The visualization below shows how the primary tasting note of coffee changes, in aggregate, as you move from lower cultivation altitudes to higher. One outcome to note is that chocolate as a primary tasting note fades away as you move from left to right, as berry and citrus notes become more prominent. In general, higher altitudes slow the maturation process of the coffee, which leads to brighter, more complex flavor patterns.
This is a real coffee flavor wheel, based on 1,200 actual single origin coffees and their tasting notes as described by the roasters. The size of each slice is proportionate to the frequency that note is mentioned across the 1,200 coffees …
How does the taste of coffee vary based on the region it originates from? There are clear patterns when it comes to the dominant notes of coffees from different coffee-growing regions around the world …
How does the flavor of coffee vary with the altitude at which it was grown? What primary tasting notes are more common from lower-altitude coffees, as opposed to higher altitudes? …
What roast level and tasting note pairings are common? Where are the pockets of uniqueness? Can a dark roast really have a citrus as a primary tasting note? …
