Have you ever considered the difference between a coffee’s “fragrance” and its “aroma?” With respect to coffee, “fragrance” is defined as the scent of coffee after it has been ground. A coffee’s “aroma” refers to its scent after the ground coffee has been covered with hot water.

In fact, coffee may be one of the most complex substances consumed, with nearly a thousand aromatic compounds associated with it to date. While it might take a professional coffee taster to identify many of the more subtle aromas, the following examples are fairly distinct: fruit, nuts, spices, herbs, grass, floral, wine, medicine, burned food or wood, caramel, malt, chocolate, tobacco, dirt, rubber, ash, and rancid food.

While some of these “aromas” might not comprise your local coffee shop’s favorite blends, they do speak to the complex characteristics that make up one of America’s favorite beverages.

…and that’s Coffee Talk!