Acidity, Acidy, Acid: The pH of the substance.  In coffee it’s about 5. The acidity provides a pleasing or vibrant flavor and may be characterized as high, medium, light, low or lacking.

Aloha Spirit: A reference to the friendly, accepting attitude the Hawaiian Islands are known for. Goes beyond the “Aloha” expression, suggesting a deeper living in the moment and sharing in life’s joy.

Arabica: The most common cultivated species of coffee in the modern market. Only a fraction of this supply meets the standards set by the Specialty Coffee Association of America.

Aroma: The fragrance produced by any substance. Smell. Typically coffee aromas may be characterized as lacking, faint, delicate, moderate, strong or fragrant (aromatic).

Automatic Drip: Coffee brewers that automatically heat and filter the water and the coffee.

Blend: A mix of two or more types of coffee beans.

Body: The sense of weight and texture associated with taste. Body characteristics in coffee include watery, thin, slight, light, medium, full, heavy, thick or syrupy. Texture characteristics are buttery, oily, rich, smooth and chewy.

Caffeine: An alkaloid substance found in the coffee bean, the leaf, some tea leaf, yerba mate, and cocoa bean. The active principle of tea and coffee.

Caffeine Content: The amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee, which is about 1.5 grains.

Cherry: The ripe fruit of the coffee tree.

Commercial Coffees: Generally refers to pre-ground, brand name coffee. Used by some countries to differentiate between those coffees which the locals can drink and those exported.

Complexity: A professional tasting term describing sensation shifts; resonance, depth.

Crema: The caramel-colored foam covering the surface of a well-brewed cup of espresso.

Cup Testing: Judging the merits of a coffee by roasting, grinding and brewing some of it. The brew is then sipped.

Dark French Roast: A roast almost jet black in color, thin bodied and bittersweet tasting a bit like burnt charcoal.

Dark Roast: A roast which the beans are just turning black but still look brown.

Decaffeinated: Coffee which has had the 97% or more of the caffeine removed or blocked in such a way that the caffeine will not leave the bean during brewing.

Decaffeination Process: The process by which the coffee was decaffeinated. Coffees can be decaffeinated using either a water or a chemical process. Kohana coffee is decaffeinated using a water process.

Drip Method: A brewing method that drips the hot water over the bed of coffee grounds.

Earthiness: A tasting term describing undesirable coffee which tastes a little off and a bit like dirt. Often caused by coffee drying on the ground.

Espresso: A method to brew coffee which forces the water into the grind by pressure at a high rate of speed. A standard serving of espresso is a 1-ounce shot. 

Estate Grown: Coffee grown on large farms as opposed to small peasant plots, usually old family owned plantations.

Filtered Method: Coffee brewed with a filter where the coffee is held separate from the sitting water.

Finish: The after taste or the lingering taste of the coffee. Typical characteristics are sweet, spicy, smoky, light, heavy and long lasting.

Flip Drip: A drip brew coffee maker in which water is heated on the bottom of the brewer. When boiling, the device is flipped over and the water drips down through the coffee which was loaded in the middle of the brewer. When started, coffee ground is located in top of container of water – once water is boiled the whole unit is flipped over and the water filters through the grind into an empty container originally on top of the ground – which now becomes the pot you pour from.

French Press: A coffee brewing device which brews coffee by allowing the grinds to sit in the water. When finished, a press is used to push the grounds to the bottom.

French Roast: Typically use for espresso, cappuccino and latte. The bean is roasted sufficiently to bring the oils to the surface of the bean. The roast is almost black in color, which comes through extended roasting and produces a strong, full-bodied flavored coffee.

Good Hard Bean: A grade of coffee grown at altitudes above 3000 feet. Term varies depending on the country where the bean is grown.

Grade: The measure of quality. Criteria for determining grade include size, density, altitude, and number of defects per pound.

Green Coffee: Unroasted coffee beans.

Group: The fixture protruding from the front of an espresso machine which makes more than one cup at a time.

Groundy: An earthly taste. The taste of dirt. Caused by coffee drying on the ground.

Kohana: The small white flowers that bloom on the coffee plant.

Mellow: Well-balanced, full, and smooth, but lacking acidity.

Middle Eastern Coffee: Another term for Turkish Coffee, coffee ground to a fine powder, sweetened and served with the grounds.

Mild Coffees: Coffees free of harsh flavor.