Sensory Guide
What your cup is saying.
Coffee flavor isn’t subjective — it’s a language. Once you learn to listen, every cup tells you exactly where it came from and how it was treated along the way.
The Method
How to actually taste coffee.
Slow down. Most people drink coffee. Fewer people taste it.
01
Smell dry
Before brewing, smell the ground coffee. Dry aroma often reveals the sweetest, most delicate notes before heat changes them.
02
Smell wet
Right after hot water hits the grounds, inhale. This “bloom” aroma is one of the most expressive moments in any brew.
03
Slurp
Aerate the coffee as you sip — spray it across your palate. It aerates the liquid and distributes flavor across more taste receptors.
04
Note the finish
What lingers after you swallow? A long, clean finish is the mark of quality green coffee. Short or harsh finishes point to under-developed roasting or low-grade beans.
05
Taste as it cools
Fruit and floral notes open up as temperature drops. If a coffee only tastes good piping hot, that’s a sign — quality coffee improves as it cools.
Flavor Families
Where notes come from.
Every tasting note maps back to something real — a compound, a process, an altitude.
Caramel & Brown Sugar
Caramel Brown Sugar Toffee Molasses Butterscotch
Citrus & Fruit
Bright Citrus Stone Fruit Lemon Zest Orange Peach
Body & Texture
Silky Clean Full Body Light Body Juicy
Sweetness
Honey Vanilla Maple Sugarcane
Our Coffees
By origin. By cup.
Every bag we roast. What to expect in the cup.
Medellín Solstice
Colombia · Antioquia
Caramel Bright Citrus Silky Finish Medium Roast Washed
Peru Andes Gold
Peru · Cajamarca
Honey Stone Fruit Gentle Citrus Clean Cup Medium Roast Washed
Peru Andes Gold Decaf
Peru · Cajamarca · Swiss Water®
Honey Caramel Clean Cup Decaf Swiss Water®
The Vocabulary
Terms worth knowing.
No gatekeeping. Just useful definitions.
Acidity
A positive quality in specialty coffee. Bright, lively, and sparkling — not sour. High-altitude coffees tend to have more pronounced acidity.
Body
The weight or thickness of coffee on your palate. Full-bodied coffees feel heavy and coating. Light-bodied coffees feel more like tea.
Finish
What lingers after the swallow. Long, clean finishes indicate quality. Harsh or bitter finishes suggest roast defects or over-extraction.
Process
How the coffee cherry is removed from the bean after harvest. Washed (wet) process produces cleaner, brighter cups. Natural process adds fruit-forward complexity.
Single-Origin
Coffee sourced from one specific farm, region, or country. Allows you to taste exactly what a place produces, unblended and unmasked.
Swiss Water® Process
A 100% chemical-free decaffeination method using only water, time, and temperature. Removes 99.9% of caffeine while preserving the original flavor profile.
Terroir
The combined effect of soil, climate, altitude, and farming practices on flavor. Just like wine — where coffee grows is as important as how it’s grown.
Cupping
The professional method for evaluating coffee. Grounds are steeped in hot water, the crust is broken, and the liquid is slurped from a spoon to assess aroma, flavor, and aftertaste.
“The best cup you’ve ever had
was trying to tell you something.”