Coffee Characteristics

Before you even get to brewing, there are many aspects that can affect the flavor of coffee – the type or varietal of bean, where and how it is grown, how it is processed, and how it is roasted. Each step along the way can bring out or mask certain flavors inherent in the bean.

The characteristics of coffee include aroma, flavor, body, and acidity. Each of these combines to make a flavor profile. Descriptions of coffee can include rich, complex, floral, earthy, spicy, and more.

See the chart below for the characteristics of some of the coffees here at GourmetCoffees.com:

Sweet	Winey
Light Body/Low Acidity	Light Body/High Acidity
Brazil Santos Colombia Supremo Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Hawaiian Ka'u Hawaiian Kona 'Volcanic Estate' Honduras India Mysore Jamaica Blue Mountain Estate Decaf Colombia Supremo 'La Valle Verde' Organic Bolivia 'Colonial Caranavi' Organic Colombia 'Mesa de los Santos' Organic Ethiopia Sidamo Fair Trade	Maui Yellow Caturra Maui Red Catuai Panama Boquete Organic Mexico 'Altura Tollan' Fair Trade Decaf Costa Rica Reserve Decaf Ethiopia Longberry
Smooth	Bold
Heavy Body/Low Acidity	Heavy Body/High Acidity
Bali Hawaii Maui Mokka India Malabar Java 'Dutch Estate' Papua New Guinea Sumatra Dark Roast Sumatra Mandheling Yemen 'Arabian Mocca' Decaf Sumatra Mandheling Organic Decaf 'Swiss Water' Peru Fair Trade Organic Dominican Republic 'Santo Domingo' Fair Trade Organic Peru 'Andes Gold' Organic Sumatra 'Gayo Mountain' Organic Sumatra Fair Trade	Decaf Guatemala Antigua Decaf Kenya AA Guatemala Kenya AA Tanzania Peaberry Organic El Salvador 'Cuzcachapa' Organic Guatemala Fair Trade