Who’s Brew
Coffee Glossary
A reference for the terms used across Who’s Brew product pages. Use it to understand what a roaster means by a label like washed process, light roast, or roast-to-order.
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Origin and sourcing
- Single origin: Coffee from one country, region, farm, or lot. Highlights the flavor of a specific place.
- Blend: Coffee combining beans from multiple origins to create a consistent or layered flavor profile.
- Estate or farm: A specific producer or farm where the coffee was grown.
- Region: A growing area within a country (for example, Yirgacheffe in Ethiopia or Huila in Colombia).
- Microlot: A small, separated lot of coffee, often with distinctive characteristics.
Roast levels
- Light roast: Shorter roast time. Brighter acidity, more origin character, lighter body. Common for single-origin coffees.
- Medium roast: Balanced acidity, sweetness, and body. Often described as caramel, nutty, or chocolate.
- Medium-dark roast: Heavier body, lower acidity, deeper sweetness. Common for espresso blends.
- Dark roast: Bold, smoky, low acidity. Notes of dark chocolate, toast, or roasted nuts.
Processing methods
- Washed (wet): Fruit is removed before drying. Produces a cleaner cup with clearer origin character.
- Natural (dry): Coffee is dried with the fruit intact. Produces fruit-forward, sometimes wine-like flavors.
- Honey: Some fruit pulp remains during drying. Sits between washed and natural in flavor.
- Anaerobic: Fermented in a sealed environment. Often produces unusual, intense flavor profiles.
Certifications and sourcing labels
- Organic: Grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and certified by an accredited body.
- Fair Trade: Certified to meet labor and pricing standards intended to support farmers.
- Direct trade: Roaster sources directly from a farm or cooperative, often paying premiums above commodity price.
- Rainforest Alliance: Certifies environmental and social sustainability practices.
- SCA (Specialty Coffee Association): Industry body that scores specialty coffee on a 100-point scale; coffees scoring 80+ are considered specialty.
Freshness terms
- Roast date: The date the coffee was roasted. Listed on each product when the roaster has provided it.
- Roast-to-order: The roaster roasts the coffee after the order is placed, then ships within their stated handling window.
- Roast-to-ship window: The typical time between roasting and shipping for that roaster.
- Best by: A guideline for peak flavor, typically 2–6 weeks after roast date for whole bean coffee.
Format and grind
- Whole bean: Sold as roasted beans. Best flavor retention; grind before brewing.
- Ground: Pre-ground for a specific brew method. Convenient but stales faster than whole bean.
- K-Cup or pod: Single-serve format compatible with pod brewers.
- Drip grind, espresso grind, French press grind: Different grind sizes matched to brew methods.
Tasting and evaluation
- Cupping: A standardized tasting protocol used by roasters and buyers to evaluate coffee.
- Flavor notes: Descriptors of taste characteristics (chocolate, citrus, floral, nutty, etc.).
- Body: The weight or mouthfeel of the brewed coffee.
- Acidity: Brightness or sharpness in the cup; not the same as pH.
- Aftertaste: The flavor that lingers after swallowing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does specialty coffee mean?
Specialty coffee refers to coffee that scores 80 or higher on the SCA 100-point scale. The term covers green coffee evaluation, roasting quality, and brewing standards.
How fresh is fresh enough?
Most roasters recommend brewing whole bean coffee within 2–6 weeks of the roast date. Ground coffee loses freshness faster. Roast-to-order coffees on Who’s Brew are typically the freshest available because they are roasted after you place the order.
What is the difference between organic and fair trade?
Organic refers to growing practices (no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers). Fair Trade refers to labor and pricing standards. A coffee can be one, both, or neither.