The sharp lively quality characteristic of high-grown coffee (See Hard Bean), tasted mainly at the tip of the tongue. The brisk, snappy quality that makes coffee refreshing. It is NOT the same as bitter or sour and has nothing to do with pH factors. Coffees are low in acidity, between 5 and 6 on the pH scale.
Coffee Lingo
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The taste left in the mouth after coffee is swallowed.
Aged
Beans stored for a year or more before being roasted. The time reduces acid while developing body.
Blend
A mixture of two or more individual varietals of coffee. The idea is to create something that is better than the individual coffees by themselves. It can in some cases be used as a cost saving measure. 
The tactile impression of the weight of the coffee in the mouth. May range from thin to medium to full to buttery to syrupy.
Cafe Americano
Espresso that is cut with very hot water to fill an American size cup.
Americano
A shot or two of espresso that has been poured into a glass filled with hot water.
The fragrance of brewed coffee. The smell of coffee grounds is referred to as the Bouquet.
Bag
A burlap sack of coffee. In various countries it is a different weight. For example: Brazil a bag is 132 pounds. Colombia it is 154 pounds. In Hawaii it is 100 pound. (132 lbs is the most common).
Baked
A prematurely developed flavor that is caused by limited roasting at low temperatures.
Barista
A person who makes coffee drinks as a profession.
Batch Roaster
A machine which roasts a given quantity at one time. It does not continually roast beans. There is an identifiable start and end time to the roasters capabilities.
The taste perceived at the back of the tongue. Dark Roasts are intentionally bitter. Over-roasting or Over-extraction (too little coffee at too fine a grind) can cause a bad bitterness.
Bland
The flat neutral taste often found in low grown robusta coffees (See Soft Bean). Also caused by under-extraction (too little coffee or too course a grind).
A medley of aroma, fragrance, and aftertaste of a coffee.
Bright
Tangy acidity is often described as bright.
Briny
The salty sensation caused by excessive heat after brewing (truck-stop coffee).
Burnt
A term sometimes used for very dark-roasted coffees with bitter taste.
A full flavored coffee with a oily feeling in the mouth that may bring to mind the richness of butter.
Cafe au Lait
A Caffe au Lait is similar to a Caffe Latte except it is generally made with brewed coffee instead of espresso in a ratio of 1:1 milk to coffee with sugar added to taste.
Cafe Latte
A Caffe Latte is a single shot of espresso with steamed milk. There is no frothed milk in this drink. A Caffe Latte should have approximately 6 to 8 ounces of milk in it. (Note: ordering a Latte in an Italian restaurant may get you a glass of milk so be sure to order Caffe latte.)
Cafe Mocha
This can be prepared a variety of ways. Basically this is a chocolate cafe latte. Often prepared with whipped cream on top (See Mocha).
The drug contained in coffee. A bitter white alkaloid derived from coffee (or tea) and used in medicine for a mild stimulant or to treat certain kinds of headache.
Cappuccino gets its name from the Italian order of Catholic Capuchin monks, whose hooded robes resemble the drink's cap of foam in shape and color. The frothed milk from the top of the steaming pitcher is spooned on top to "cap" the cappuccino and retain heat. The proportion of espresso to steamed and frothed milk for cappuccino is usually 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 frothed milk on top.
Cafe Noir
Coffee served without cream or milk (cafe - French for Coffee, noir - French for black).
Caramelly
A taste that is like cooked sugar syrup, this happens during roasting when a change occurs in the coffee beans' carbohydrate content.
Carbony
A burnt taste, this occurs in some dark-roasted coffees.
Clean
Coffee with unpolluted and clear flavors.
Cocoay
Sometimes associated with stale coffee, light flavor of cocoa.
Crema
The caramel colored foam that appears on top of a shot of espresso during the brewing period. It soon dissipates after brewing. If your Crema is gone then you waited too long...or you received a bad shot! The crema makes a 'cap' which helps retain the aromatics and flavors of the espresso within the cup - the presence of crema indicates an acceptable brew.... Crema is due to colloids and lipids forced out into an emulsion under the pressure of a espresso machine.
Cupping
While tasting wine is called "tasting", tasting coffee is called "cupping".
Delicate
Tasted on the tip of the tongue, this is a very fine taste.
Demitasse
A small (one quarter size) cup used for serving espresso. It is a French term meaning 'half cup'.
A double shot of espresso (See Solo).
Dry
A dry cappuccino generally refers to a drink with a small amount of foam and no steamed milk.
Earthy
The spicy "of the earth taste" of Indonesian coffees.
A brewing method that extracts the heart of the bean. It was invented in Italy at the turn of the century. A pump-driven machine forces hot water through fine grounds at around nine atmospheres of pressure. It should take between 18 to 23 seconds to extract a good shot. This will produce from ¾ to one ounce of great liquid. This produces a sweet, thick, rich, smooth shot of espresso. Comes from the Latin word "Expresere" which means "to press out".
Espresso Breve
Espresso with half and half. Gives it a very rich creamy flavor, and is actually quite good (although a little heavy on the stomach). Half&Half is a bit of a pain to foam, but it most definitely can be done.
Espresso Con Panna
This is a shot of espresso with whipped cream.
Espresso Lungo
A shot that is pulled long for a bit of extra espresso. While many believe this maximizes the caffeine, in most shops this merely produces a bitter cup.
Espresso Macchiato
Espresso with a minimal amount (or "mark") of steamed milk on top.
Espresso Ristretto
Literally "restricted" espresso. A shorter draw. The goal being a thicker and more flavorful espresso (See Ristretto).
Exotic
Unusual aromatic and flavor notes, such as berry or floral.
The total impression of Aroma , Acidity , and Body.
The smell of brewed coffee, described with terms such as nutty, spicy, and fruity.
French Press
A device for making coffee in which ground coffee is steeped in water. The grounds are then removed from the coffee by means of a filter plunger which presses the grounds to the bottom of the pot. Also referred to as a plunger pot.
French Roast
Dark Roasted. Taste bittersweet but not like burnt charcoal.
Milk which has been made thick and foamy by aerating it with hot steam.
A coffee with a taste and aroma that brings to mind fruit.
Grassy
A coffee that tastes and smells of fresh cut grass.
Green
A sharp tasting coffee, this occurs from early harvesting and not roasting the beans long enough.
Coffee grown at relatively high altitudes, 4,000 to 4,500 feet. Coffee grown above 4,500 feet is referred to as strictly hard bean. This terminology says that beans grown at higher altitudes mature more slowly and are harder and denser than other beans and are thus more desirable.
A shot or two of espresso that has been poured into a cup filled with steamed milk and topped off with foamed milk (about a ¼").
A small irregular bean. Has a unique acid character. Generally shipped from Mocha Yemen. It is sometimes mixed with coffee shipped from Mocha Yemen.
Mellow
A smooth flavor, without acidity.
Monsooned Coffee
Coffee deliberately exposed to monsoon winds in open warehouse to increase body and reduce acidity.
Musty
A coffee that tastes and smells of mildew, caused by being poorly dried or not stored well.
Tasting and smelling of roasted nuts.
Papery
A term used for light-roasted brews, that do not have the robust flavors of darker brews.
Peaberry
Normally, each coffee cherry contains two beans. Occasionally, a cherry will form with only one bean. These are called peaberries and are frequently separated and sold as its own distinct varietal. New Guinea is one of the more popular ones.
Quaker
One bean that can spoil a whole batch of coffee.
Rich
Coffee with luxurious aroma and intense flavors.
Rioy
A nasty flavor that brings medicine to mind. Rioy flavor is sometimes associated with coffees from Brazil's Rio growing district.
This is the strongest and most concentrated espresso drink. It is made with about half the amount of water but the same amount of coffee as a regular espresso. It is pure, intense, and wonderful in taste. Ristretto in Italian means "restricted".
Roast type or roast name generally refers to are how dark a given coffee has been roasted.
A single shot of espresso (See Doppio).
Describes coffee grown at relatively low altitudes (under 4,000 ft). Beans grown at lower altitudes mature more quickly and produce a lighter, more porous bean.
A lively flavor that makes one think of sweet and savory spices.
Coffee that has been exposed to oxygen for too long. It becomes flat and has a cardboard taste.
Sweet
Smooth and palatable coffee that is free from defects and harsh flavors.
A unwanted flavor from chemical changes in the coffee, that happens during growing, processing, or roasting.
Taint
Thin
Not having flavor, body, or acidity, sometimes due to underbrewing.
Tone
The appearance or color of coffee. i.e. "This light toned coffee resembles the brown robes of the Franciscan Order".
In the strictest sense refers to the type of tree but is generally used to refer to a growing region or a given plantation. A Sumatra, Kenya, Costa Rica or a Java are varietals. As in wine - soil, climate and cultivation methods affect the taste of your coffee. The term varietal is actually a misnomer, since Arabica coffee plants are basically of the same species, unlike wine grapes which come from different species of grape vines.
Winy
A flavor reminiscent of fine red wine, full-bodied and eloquent. Kenya is one of the most notable.
Woody
A coffee that has flavors and scents of wood, caused by storage in a wooden structure.
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