The Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene

Coffee aroma is the fragrance of brewed coffee and is closely related to coffee flavour. Without our sense of smell, flavour would be limited to the tongue’s senses of sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Many nuances of a coffee are reflected in the smell. Subtle floral notes are experienced most clearly in the aroma, particularly at the moment when the crust is broken during the traditional cupping process. Typical coffee aromas include floral, wine, chocolate, spice, tobacco, earth, citrus and fruit.

Author’s note:
Coffee aroma is also experienced after drinking the coffee when vapours drift upward into the nasal passage. This “retro-nasal” aroma is responsible for much of a coffee’s aftertaste. A coffee’s aroma is highest shortly after roasting and then declines rapidly. Coffee freshness, including aroma, can be maintained for a short time if it is placed in a valve bag immediately after roasting.