A bag saying “blueberry, dark chocolate, jasmine” is not telling you anything was added. It is describing aromatic compounds present in the coffee that are also present in those foods.
Why they are real
Coffee contains over 800 volatile aromatic compounds after roasting. Many are shared with other foods — the same molecules that make a blueberry smell like a blueberry occur in some natural-processed Ethiopian coffee.
So the note is a genuine chemical resemblance, described by the closest common reference.
Why they can seem far-fetched
They are comparative, not literal. “Blueberry” means blueberry-adjacent among coffees, not that the cup tastes like eating blueberries.
Trained palates find more. Q graders taste hundreds of coffees a month and build a vocabulary through comparison. A note you cannot find may still be there.
Some are optimistic. Marketing exists, and a roaster’s notes are their own assessment.
How to use them
As a direction rather than a promise. “Blueberry, wine” tells you to expect something fruity, heavy and natural-processed. “Lemon, jasmine, tea” tells you to expect something light, floral and washed.
That is genuinely useful for choosing a bag.
The flavour wheel
The SCA’s coffee taster’s flavour wheel organises descriptors from broad to specific. Starting broad — fruity, floral, nutty — and narrowing is how people learn.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026