwhelms others, and sufficient complexity is present.
Bird Friendly. Term associated with Shade-Grown coffee. Describes coffee grown under a shade canopy of forest, rather than simply "Shade-Grown". Arabica coffee is traditionally grown in shade in many parts of Colombia, Peru, Central America and Venezuela, India and some regions of Indonesia and Africa. Shade grown coffees are most definitely more environmentally sustainable than sun grown coffees, and the better tasting traditional varieties of arabica, bourbon and typica in Central America are best grown in shade.
Blade Grinder. A low quality grinder using a propeller-like blade to grind coffee. Sometimes called a "whirly-blade" grinder. Steer clear.
Blend. A mixture of two or more single-origin coffees. Personally we use blending to achieve coffees suited for well rounded espresso production, as the seasons wax and wane the proportions of various origins in our blends can be adjusted to keep the overall flavour profile consistent - and therefore reliable - for cafe use. We don't tend to use blends through non-pressurised techniques, as these techniques are usually enjoyed by individuals who want to experience the differences brought about by season changes, various agricultural techniques, and other diversities or distinctions.
Body. The sensation of heaviness, richness, or thickness and associated texture when tasting coffee. The principal categories used by professional tasters when cupping coffees are body, flavour, acidity, and aroma.
Bourbon. A botanical variety of Coffea arabica. Bourbon first appeared on the island of Bourbon, now Réunion. The best
Latin-American coffees are arguably from Bourbon stock.
Burr Grinder. Coffee grinder with two mounted discs or burrs that can be wound closer together or further apart to achieve different grind particle size. This is what you will find in a modern cafe serving espresso.
Caffè Latte. Latte means milk in Italian. This is a larger and weaker drink than the Flat White or Cappuccino, due to a high milk to coffee ratio. Traditionally this is only consumed in the morning, but hey, question everything.
Caffeine. The odorless, bitter alkaloid responsible for the stimulating effect of coffee and tea. There is a lot of caffeine at the tail end of an espresso shot, so if you are after a huge spike in energy, or are about to take an exam (proven BTW), ask to have your shot run on longer than usual. You will have to deal with the bitter flavours though, that is the compromise.
Cappuccino. Smaller and stronger than a latte, thicker milk than a flat white, larger and weaker than a cortado, and often served with a shake of cinnamon or chocolate. There are many variations of this drink, so just know that to engage in an argument about what exactly constitutes a cappuccino is a debate with no real end. What we know for sure though is that what Flight Coffee serve as a cappuccino is also known as a cappuccino chiaro, or 'wet cappuccino'.
Caracol. Also known as a Peaberry. A small, round bean formed when only one seed, rather than the usual two, develops in the coffee fruit. Peaberry beans are often separated from normal beans and sold as a distinct grade of a given coffee. Typically, but not always, they produce a brighter, more acidy, but lighter-bodied cup than normal beans from the same crop.
Caturra. A relatively recently selected botanical variety of the Coffea arabica species that generally matures more quickly, produces more coffee, and is more disease resistant than older, traditional arabica varieties. Many experts contend that the Caturra and modern hybrid varieties of Coffea arabica produce coffee that is inferior in cup quality and distinction to the coffee produced by the traditional "old arabica" varieties like bourbon and typical.
Chaff. Flakes of the innermost skin of the coffee fruit (the silverskin) that remain clinging to the green bean after processing and float free during roasting.
Cherry. The fruit of the coffee tree. Generally each cherry contains two regular coffee beans, if there is only one then that seed (bean) is known as a peaberry or caracol.
Clean. Free from flavor defects, a term used when cupping.
Coffea Arabica. The earliest cultivated species of coffee tree and still the most widely grown. It produces approximately 70% of the world's coffee, and is dramatically superior in cup quality to the other principal commercial coffee species, Coffea canephora or Robusta . All fine, specialty, and fancy coffees come from Coffea arabica trees.
Coffea Canephora. Also known as Robusta. This is the only significant competitor among cultivated coffee species to Coffea arabica. Robusta produces about 30% of the world's coffee (the maths matches our glossary entry above). It is a lower-growing, faster maturing, higher-bearing tree that produces full-bodied but bland coffee of inferior cup quality and higher caffeine content than Coffea arabica. It is mainly used for instant coffee and cheap pre-ground coffee found in supermarkets. It is not really a factor in the specialty coffee trade except as a body-enhancing component in some espresso blends.
Complexity. A tasting term describing coffees whose taste sensations shift and layer pleasurably, and give the impression of depth and resonance.
Crema. We want to give you a bit more of and explanation than "delicious foam", so lets start at the beginning. During the roasting process a lot of carbon dioxide is produced. Majority of the gas that remains within the porous beans is released over the course of the next few days (degassing). Once ground this process accelerates due to the increased surface area - which is why grinding beans just before extraction is important in achieving good crema production . As hot water is used to extract coffee it is the proteins and melanoidins coating the remaining carbon dioxide that forms tiny bubbles known as crema. Though crema can be present in any brewing technique involving hot water, with more pressure comes more crema due to efficient release of these surfactants and CO2 out of the same place at the same time.
Cup of Excellence. An international competition where the best speciality coffees are judged by certified COE judges.
Cupping. Procedure used by professional tasters to perform sensory evaluation of samples of coffee beans. The beans are ground, water is poured over the grounds, and the liquid is tasted both hot and as it cools. The key evaluation characteristics are Aroma, Acidity, Body, and Flavour.
Dark Roast. Vague term, this may describe any roast of coffee darker than the traditional norm. Contrary to popular belief, roasting coffee beans does not increase the caffeine content. A dark-roasted bean can have up to 20 percent less caffeine than a lighter roast of the same variety.
Decaffeination Processes. The removal of caffeine from coffee, which is performed prior to roasting, while the beans are green. The direct solvent method involves treating the beans with solvent, which bonds chemically with the caffeine, and is then removed by steaming. The indirect solvent (or solvent-water) method involves soaking the green beans in hot water, removing the caffeine from the hot water by means of a solvent, and recombining the water with the beans, which are then dried. Both processes using solvents often are called European Process or Traditional Process. The water-only method, commonly known by the proprietary name Swiss Water Process, involves the same steps, but removes the caffeine from the water by allowing it to percolate through a bed of activated charcoal. In the carbon dioxide method, which is only beginning to be established in the specialty-coffee trade, the caffeine is stripped directly from the beans by a highly compressed semi-liquid form of carbon dioxide.
Defects, Flavour Defects. Unpleasant flavor characteristics caused by problems during picking, processing, drying, sorting, storage, or transportation. There are many defects, and you can can learn more about them (including pictures) in our simple guide found here.
Degassing. A natural process in which recently roasted coffee releases carbon dioxide gas, temporarily protecting the coffee from the staling impact of oxygen. This is why you see one-way valves on bags of coffee that are expected to sit for a while before consumption (like in the supermarket). Those valves are sniff holes with a purpose.
Demitasse. This is a French word for "Half cup"; this small (usually 70ml) cup is generally used for espresso coffee.
Demucilage. This term describes the procedure of removing fruit pulp (mucilage) from freshly picked coffee beans. Mechanical demucilaging is gradually replacing the traditional 'wet processing' procedure of removing mucilage by fermentation and washing.
Doppio. A double espresso.
Doser. The chamber, and generally a spring-loaded handle/sprocket set, on the front of espresso grinders. This collects the grinds and then dispenses them with each pull of the handle.
DP. Abbreviation for "double picked," hand picking to remove imperfect beans, stones, and other foreign matter has happened twice rather than once.
Drip Method. Brewing method that allows hot water to settle through a bed of ground coffee.
Dry-Processed Coffee, Dry Method Coffee, Natural Coffee. Coffee that is processed by removing the fruit after it has been dried. When the fruit selection and drying is completed with care, dry-processed coffee can be complex, fruity, and deeply-dimensioned. When the picking and drying are performed carelessly, as is the case with cheaper dry-processed coffees, the result is off-tasting, harsh coffee. Our Ethiopian Harrar is an example of the former.
Earthiness. A flavour characteristic which is caused by the contact of wet coffee with earth during drying. This could be considered desirable, or a defect if too heavy.
En Pergamino, In Parchment. Describes wet-processed coffee shipped with the dried parchment skin still adhering to the bean. The parchment is removed prior to roasting, a step called milling.
Espresso. A concentrated beverage brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure (around 9 bar in commercial machines) through finely ground and packed coffee. Compared to other coffee brewing methods, espresso often has a thicker consistency, a higher concentration of suspended solids, and crema. The pump pressure emulsifies the otherwise insoluble oils in the coffee and also forces out the remaining CO² in the coffee. Espresso is widely known throughout the world and is also the broad term given to the range of drinks that espresso shots are the base for, such as a latte, cappuccino, macchiato.
Estate-Grown Coffee. Coffee produced by a single farm, single mill, or single group of farms, rather than a co-operative group of farms who mix their coffee together. Many speciality coffees are now identified by estate name, rather than the less specific regional or market name.
Fermentation. During the wet method of coffee processing, fermentation is a stage in which the sticky pulp is loosened from the skinned coffee seeds (beans) while the beans rest in tanks. If water is added to the tanks the process is called wet fermentation; if no water is added it is called dry fermentation. Also, while cupping coffee, "fermentation" describes a range of taste defects apparent if the sugars in the coffee fruit began to ferment during processing. Ferment can range from sweet, rotten-fruit tastes to harsh, musty, or medicinal tastes.
Filter Holder, Portafilter. Used when brewing espresso. A metal object with plastic handle that holds the coffee filter, and seals into the group. The best espresso is produced using a bottomless portafilter. The most obvious reason for this is the ability to see the extraction as it occurs and make adjustments to technique based on that. This practice is impossible with traditional portafilters, where the extraction from the filter is hidden by spouts.
Filter Method, Drip Method. Any brewing method in which water filters through a bed of ground coffee. The filter holds back the ground coffee particles, and the extracted coffee passes through to the cup.
Finish. The sensory experience of coffee just as it is swallowed.
Flip-Drip. Also known as Napoletana or Neapolitan flip pot, this is a drip brew coffee maker for the stove-top that originated in France. It consists of a bottom section filled with water, a filter section in the middle filled with finely ground coffee, and an upside-down pot placed on the top. When the water boils, the entire three-part coffee maker is flipped over to let the water filter through the coffee grounds. Once the water has dripped through the grounds, the water-boiling and filter sections are removed, and the coffee is served from the remaining pot, which has a spout.
Fluid Bed Roaster, Fluidised Bed Roaster, Air Roaster, Sivitz Roaster. A roasting apparatus that works much like a giant popcorn popper, utilizing a column of forced hot air to simultaneously agitate and roast green coffee beans. These devices are sometimes called Sivitz Roasters, after their populariser and first American manufacturer, Michael Sivitz.
French Press, Plunger. In this technique coffee is brewed by placing the coffee and water together, stirring it and leaving to brew for a few minutes, then pressing a fitted filter down through the mixture, trapping the coffee grounds at the bottom of the beaker. Because the coffee grounds remain in direct contact with the brewing water, and the grounds are filtered from the water via a mesh instead of a paper filter, coffee brewed with the French press captures more of the coffee's flavour and essential oils, which would become trapped in a traditional drip brew machine's paper filters. The result is a fuller bodied and more complex brew when compared with paper filter techniques.
Green Coffee. Unroasted coffee.
Group, Delivery Group, Brew Head. The fixture protruding from the front of most espresso machines into which the portafilter and filter clamp
Hard. Trade term for low-quality coffee, in contrast to mild coffee. In Brazil, Hard is a grade name for coffee that has been tainted by micro-organisms during drying and displays harsh, nuance-dampening flavor notes.
Hard Bean. Term often used to describe coffees grown at relatively high altitudes; in the same context, coffees grown at lower altitudes are often designated Soft Bean. The higher altitudes and lower temperatures produce a slower maturing fruit and a harder, less porous bean. Hard bean coffees usually make a more acidy and more flavorful cup than do soft bean coffees, although there are many exceptions to this generalization. The hard bean/soft bean distinction is used most frequently in evaluating coffees of Central America, where it figures in grade descriptions.
High-Grown. Arabica coffees grown at altitudes over 3,000 feet, usually higher. Such coffees are generally superior to coffees grown at lower altitudes. The term high-grown is also used in many Latin American grade descriptions.
Kopi Luwak. Coffee from Sumatra, Indonesia, distinguished not by origin, but by the uniquely intimate way it is processed. A mammal called a luwak, or civet, eats ripe coffee cherries, digests the fruit, and excretes the seeds, after which the seeds or beans are gathered from its dry droppings. Kopi luwak is one of the most expensive coffees in the world owing to obvious limitations on its production. Authorities differ on how much of the kopi luwak that arrives at coffee dealers is authentic and how much is ordinary coffee that has been "treated" in luwak manure, but samples certainly look authentic, smell authentic, and are pleasantly earthy, sweet and full in the cup.
Latte, Caffè Latte. A serving of espresso combined with about three times as much hot milk topped with froth.
Macchiato. Either a serving of espresso "stained" or marked with a small quantity of hot frothed milk (espresso macchiato), or a moderately tall (about eight ounces) glass of hot frothed milk "stained" with espresso (latte macchiato). In North America, the term macchiato is more likely to describe the former (espresso stained with milk) than the latter (milk stained with espresso).
Macchinetta, Flip-Drip, Neapolitan Macchinetta. A style of drip method brewer in which the ground coffee is secured in a two-sided strainer at the waist of the pot between two closed compartments. The brewing water is heated in one compartment, then the pot is flipped over, and the hot water drips through the coffee into the opposite compartment.
Machine Drying. Coffee must be dried, either directly after picking (in the dry method) or after fruit removal (in the wet method). Sun drying is often replaced or supplemented by drying with machines, either in large, rotating drums or in cascading silos. Machine drying can be superior or inferior to sun drying in terms of promoting cup quality, depending on weather conditions, drying temperature, and other factors.
Mature Coffee. Coffee held in warehouses for two to three years. Mature coffee has been held longer than old crop coffee, but not as long as aged or vintage coffee.
Middle Eastern Coffee, Turkish Coffee. Coffee ground to a powder, sweetened (usually), brought to a boil, and served grounds and all.
Mild. A trade term for high-quality arabica coffees. Often contrasted with hard, or inferior, coffees.
Milling. Mechanical removal of the dry parchment skin from wet-processed coffee beans, or the entire dried fruit husk from dry-processed beans.
Monsooned Coffee, Monsooned Malabar. Dry-processed single-origin coffee from south India deliberately exposed to monsoon winds in open warehouses, with the aim of increasing body and reducing acidity.
Natural Coffee, Dry-Processed Coffee, Dry Method Coffee. Coffee processed by removing the husk or fruit after the coffee fruit has been dried. When only ripe fruit is utilized and the drying is done carefully dry-processed coffee can be complex, fruity, and deeply-dimensioned. When the picking and drying are performed carelessly, as is the case with cheaper dry-processed coffees, the result is off-tasting, harsh coffee. The best and most celebrated dry-processed coffees are Yemen coffees, the Harrar coffees of Ethiopia, and the finest traditional Brazil coffees.
New Crop. Coffee delivered for roasting soon after harvesting and processing. Coffees are at their brightest (or rawest) and most acidy in this state. Also see Old Crop.
Old Arabicas. Botanical varieties or cultivars of the Coffea arabica species that were developed by selection relatively early in the history of coffee, such as var. bourbon and var. typica, as opposed to hybrid varieties that have been developed more recently in deliberate efforts to increase disease resistance and production. Many experts contend that the modern varieties of Coffea arabica produce coffee that is inferior in cup quality and interest to the coffee produced by the more traditional old arabica varieties.
Old Crop. Coffee that has been held in warehouses before shipping. Old crop differs from aged or vintage and mature coffees in two ways: First, it has not been held for as long a period, and second, it may not have been handled with as much deliberateness. Depending on the characteristics of the original coffee and the quality of the handling, old crop may or may not be considered superior in cup characteristics to a new crop version of the same coffee. See also New Crop.
Open-Pot Method. Brewing method in which the ground coffee is steeped (not boiled) in an open pot, and separated from the brewed coffee by settling or straining.
Organic Coffee, Certified Organic Coffee. Coffee that has been certified by a third-party agency as having been grown and processed without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or similar chemicals.
Parchment Coffee, In Parchment, En Pergamino. Describes wet-processed coffee shipped with the dried parchment skin still adhering to the bean. The parchment is removed prior to roasting, a step called milling.
Parchment, Pergamino. A final thin, crumbly skin covering wet-processed coffee beans after the coffee berries have been skinned, the pulp removed, and the beans dried.
Patio Drying. Drying coffee directly after picking (in the dry-processed method) or after fruit removal (in the wet-processed method) by exposing it to the heat of the sun by spreading and raking it in thin layers on open patios. A more traditional alternative to machine drying.
Peaberry, Caracol. A small, round bean formed when only one seed, rather than the usual two, develops at the heart of the coffee fruit. Peaberry beans are often separated from normal beans and sold as a distinct grade of a given coffee. Typically, but not always, they produce a brighter, more acidy, but lighter-bodied cup than normal beans from the same crop.
Percolation. Technically, any method of coffee brewing in which hot water percolates, or filters down through, a bed of ground coffee. The pumping percolator utilizes the power of boiling water to force water up a tube and over a bed of ground coffee.
Piston Machine. An espresso machine that uses a piston operated by a lever to force brewing water at high pressure through the compacted bed of ground coffee.
Plunger Pot, French Press. Brewing method that separates spent grounds from brewed coffee by pressing them to the bottom of the brewing receptacle with a mesh plunger.
Polishing. An optional procedure at the end of coffee processing and milling in which the dried, shipment-ready beans are subjected to polishing by friction to remove the innermost, or silverskin, and improve their appearance. Polishing does nothing to help flavor and may even hurt it by heating the beans, hence most specialty coffee buyers do not encourage the practice.
Portafilter, Filter Holder. In espresso brewing , a metal object with plastic handle that holds the coffee filter, and clamps onto the group.
Pulping. Process of removing the outermost skin of the coffee cherry or fruit. See Wet-Processed Coffee.
Pump Machine. An espresso machine that uses a pump to force brewing water at high pressure through the compacted bed of ground coffee.
Pyrolysis. The chemical breakdown, during roasting, of fats and carbohydrates into the delicate oils that provide the aroma and most of the flavor of coffee.
Quakers. Defective coffee beans that fail to roast properly, remaining stubbornly light-colored.
Richness. A satisfying fullness in flavor, body, or acidity.
Robusta, Coffea Canephora. Currently the only significant competitor among cultivated coffee species to Coffea arabica. Robusta produces about 30% of the world's coffee. It is a lower-growing, higher-bearing tree that produces full-bodied but bland coffee of inferior cup quality and higher caffeine content than Coffea arabica. It is used as a basis for blends of instant coffee, and for less expensive blends of preground commercial coffee. It is not a factor in the specialty coffee trade except as a body-enhancing component in some Italian-style espresso blends. See also Coffea Arabica.
SCAA, Specialty Coffee Association of America. An important and influential association of specialty coffee roasters, wholesalers, retailers, importers and growers headquartered in Long Beach, California.
Semi-Dry-Processed Coffee, Pulped Natural Coffee, Semi-Wet-Processed Coffee. Coffee prepared by removing the outer skin of the coffee fruit (a process called pulping) and drying the skinned coffee with the sticky mucilage and the inner skins (parchment and silverskin) still adhering to the bean. This processing method, situated between the dry method and the wet method, has no consensus name. It is one of three processing methods practiced in Brazil, and is used sporadically on a small scale by farmers in Sumatra and Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Shade Grown. Describes coffee grown under a shade canopy.
Silverskin. The thin, innermost skin of the coffee fruit. It clings to the dried coffee beans until it is either removed by polishing or floats free during roasting and becomes what roasters call chaff.
Single-Estate Coffee, Estate-Grown Coffee. Coffee produced by a single farm, single mill, or single group of farms, and marketed without mixture with other coffees. Many specialty coffees are now identified by estate name, rather than the less specific regional or market name.
Single-Origin Coffee. Unblended coffee from a single country, region, and crop.
Sivitz Roaster. Type of coffee roaster named after inventor Michael Sivetz. Also known by the generic terms Fluid Bed Roaster, Fluidized Bed Roaster, and Air Roaster, A roasting apparatus that works much like a giant popcorn popper, utilizing a column of forced hot air to simultaneously agitate and roast green coffee beans
Soft Bean. Often used to describe coffees grown at relatively low altitudes. In the same context, coffees grown at higher altitudes are often designated hard bean. The lower altitudes and consequently warmer temperatures produce a faster maturing fruit and a lighter, more porous bean. Soft bean coffees usually make a less acidy and less flavorful cup than do hard-bean coffees, although there are many exceptions to this generalization. The hard bean /soft bean distinction is used most frequently in evaluating coffees of Central America, where it figures in grade descriptions.
Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). An important and influential association of specialty coffee roasters, wholesalers, retailers, importers and growers headquartered in Long Beach, California.
Steam Wand, Nozzle, Pipe, Stylus. The small protruding pipe on most espresso machines that provides live steam for the milk-frothing operation.
Sun Drying. Drying coffee directly after picking (in the dry method) or after fruit removal (in the wet method) by exposing it to the heat of the sun by spreading and raking it in thin layers on drying racks or patios. A more traditional alternative to machine drying.
Sun Grown. Describes coffee that is not grown under a shade canopy. Arabica coffee is traditionally grown in shade in many (but not all) parts of Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela, and in some other parts of the world, including India and some regions of Indonesia and Africa. Elsewhere arabica coffee is traditionally grown in full sun, or near full sun.
Sustainable Coffee. At this writing, a contested and vaguely defined category of environmentally friendly coffees. A caucus in the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) is attempting to evolve reliable guidelines for what constitutes a genuine sustainably grown coffee.
Swiss Water Process. A trademarked decaffeination method that removes caffeine from coffee beans using hot water, steam, and activated charcoal rather than chemicals or solvents.
Syphon. A brewing method that differs from other filter methods in that the brewing water is drawn through the ground coffee by means of a partial vacuum.
Tamper. In espresso brewing, the small, pestle-like device with a round, flat end used to distribute and compress the ground coffee inside the filter basket.
Traditional Process, European Process. A group of decaffeination methods that use solvents to remove caffeine from green coffee beans. The direct solvent method involves treating the beans with solvent, which selectively unites with the caffeine and is removed from the beans by steaming. The indirect solvent or solvent-water method involves soaking the green beans in hot water, removing the caffeine from the hot water by means of a solvent, and recombining the water with the beans, which are then dried.
Turkish Coffee, Middle Eastern Coffee. Coffee ground to a powder, sweetened (usually), brought to a boil, and served grounds and all.
Typica. A botanical variety of Coffea arabica. Var. typica is one of the oldest and most traditional of coffee varieties. Some of the best Latin-American coffees are from typica stock.
Vacuum-Filter Method. See Syphon. A brewing method that differs from other filter methods in that the brewing water is drawn through the ground coffee by means of a partial vacuum.
Varietal Coffee. As used by many people in the American specialty coffee industry, a term describing an unblended coffee from a single country, region, and crop. For example: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Kenya AA, or La Minita Costa Rica Tarrazu. However, to follow the California wine analogy more precisely, varietal coffees ought logically to come from a single predominant botanical variety of coffee tree; var. bourbon, for example, or var. typica. Increasingly, coffee writers use "single origin" rather than "varietal" to describe coffees from a single country, region, and crop.
Varietal Distinction, Varietal Character. A tasting or cupping term describing positive characteristics that distinguish a given coffee from coffee from other regions. Examples are the wine- or berry-like acidity of Kenya coffees or the full, resonant character of the best Sumatra. See Varietal Coffee.
Vintage Coffee, Aged Coffee. Traditionally, coffee held in warehouses for several years, sometimes deliberately, sometimes inadvertently. Such aging reduces acidity and increases body. Aged coffee has been held longer than either old crop coffee or mature coffee. Recently, some Indonesia coffee has been subject to a sort of accelerated aging involving deliberate exposure to moist air, much like India's monsooned coffee.
Washed Coffee. See Wet-Processed Coffee.
Wet-Processed Coffee, Wet Method Coffee, Washed Coffee. Coffee prepared by removing the skin and pulp from the bean while the coffee fruit is still moist. Most of the world's great coffees are processed by the wet method, which generally intensifies acidity. In the traditional wet process, the coffee skins are removed (pulping), the skinned beans are allowed to sit in tanks where enzymes loosen the sticky fruit pulp or mucilage (fermentation), after which the loosened fruit is washed off the beans (washing). In the shortcut demucilage or aquapulp method, the pulp or mucilage is scrubbed from the beans by machine.
Whole-Bean Coffee. Coffee that has been roasted but not yet ground.