Coffee glossary

Reference for coffee terms used across BrewMap.

Processing

Anaerobic Fermentation · anaerobic: Fermentation in oxygen-restricted vessels, amplifying fruity, winey, and often funky aromatics.
Honey Process · miel: A hybrid approach where the cherry skin is removed but some mucilage remains on the bean during drying, producing balanced sweetness and cleanliness.
Natural Process · dry process: The cherry dries intact with the bean inside, transferring fruit sweetness and body into the final cup. Common in Ethiopia and Brazil.
Washed Process · wet process, fully washed: A post-harvest processing method where the fruit is mechanically removed before beans ferment in water and are dried. Produces clean, bright, and articulate cups.

Geisha · gesha: An Ethiopian-origin varietal made famous by Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. Prized for intense jasmine, bergamot, and tropical character.
SL28: A celebrated Kenyan varietal bred in the 1930s, known for deep blackcurrant, structured acidity, and complex cup profile.

First Crack: An audible cracking during roasting marking the moment beans have expanded enough for moisture to escape — the threshold for drinkable roast.
Omni Roast · omni, omniroast: A roast profile intentionally tuned to perform well as both filter and espresso — a compromise between the developed sweetness espresso favours and the acidity that filter brews highlight.

Espresso: A concentrated brew produced by forcing hot, pressurised water through finely ground coffee. The base of most milk-based coffee drinks.
Pour Over · filter, manual brew: A brewing method where hot water is poured over ground coffee in a filter — highlighting clarity and nuance. Common devices include V60, Kalita Wave, and Chemex.

Blend: A mixture of coffees from multiple origins or lots, crafted for a consistent flavour profile — often used for espresso.
Single Origin · SO, single-origin: Coffee sourced from one producer, farm, cooperative, or region — meant to showcase the unique character of that terroir.
Varietal · cultivar, variety: A specific cultivar of the coffee plant (e.g. SL28, Bourbon, Geisha) that shapes the cup's inherent character.