Why we bother explaining this
Three variables. Everything else is detail.
Most coffee is sold on adjectives and cute labels. We'd rather show the inputs. Once you know how origin, process, and roast interact, you can predict what a bag will taste like before you open it.
01
Origin
Altitude, variety, soil, and rainfall decide what flavors are possible at all. No roaster can add fruit that the farm didn't grow.
Read on →02
Process
How the fruit is removed from the seed decides how much of it ends up in the cup. Clarity on one end, jammy sweetness on the other.
Read on →03
Roast
Heat over time. Every stop on the ramp trades acidity and origin character for body, caramelization, and bittersweet depth.
Read on →The flavor wheel
Every flavor a coffee can produce, and where it comes from.
Some flavors are surprising. Blueberry, jasmine, molasses, tobacco — all of it comes out of some combination of origin, process, and roast. Click a family to see its notes and which of the three variables drives it.