你是否曾經在品嚐一杯精品咖啡時，聽到咖啡師形容出「茉莉花香」、「藍莓果醬」或「烤堅果」等細膩風味，自己卻只能喝出「苦」或「酸」？
其實，這並不代表你的味覺不夠敏銳，而是你可能還沒有掌握一套描述味道的語言。而這，正是「咖啡風味輪」（Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel）存在的意義——它是一張帶你進入咖啡感官世界的地圖。
什麼是咖啡風味輪？
咖啡風味輪是精品咖啡產業中最具代表性的工具之一。現今最廣泛使用的版本，由美國精品咖啡協會（SCAA）與世界咖啡研究組織（World Coffee Research, WCR）共同開發。
簡單來說，它是一套標準化的風味詞彙系統。這套系統奠基於感官科學，將咖啡中可能出現的各種風味加以分類、整理，並以圓形視覺呈現。它的目的不只是幫助你「辨識」風味，更重要的是，讓全球的咖啡愛好者、烘焙師與杯測師，能夠使用同一套語言來交流感受。
風味輪的結構邏輯
乍看之下，風味輪五彩繽紛、詞彙密集，似乎有些令人卻步。但只要理解它的閱讀方式，其實非常直觀。整個風味輪遵循一個核心原則：由內而外，由抽象到具體。
最內圈：基礎風味類別
這是風味的「大方向」，也是你在品嚐時最先感受到的整體印象，例如：
水果味（Fruity）、花香（Floral）、堅果／可可（Nutty / Cocoa）、香料（Spices）等。
中間圈：次級分類
在確認大方向後，風味輪會進一步引導你細分。例如，當你覺得是「水果味」，接下來可以判斷是莓果類（Berry）、柑橘類（Citrus）還是核果類（Stone Fruit）。
最外圈：具體風味描述
最外圈提供的是最精準、最具體的詞彙。如果你一路從「水果味」→「柑橘類」走到外圈，就能進一步辨認是檸檬（Lemon）、萊姆（Lime）、葡萄柚（Grapefruit）或橙（Orange）。
實戰指南：如何用風味輪來品鑑咖啡？
拿起一杯咖啡，搭配風味輪，跟著以下步驟練習：
第一步：聞香與SIP
先別急著看風味輪。閉上眼睛，感受咖啡研磨後的乾香，以及沖煮完成後的濕香。SIP一口咖啡，讓咖啡在口中擴散，感受它的質地與風味。
第二步：從中心開始定位
問自己一個最簡單的問題：
「這杯咖啡給我的主要感覺是什麼？」
是清爽酸甜、像水果？
還是濃郁厚實、讓人聯想到巧克力或堅果？
抑或帶有青草、蔬菜般的植物氣息？
先在風味輪的內圈找到方向。
第三步：向外探索
假設你判斷它屬於「水果味」，下一步再問自己：
「這是哪一類水果？」
如果酸度明亮、清新，讓你想到檸檬或柳橙，可能是柑橘類；
如果甜感較深、像果醬或熟果，則可能是莓果類。
第四步：鎖定具體詞彙
最後，對照最外圈的詞彙，嘗試為你的感受命名：
「啊，這種酸感銳利又帶點清香，感覺不只是橙香，更像是青檸!」
為什麼你需要咖啡風味輪？
建立感官記憶庫
很多時候喝不出風味，不是因為沒有，而是因為大腦找不到對應的記憶。風味輪能迫使你回想、比對、連結，久而久之，你的味覺辨識能力自然會提升。
提升品飲樂趣
當你能分辨出衣索比亞咖啡的茉莉花香，或肯亞咖啡的黑醋栗酸甜，喝咖啡就不再只是提神，而是一場有層次、有故事的味覺旅程。
更精準地表達喜好
下次買豆子時，你可以清楚告訴咖啡師：「我喜歡核果、焦糖調性的咖啡」，而不只是模糊地說「不要太酸」。
咖啡風味輪不只是一張圖表，它是連接你味蕾與咖啡靈魂的橋樑。下一次喝咖啡時，不妨從風味輪出發，為那杯咖啡尋找專屬的風味座標。你會發現，精品咖啡的世界，遠比想像中更遼闊。
Have you ever been tasting a cup of speciality coffee while listening to a barista describe notes of jasmine, blueberry jam or toasted nuts—yet all you can detect is “bitterness” or “acidity”?
In reality, this does not mean your palate is underdeveloped. More often, it simply means you lack the language to describe what you are tasting. This is precisely where the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel comes in—it is a map that guides you into the sensory world of coffee.
What is the Coffee Flavour Wheel?
The coffee flavour wheel is one of the most iconic tools in the speciality coffee industry. The most widely used version today was developed collaboratively by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and World Coffee Research (WCR).
At its core, it is a standardised vocabulary for flavour. Grounded in sensory science, the wheel organises the vast range of possible coffee flavours into a clear, visual system. Its purpose is not only to help you identify flavours, but also to enable coffee lovers, roasters and cuppers around the world to communicate using a shared language.
Understanding the Structure of the Flavour Wheel
At first glance, the flavour wheel can feel overwhelming—dense with colours and terminology. However, once you understand its structure, it becomes surprisingly intuitive. The wheel follows one simple principle:
From the centre outwards, from broad to specific.
Inner Ring: Primary Categories
The inner ring represents broad flavour families—the first impressions you register when tasting coffee. Examples include Fruity, Floral, Nutty / Cocoa, and Spices.
Middle Ring: Secondary Categories
These refine the primary categories. If you identify a coffee as fruity, the middle ring helps you determine whether those flavours resemble berries, citrus fruits or stone fruits.
Outer Ring: Specific Descriptors
The outer ring provides the most precise terms. Following the path from Fruity → Citrus, you might arrive at lemon, lime, grapefruit or orange.
A Practical Guide: How to Taste Coffee Using the Flavour Wheel
Take a cup of coffee and practise using the flavour wheel with the following steps:
Step 1: Smell and Slurp
Resist the urge to look at the wheel straight away. Close your eyes and inhale the dry aroma of the ground coffee, then the wet aroma after brewing. Take a sip and allow the coffee to coat your palate.
Step 2: Start from the Centre
Ask yourself a simple question:
“What is the dominant impression of this coffee?”
Is it bright and sweet, reminiscent of fruit?
Rich and dense, like chocolate or nuts?
Or vegetal, with grassy or herbal notes?
Begin by locating the general category in the inner ring.
Step 3: Move Outwards
If you identify fruity characteristics, refine your thinking further:
“What kind of fruit does this remind me of?”
Bright acidity and freshness may point towards citrus fruits.
Deeper sweetness, similar to jam or ripe fruit, may suggest berries.
Step 4: Pinpoint the Descriptor
Finally, look to the outer ring and try to match your sensory experience with a specific term:
“Ah—this acidity is sharp and aromatic. It’s not just citrus; it’s closer to lime.”
Why Use the Coffee Flavour Wheel?
Building a Sensory Memory Bank
Often, we struggle to identify flavours not because they are absent, but because our brains lack the reference points. The flavour wheel encourages active recall and comparison, gradually sharpening your sensory awareness.
Enhancing the Pleasure of Drinking Coffee
When you can distinguish jasmine notes in an Ethiopian coffee or blackcurrant acidity in a Kenyan one, coffee becomes more than a source of caffeine—it becomes a sensory journey.
Communicating Your Preferences Clearly
When buying beans, you can say, “I enjoy coffees with stone fruit and caramel notes,” rather than vaguely asking for something “not too acidic”.
The coffee flavour wheel is more than a chart—it is a bridge between your palate and the soul of the coffee. Next time you brew a cup, keep the flavour wheel close by, start from the centre, and explore outwards. You may find that the world of coffee is far broader than you ever imagined.