The Coffee Cupper's Handbook
A Systematic Guide to the Sensory Evaluation of Coffee's Flavor

The problem in understanding coffee's flavor stems from its complexity. More than 400 organic and inorganic chemical compounds contribute to the flavor of coffee. A coffee flavor language must reflect both the trade and lay terminology used by non-chemists - for example, green coffee growers, importers, brokers, buyers, and roasters - as well as the precise scientific terminology of chemists, chemical engineers, food technologists, and flavorists. This handbook offers a method for explaining and describing the sensory effects of the basic simulations in the palate of coffee's aroma, taste, and body. It does not presume to be the definitive text. Section 1 describes olfaction, gustation, and mouthfeel, as well as the primary chemical components of coffee's flavor. Section 2 enumerates the taints and faults that interfere with the flavor of coffee. Section 3 of the handbook lists the sequential steps involved in coffee cupping, from sample through the evaluation of aroma, taste, and body. A glossary is included offering a vocabulary for differentiating among coffees of similar taste based on their aromatic properties.