What Is the Coffee Flavour Wheel and How to Use It

May 21, 2025

What Is the Coffee Flavour Wheel and How to Use It

If you’ve ever read a specialty coffee bag and wondered what “red plum, brown sugar, and jasmine” actually means — or how anyone could taste those things in a cup of coffee — the Coffee Flavour Wheel is the tool that makes sense of it all. Developed by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), the flavour wheel is the universal language of coffee tasting. Here’s what it is and how to use it.

What Is the Coffee Flavour Wheel?

The SCA Coffee Flavour Wheel is a circular diagram that maps the full spectrum of flavours, aromas, and sensations found in coffee. It was originally developed in the 1990s and revised in 2016 in collaboration with World Coffee Research, who used scientific sensory analysis to define the terms.

The wheel works from the centre outward: the innermost ring contains broad categories (fruity, floral, sweet, nutty, roasted), and each ring moving outward becomes more specific — all the way to precise descriptors like “blueberry,” “bergamot,” “hazelnut,” or “tobacco.” There are over 100 flavour descriptors in total.

The wheel isn’t just for professionals — it’s a practical tool for any curious coffee drinker who wants to articulate what they’re tasting.

How to Use the Flavour Wheel When Tasting Coffee

Using the wheel takes practice, but here’s a simple method to get started:

Brew your coffee and let it cool slightly. Extreme heat masks subtle flavours. Taste at around 60–65°C for the best experience.
Smell first. Aroma accounts for a huge portion of flavour perception. Breathe in deeply and start in the centre of the wheel — is the aroma more fruity, floral, or roasty?
Take a sip and move outward. Work from the broad category toward more specific descriptors. Is the fruitiness more berry, citrus, or stone fruit?
Note the aftertaste. What lingers? Dark chocolate, caramel, earthiness? This can lead you to new descriptors.
Consider acidity, body and sweetness. The wheel also includes terms for mouthfeel and structure, not just flavour.

Why Flavour Notes Appear on Coffee Bags

When a specialty roaster writes “blackcurrant, dark chocolate, caramel” on a bag, they’re using the flavour wheel vocabulary to describe what they tasted when cupping the coffee during quality control. These are genuine sensory descriptors — not added ingredients. They result from the bean’s genetics, growing conditions, processing method, and roast level.

Not everyone will taste exactly what’s on the label — sensory perception is individual, and your palate develops with practice. But the descriptors give you a starting point and make the tasting process intentional and educational.

Start Exploring Flavours with myroast™

The best way to develop your palate is to taste widely. myroast™ offers coffees from across Australia’s best specialty roasters, all with detailed tasting notes and origin information. Try comparing a natural Ethiopian with a washed Colombian and use the flavour wheel to articulate the differences. Explore single origin coffees on myroast™ and start your tasting journey.