12 English Words to Describe Your Coffee

Describe your coffee in the most perfect way using the 12 coffee vocabulary words listed in this post. Learn new words and enrich your vocabulary in the most interesting manner through this post.

We all love our coffee. For some, it’s the simple hot coffee or cold coffee but some go a step ahead and describe their coffee using the most lucrative and interesting words. Coffee aficionados go a step further and define their coffee in words that make up pick the dictionary. We are here to help. Here is a list of 12 English words you can use to describe you coffee in the most fascinating manner.

12 English words to describe your coffee

1. Body

Body is one of the coffee’s most talked about characteristics. The term is used to describe coffee as light, smooth or heavy. These expressions explain a coffee’s body or how it feels in the mouth.

It is the perceived thickness, richness, or viscosity of the brewed coffee. Body is used to describe brewed coffee with respect to its feel inside the taster’s mouth. It describes the texture or heaviness of the coffee. Some varieties of coffee have a heavier body than others. Some are lighter owing to their origin. The heavy taste is loved by many. It’s not overwhelming, but pleasant, satisfying and flavourful.

You can describe your coffee as light, heavy or balanced. You can also use creamy, smooth, syrupy, buttery, delicate and thin to further describe your coffee. Roasters and tasters use such words to describe how coffee feels in the mouth. It’s a very interesting way to describe coffee.

Usage: The body of my coffee should be light. I like smooth coffee.

2. BLAND

Simply put, mild tasting coffee is bland coffee. The taste lacks the flavours of the coffee and it’s as uninteresting as it can get. The flavour is weak and is often found when too little coffee is used.

In informal words, you can also call it a simple coffee.

Example: This is a bland coffee.

3. AROMA

Coffee is known for its aroma. You can smell a coffee shop nearby, literally.

It is a distinctive, pleasant smell released from freshly brewed coffee. The aroma of a freshly brewed coffee takes the coffee experience to another level.
Example: Inhale the aroma of the finest coffee from America.

You’ll love the aroma of my freshly brewed coffee.

4. BALANCE

Simply put, a balanced coffee is the one which has no single parameter overwhelming the other. The coffee tastes well and is a 10/10 on all the parameters.

It is a tasting term applied to coffee for which no single characteristic overpowers the other, yet the coffee displays sufficient complexity to be interesting.

Usage: I like balanced coffee. It should neither be mild nor dark.

5. BRINY

Remember the salty taste of your coffee when it’s left on heat for long? That’s briny.

It’s the salty taste that comes when the coffee is left on heating for long. Brewed coffee that gets heated for long is likely to taste briny.

6. Flavour

It refers to the distinctive taste of your coffee. Do you prefer French Vanilla or Caramel Macchiato or Pumpkin Spice? I prefer hazelnut any day.
The flavour of coffee is very important for a good cup of coffee.

Example: I prefer a strong flavoured coffee.

7. Clean

When the coffee is clean, it means it’s flavourful and does not have any pungent or unusual flavours.  

The coffee professionals use the term, “clean cup” to mean “no flavour defects present”.

Coffee roasters and green bean dealers talk about the hundreds of steps taken to grow, pick, process, dry, transport, store, roast, and brew coffee. So “clean” has a very positive connotation and implies that all these steps were done correctly.

8. Bitter

This is the most common taste associated with coffee. We all add sugar to our coffee to make it enjoyable. A lot of people prefer bitter coffee. They drink it without sugar.

Many associate bitterness with a dark roast. Starbucks coffees are dark-roasted and contain a strong bitter taste meant for the coffee-lover. The term “black coffee” is often used to describe a bitter coffee.

9. Mellow

Sometimes the coffee has a mellow flavour which means it is balanced and mild, without a strong taste.

Example: The coffee I drank in Bangkok had a mellow flavour.

10. Crema

It is a reddish- brown froth on the top of your espresso shot. It is flavourful, aromatic and a delight to see. The strong presence of crema on your coffee shot clearly indicates that a skilled barista has made it.

11. Decaffeinated

It is also known as ‘Decaf coffee’. This coffee has 97% of its caffeine removed. It has several antioxidants and some health benefits.

Example: When I am on a diet, I prefer a decaf.

12. Mocha

Mocha is an espresso mixed with chocolate syrup and steamed milk. It is absolutely delicious and a must try.

Example: These days mocha espresso is a common choice.

These are 12 words to describe your coffee. Be creative and talk about your favourite beverage in interesting and meaningful ways.

Instead of saying, “I like my coffee”, say, “My coffee is balanced. It has an enigmatic aroma. The French Vanilla flavour is to die for.”

Here’s more power to your coffee experience .

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