Coffee Terminology

What are some Common Coffee Terms?

Arabica

• Just Us! uses ONLY Arabica beans.
• The earliest cultivated species of coffee tree.
• The most widely grown species of coffee tree.
• All fine, specialty, and fancy coffees come from Arabica trees.

Robusta (Common in major supermarket brands, we don’t use any)

• A lower growing, higher bearing tree that produces coffee is an easier and cheaper method of production.
• Has a much more up-front fruity/ harsh characteristics.
• Robusta coffee is easier and cheaper to produce than washed Arabica.
• Higher caffeine content than Arabica.
• Most often used for instant coffee and less expensive blends of pre-ground commercial coffee.

Richness

• Describes a satisfying fullness throughout the pallet.
• Refers to body, partly to flavour, sometimes even to acidity.

Acidity

• Describes the dryness coffee leaves at the back of your palate and under the edges of your tongue.
• Other names to describe acidity might be: bright, dry, sharp or vibrant.

Body

• Describes the sense of heaviness, richness, and thickness at the back of your tongue when you swish the coffee around your mouth.
• If you drink milk in your coffee, you will likely prefer a full-bodied variety.
• If you like your coffee black, you may prefer a lighter bodied variety.

Aroma

• Describes certain high notes reflected most clearly in the smell of a coffee.
• It can’t be separated from acidity and flavour.
• There is often a subtle floral note that comes out most clearly in the aroma.

Finish

• The term describes the after taste that lingers on the palate after the coffee is swallowed.