Imagine a bunch of coffee tasters on the job, sharing their impressions of the brews they are thoughtfully sipping. How do they talk about the aroma and body, flavor and acidity they’re experiencing?

Taste is subjective, so objective words must be put to work. Starbucks coffee tasters use a specific glossary of terms to pin down coffee characteristics. Here are some of them:

Bitter: Refers to the basic taste sensation perceived primarily at the back of the tongue.

Bright: A coffee that has a tangy acidity is often described as bright.

Buttery: A smooth, rich flavor and texture, found in some Indonesian coffees.

Clean: A characteristic of high-quality coffees that have a distinct taste, as opposed to muddied impressions of flavor.

Crisp: A clean coffee with bright acidity can be described as crisp.

Earthy: Refers to the herbal-musty-mushroom range of flavors characteristic of Indonesian coffees.

Exotic: Refers to coffees with unusual aromatic and flavor notes (floral, berry-like, and sweet-spice like).

Fruity: Coffees that have a berry or tropical fruit-like flavor or aroma are referred to as being fruity. Kenya, Ethiopia Harrar, and Ethiopia Sidamo are a few examples.

Mild: A coffee with soft flavor characteristics.

Mouthfeel: The sensation or weight you feel inside your mouth when tasting coffee.

Nutty: An aroma or flavor that is reminiscent of nuts. Colombia and Mexico are examples of nutty coffees.

Soft: Low-acid, mild-flavored coffees are referred to as soft.

Smooth: A coffee that has no edges and leaves a pleasant mouthfeel.

Spicy: An aroma or flavor reminiscent of a particular spice. Aged coffees are often called spicy.

Sparkling: This term describes a coffee with a bright acidity that dances on your tongue before it quickly dissipates.

Stale: Coffee exposed to oxygen for extended periods of time loses acidity and becomes flat and cardboard-tasting. This is the taste of stale.

Sweet: Sweet is a positive coffee description that is associated with a pleasant flavor and mouthfeel.

Syrupy: A thick coffee with a lot of body that leaves a lingering aftertaste.

Tangy: A lingering acidity is often described as tangy.

Wild: Exotic flavors with extreme characteristics are described as wild.

Winey: A taste similar to that of red wine or having a fruit quality is called winey.

Source: Starbucks

Associated Press