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Dark
Roasting term meaning dark brown beans with a shiny surface; equivalent to espresso or French roast; dark roasts are roasted longer than light roasts.

Delicate
A secondary coffee taste sensation characterized by fragile sweet-subtle sensation just past the tip of the tongue. This is easily broken up by other taste sensations, hence the term delicate.

Earthy
An odor taint in the coffee beans that produces an mineral-like taste sensation. Results when fats in the coffee beans absorb organic materials from the ground in the drying process during harvesting.

Fair trade certified
Trans Fair USA is an independent non-profit organization which monitors and certifies Fair Trade products in the United States. Fair Trade raises incomes and living standards for small coffee farmers overseas while helping to protect the environment. Fair Trade doesn’t provide aid or charity, but instead promotes self-reliance and equality for farmers who are disadvantaged under present trading conditions.

Flavor
Flavor is the most ambiguous term of all. Acidity has something to do with flavor, and so do body and aroma. Some coffees simply have a fuller, richer flavor than others, whereas other coffees have an acidy tang, for instance, that tends to dominate everything else.

Floral
An aromatic sensation created by a highly volatile set of aldehydes and esters that produce sweet fragrance sensations reminiscent of a flower.

French roast
When applied to roasting coffee, means that the bean is roasted high enough to bring the natural oil of the coffee to the surface. French roast is a medium to dark roast.

Fruity
An aromatic sensation created by a highly volatile set of aldehydes and esters found in coffee’s aroma. Either a sweet sensation reminiscent of citrus fruit or a dry sensation reminiscent of berry fruit.

Full
An intensity description of bouquet indicating gases have a strong presence.