A Short Memo on Tasting Notes

At Expectancy, we aim to provide a taste experience that is unique and hits every flavor note you’re expecting and maybe weren’t.

A big part of what differentiates one coffee blend from another are the tasting notes each one has. What exactly are tasting notes though? When a coffee says, for example, that it has notes of cherry or cinnamon, are cherry and cinnamon added to the beans somehow?

The short answer is that tasting notes come from the roasting process and additives. When beans are roasted, the temperature, roasting time, and other factors can bring out different flavor profiles in the beans. Some varieties of coffee beans can literally have thousands of flavor profiles present just waiting for the right roasting method to bring them out.

So, when coffee beans have "notes of cherry," we are not tasting actual cherries but, instead, similar flavor components that would also be found in cherries. Flavor notes can also be affected by the brewing process, where beans are grown, and other factors, but roasting is a large part of how quality blends come about.