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Exploring TRUE coffee descriptions: Trustworthy, Realistic, Understandable, Enticing

A Shared Industry Vocabulary to Keep Us On the Same Page

Learn more about coffee quality: Join Blue Donkey Coffee for a specialty coffee cupping at the 2019 NCA Convention in Atlanta, March 7-9

Part I: How To Communicate TRUE Coffee Quality

The following article was originally published as the first installment of a 2-part special series in Tea and Coffee Trade Journal in the July/August 2018 and September 2018 issues

By Spencer Turer, Coffee Enterprises – via LinkedIn

Aroma and taste descriptors are most easily understood when primary flavors are referenced for the perceived attribute.

When attributes are categorized into groups it becomes difficult to understand their meaning without additional training or explanations. Confusion is created when conclusions are used for flavor descriptions, or when adjectives or verbs are used in place of nouns when presenting descriptions.

The use of primary food terminology adheres to the tenants of TRUE descriptions. A primary food word is one that has a tangible reference found in nature, at a grocery store, or within a set of calibration standards.

Familiarity with basic taste terms is developed through sensory training using calibration samples for aroma and taste and aligning with other cupper and tasters for the appropriate use of the terms.

When there is confusion, additional discussions are required to identify the actual taste or aroma character being perceived. This becomes inefficient for an operation and may result in inappropriate or incorrect descriptions being used for coffee. These additional discussions are challenging when cuppers/tasters are working to understand each description across language, regional or cultural differences.

Examples of conclusion or category words that are to be avoided when communicating coffee descriptions:

• Aged – a measurement of time not taste, used as a conclusion when coffee presents tastes and aroma of paper, malt, cereal, cardboard, oats, peanut shells, and rice.
• Bright, Crisp & Sharp – terms used to describe organic acids that are astringent, tart or lack sweetness.
• Edgy – used to describe coffee that is not clean and/or not sweet.
• Green – describes coffee that is early-crop harvest, under-ripe, recently milled, or has not has enough time to rest before analysis. Specific tastes that could be identified individually include: grassy, green pepper, green bean, onion, and broccoli, among others.
• Harsh – also used to describe coffee that is not clean and/or not sweet.
• Low-grown character – often used to describe coffee that lacks intensity of flavour, mild acidity, thin body, and may also include grassy, dirty or earthy undertones.
• Old – a measurement of time not taste, used as a conclusion when coffee presents tastes and aroma of paper, malt, cereal, cardboard, oats, peanut shells, and rice.
• Off-cup – used to indicate a coffee cup that lacks uniformity with other cups, or has an unidentified taint or fault.
• Past crop – a measurement of time not taste, used as a conclusion when coffee presents tastes and aroma of paper, malt, cereal, cardboard, oats, peanut shells, and rice.
• Processed – often used to describe decaffeinated coffee and thought to indicate over-processing to remove caffeine or the character of the water used in decaffeinated coffee processing. Specific tastes that could be identified individually include: hay, straw, paper, cereal, malt, cardboard, peanut shells, nut skins, and rice.
• Roasty – used to describe the effects of roasting instead of the character of the coffee, for example the taste of burnt sugar, earthy, dirty, smoky or ashy characters found in dark roasted coffees or coffees exposed to exhaust smoke.
• Sound – A term used to indicate when coffee is free of defects.
• Tired – a measurement of time not taste, used as a conclusion when coffee presents tastes and aroma of paper, malt, cereal, cardboard, oats, peanut shells, and rice.

To avoid confusion when creating reviewing coffee sensory descriptions, it is most efficient and effective to use primary food words, which have a single item that can be used for calibration, either from a grocery store, or a flavor training kit.

Training and sensory acuity may affect the words used in creating coffee descriptions. Also, the quality of the coffee is a key contributing factor to the degree of generalization or specificity of the descriptive words used. Eg, a coffee may be described as having fruity, spicy, and nutty characters. By this description it is unknown if the cupper is a novice and has not been fully trained in identify and describing taste, or if the quality of the coffee does not allow for more specific taste characters to be perceived and listed.

“Fruity” is a category descriptor that obviously includes all fruits. This category can be divided into citric and berry, thus diverging on the fruit identity and increasing the level of specificity. Further detail perceptions would be to identify the actual citric fruits perceived or berries perceived. Many specialty coffee descriptions identify the individual variety of lemon or lime. This level of great details requires a highly trained cupper who is calibrated to lemon and lime standards and a high-quality coffee that has the inherent taste characteristics. Without one or even both to occur, a description that may include Kaffir Limes, Key Limes, Limequates, Meyer Lemons, Rangpur Limes, Tahiti Limes and Eureka or Lisbon lemons, will lack both credibility and believability.

Coffee Product Descriptions

Merchandising is the promoting of items for sale. Any action that stimulates the buyer’s interest and entices consideration for purchase intent is merchandising, including advertising, packaging, price, and promotion. It is most effective when the buyer understands the information which is presented in a clear and concise manner. When descriptions create too many questions, or present incomplete or include technical jargon, merchandising will adversely affect the buyer’s purchase decision.

Industry jargon and abbreviations are appropriate only when the seller and potential buyers are both familiar with the terms and a communication shorthand is appropriate. However, armatures, home roasters and consumers may be confused by our verbal short-hand.

When offering products to consumers, additional explanations and more detailed descriptions are required, specifically answering why the information presented is important and how it will affect the quality of the coffee. Consumers expect TRUE descriptions.

Information that is obvious to professionals may be unknown to consumers, thus it is always recommended to identify the information being presented to avoid confusion. Green coffee descriptions are commonly used to merchandise roasted coffee products, illustrating the relationship and importance of describing descriptions accurately and appropriately.

Each company should adopt a standard format for coffee description, which over time, will become familiar to returning customers.

An important note: regular customers will gradually gain knowledge and sophistication, so before changing the format of coffee descriptions carefully consider how those changes will affect new and novice consumers.

What benefits one consumer group may alienate another. Detailed explanations for coffee descriptions may be presented on the company’s web page, within the foodservice menu or retail display, and are not always feasible to include on the coffee packaging.

In the foodservice environment, TRUE product descriptions and detailed explanations should always be part of employee training and available to any employee who needs to answer a consumer’s question.

Green Coffee Descriptions

Commonly used to establish provenance, promote the sourcing practices, or explain the quality of the coffee, green coffee descriptions are obviously a critical component to merchandising green coffee products and are not more common when merchandising roasted coffee products. Often a point of differentiation from one product or company to another, green coffee descriptions establish the expectations for quality, value and sensory experience.

Green coffee descriptions may require explanation relevant to quality, sensory profile, and price:

• Regional Identification – What is a Yirgacheffe or Huehuetenango?
• Varietal/Cultivar – Why is Bourbon or Geisha important to state?
• Altitude/Density & Other Identifiers – What is meant by PW, EP, HB, SHB, HG, MCM, SHG?
• Processing Types – How are the different methods significant?
• Certification – Why is it significant and what does it mean?

Recently, a colleague visited a local coffeehouse that offers specialty quality coffees in their pour-over station. The featured coffee was Panama Pacamara and the price was USD $9 for a 12-ounce cup. When compared to usual prices for pour-over, French press and vacuum pot preparation in the US, this drink is about two to three times more expensive. The merchandising and description for this expensive handcrafted beverage, Panama Pacamara, was grossly incomplete, and was further exacerbated when the barista was asked about the coffee provenance and roast development. The barista’s only response was Pacamara coffee from Panama. This exchange and poor description is tantamount to merchandising a bottle or can of craft beer as ale from Colorado and selling it for two to three times the usual price. Both are examples of descriptions that are not TRUE.

Roasted Coffee Descriptions

The message of hospitality is to never give the customer a reason to shop elsewhere. Confusing and incomplete merchandising may force buyers to look elsewhere for coffee.

When buyers are unable to connect with the product through the description, there is low confidence of purchase or repeat purchases.

As [coffee] professionals, we know our industry has many differences of opinions and company-specific terminology regarding quality identifications for coffee. TRUE descriptions are not vague, and are aligned with the industry as whole.

Examining roast level’s descriptions, the roast development spectrum may be divided into categories, there has been limited industry alignment on the use of light, medium, and dark description. Recognized roast terms used in merchandising, such as: American, cinnamon, city, full city, Vienna, continental, French, Italian, etc, are not standardized and often create confusion for the consumer. When comparing several packaged coffees that all use the same roast level identification, there will surely be several different levels of roast development or coffee color, often with a wide range from light to dark.

Consumers are further confused when seeing company-specific references. Eg, a light roast from a company that specializes in dark roasted coffees may be darker than a dark roasted coffee from a company that specializes in light roasted coffees. Standardization or a universality of roast development language or roast color identification would contribute to greater understanding by consumers.

Descriptions are not TRUE when confusion is created and consumer expectations are not met. Flavor descriptions, roast description, coffee quality, origin information, etc, must always follow the TRUE model or a point if disconnection will occur between the seller and the buyer, or between the professional and the consumer. Knowing the details of the contents within a coffee package or of a coffee beverage through the use of TRUE descriptions will help prevent disappointment and purchases of coffee that will not suit the preferences of the consumer.

Part I: How To Communicate TRUE Coffee Quality

Spencer Turer is vice president of Coffee Enterprises in Hinesburg, Vermont. He is a founding member of the Roasters Guild, a licensed Q grader, received the SCAA Outstanding Contribution to the Association Award and earned the SCA Specialty Coffee Diploma. Turer is an active volunteer for the Specialty Coffee Association and the National Coffee Association of the USA.

Daiane Vital embracing her mother Vanilda de Souza Vital, south of Minal Geraris Brazil. Photo: Danielle Sereio

“The industry must do a better job at telling coffee’s history, beyond those who carried the bean throughout different parts of the world…”
– Phyllis Johnson, BD Imports, NCA Board Member

In the most recent issue, Roast Magazine published an insightful and important article by Phyllis Johnson, NCA board member and BD Imports president & co-founder.

“Strong Black Coffee, Why Aren’t African Americans More Prominent in The Coffee Industry?” features perspectives from 14 black coffee professionals.

The following is a summary of the original piece, with new reflections and an update from Johnson’s recent trip to Brazil during International Coffee Week.

Daiane Vital and Phyllis Johnson at International Coffee Week, Brazil, Belo Horizonte

How Past Informs Present

Data shows that African Americans are less likely to choose coffee in comparison to other US ethnic groups. Yet coffee’s history links major contributions not only to Africa, but the diaspora around the globe.

Ethiopia is praised as the birthplace of coffee and for giving us some of the most prized coffees in the world.  Those of African descent continue to play a key role in production.  The enslavement of African people was the original source for coffee production in Brazil, the Caribbean and the West Indies, yet research shows that African Americans are less likely to choose coffee in comparison to other US ethnic groups.  In addition, fewer African Americans are employed in the industry.

In trying to understand the complex and loosely connected relationship between coffee and African Americans I considered my personal life experiences, along with myths I was told about coffee as a child.  I consulted a collection of history books on the subjects of coffee and slavery, in addition to conducting many interviews.

D’Onna Stubblefield, coffee consultant, New York

The industry must do a better job at telling coffee’s history beyond those who carried the bean throughout different parts of the world such as the missionaries, travelers, traders, and colonist.

We must tell the full extent of coffee’s history acknowledging those who were enslaved to work in coffee fields.  Understanding that the first beans that arrived on our shores were produced by the enslaved, prepared and served by the enslaved.

While we are very comfortable in present day story-telling about coffee farmers in our marketing programs, we must not look away from the past.

Denis Ngochi

Some may not see the connections between the effects of slavery, racism, and inequality and how this links to low participation of African Americans in many industries including coffee.

Denis Ngochi, co-founder of Elephant Coffee Importers shared:

“You have to unearth history yourself to avoid ignorance.  For some it hurts, for others, it’s shameful and no one wants to be hurt or ashamed, but we have to know this history in order to understand what’s happening today and grow from it.”

Marketing plays a tremendous role in the products we chose.

While celebrity endorsements for coffee are often white men, carbonated beverages and fruit juice advertisements tend to more often feature young black professionals.

As a result, research shows that blacks over index on carbonated beverages and fruit juices.

Gisele Coutinho at International Coffee Week Brazil, Belo Horizonte

Perspectives and Reflections From Brazil

Although the article is centered around black coffee professionals in the US, I decided to include perspectives from of two Brazilians, Daiane Vital, a coffee picker in Mantiqueria and Gisele Coutinho, from São Paulo who works in coffee consumption. Their stores are directly connected to the production of coffee through past generations.

A few weeks ago, I attended International Coffee Week in Brazil where I met up with Daiane and Gisele and shared a copy of the article with them.  Perspectives from blacks in America and Brazil are similar, both reflecting on the consequences of a lack of representation and visibility.

Gisele Coutinho, founder of Pura Caffeina in São Paulo, says: 

“As a small business owner and one of few black Brazilians in the consumption market, I am often asked whose brand it is and who I work for.  I am not thought to be the owner of the business…”

At International Coffee Week in Brazil

Inclusivity Is An Industry Imperative

According to the NCA National Coffee Drinking Trends (NCDT) report, consumption among African Americans fell from 46% in 2017 to 42% in 2018.

In the category of “gourmet coffee beverages (net)” – which includes expresso-based beverages, non-espresso-based beverages, traditional coffee- gourmet and ready to drink coffee beverages – the 2018 survey indicates 42% of African Americans drink beverages in this category, compared to 64% of Hispanic-Americans and 53% of Caucasian-Americans and 59% percent of Asian-Americans

Coffee is an important industry in the US.  In 2015 the industry created 1.7 million jobs, 1.6% of the US GDP and had an annual economic output value of $225 billion, based on the NCA Economic Impact report.

In addition, research shows that coffee offers health benefits, consisting of improved longevity, cardiovascular health, liver health, diabetes, cancer and stroke, all of which are significant issues for African-Americans.

Moving Forward Together

Over the past 20 years that I’ve worked in coffee, I’ve come to realize that although we all face similar challenges, the additional challenge of having a lack of representation, little sense of belonging, and virtual invisibility within the industry can have a profound impact on the success of an individual and their business.

The article offers possible solutions to improving participation in the industry by providing questions to consider when building a more diverse and inclusive team. It encourages readers to invite more diversity to the table.

In addition to expanding coffee consumption, we should consider the creativity and insight that a more inclusive industry provides.

Strong Black Coffee, Why Aren’t African Americans More Prominent in The Coffee Industry? | Roast magazine

PHYLLIS JOHNSON is president of BD Imports and the recipient of the 2018 Responsible Business Supplier of the Year award from Radisson Hotel Group. Her story has been featured in several books and articles. She’s an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the coffee supply chain, gender equity, economic opportunities, and the complex issues of race and coffee. She’s a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a degree in microbiology, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University with a degree in public administration. Johnson is a current board member of the National Coffee Association USA and has served on numerous other coffee industry boards. She lives in Georgia with her husband, Patrick. They have three children, Marcus, Matthew and Maya.

Photos via Roast and Phyllis Johnson

4 in 5 consumers say they look forward to fall seasonal items the most

Is this the end of pumpkin spice?

By Amanda Topper, Mintel

The following is an edited excerpt from the Mintel Blog. Read the full post 

Wake up and smell the coffee: Pumpkin spice’s reign as top autumn coffee beverage may be coming to an end.

Menu mentions of pumpkin-flavored coffees declined 30% from Fall 2015-Fall 2017, according to Mintel Menu Insights. This decline was driven mainly by a few quick-service restaurants (QSRs).

Mintel’s US research on seasonal dining trends finds diners are more likely to gravitate toward salty/sweet, spicy/sweet, savory, and spicy flavored beverages during the fall and winter months.

While pumpkin-flavored coffees still appear on fall seasonal menus, operators are also expanding their fall seasonal coffee options to include non-pumpkin flavors.

Recently launched flavors include:

• Crème brûlée
• Salted caramel
• Horchata
• Maple pecan
• Smoked butterscotch
• Chestnut praline

Despite the expansion of fall seasonal coffee flavors, many operators recognize the affinity some consumers have toward the pumpkin spice flavor.

Four in five consumers say they look forward to fall seasonal items the most.

WHAT WE THINK

Good or bad, pumpkin spice is here to stay, with key operators likely to continue offering the ‘classic’ flavor during the fall season.

However, as these declines show, there is room for additional flavors that can appeal to consumers that are not among the pumpkin spice faithful.

Several recently launched fall limited-time offers (LTOs) provide a slightly different take on familiar flavors, such as caramel, vanilla, and butterscotch, offering consumers a sense of indulgence and adventure. Additionally, these menu items are bound to create buzz due to their limited availability.

Operators should consider offering a variety of fall seasonal coffee flavors, featuring new and classic options, to appeal to a wide consumer base.

Read the full post at Mintel

Amanda Topper is the Associate Director of Foodservice Research, responsible for overseeing all of Mintel’s foodservice offerings, as well as providing insight and competitive analysis across scheduled deliverables, and client and industry presentations.

Watch the NCA webinar: The Complexity of Flavor Labeling (member login required)