帶您看懂SCA咖啡風味輪 Taking You Through the SCA Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel
目錄：
1. 什麼是咖啡風味輪
2. 如何透過八個步驟使用咖啡風味輪
什麼是咖啡風味輪
《咖啡風味輪》(Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel)是由精品咖啡協會(SCA)和世界咖啡研究中心(WCR)共同研究的成果，最初於1995年發布，是咖啡業最具代表性的資源，2016年更新為目前的版本，是由數十位專業感官小組成員、科學家、咖啡買家和烘焙公司透過SCA和WCR合作的成果，這是迄今為止規模最大的咖啡風味研究，為業界專業人士激發了一套新的咖啡詞彙。
The Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel is the result of a collaborative effort between the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and the World Coffee Research (WCR). Initially released in 1995, it stands as one of the coffee industry's most representative resources. It was updated in 2016 through a large-scale collaborative effort involving dozens of professionals from sensory panels, scientists, coffee buyers, and roasting companies, all working in partnership with the SCA and WCR. This endeavor represents the most extensive research into coffee flavors to date, introducing a new set of coffee vocabulary for industry professionals.
要使用這個強大的工具，請沖泡一杯新鮮的咖啡，從風味輪的中心開始看，一邊喝、一邊看風味輪，當您慢慢感受到所喝的風味、卻說不出是什麼時，請想想更廣泛的風味；是堅果味？甜味？花香味？水果味？即使您對自己的判斷不太有信心，這樣可以幫助您縮小搜尋範圍。當您想繼續識別更多風味時，您自然會向風味輪的邊緣移動並獲得更具體的風味特性。這就是咖啡風味輪的目的，讓任何人無需經過正式培訓或複雜的過程就可以品嚐咖啡風味。
To harness the power of this invaluable tool, brew yourself a fresh cup of coffee. Start by looking at the central part of the flavor wheel. As you sip your coffee, look at the wheel, and when you start to experience flavors that you can't quite put into words, think of broader categories. Is it a nutty taste? A hint of sweetness? Floral notes? Fruity undertones? Even if you're not confident in your judgment, this approach can help you narrow down your search. As you seek to identify more flavors, you'll naturally move towards the wheel's edges and gain a more specific understanding of flavor characteristics. This is the essence of the Coffee Flavor Wheel—making it possible for anyone to explore coffee flavors without the need for formal training or complex processes.
例如，喝衣索比亞咖啡時通常會品嚐到「水果味」；接著向外延伸此區塊，讓人感受到是「柑橘類水果味」等；並可以再細分描述，它是「柚子味」、「橘子味」、「檸檬味」還是「萊姆味」。確定辨識了是哪個風味後，可以回到中心點再往其他方向繼續分辦風味，例如找找有沒有「漿果味」的風味特性；重複步驟直到完成描述咖啡的風味；這是風味輪基本的使用方式。
For example, when drinking Ethiopian coffee, you might commonly perceive a "fruity" flavor. Extending further into this segment, you can specify it as "citrusy fruits," and then delve deeper by deciding if it's "grapefruit," "orange," "lemon," or "lime" flavor. Once you've identified the flavor, you can return to the central point and continue exploring other flavor directions. Repeat these steps until you've thoroughly described the coffee's flavor. This is the fundamental use of the flavor wheel.
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咖啡風味輪圖片來源: SCA網站
https://sca.coffee/research/coffee-tasters-flavor-wheel
如何透過八個步驟使用咖啡風味輪
How to Use the Coffee Flavor Wheel in Eight Steps
咖啡風味輪是精品咖啡協會和世界咖啡研究中心合作的成果，旨在成為咖啡品嚐者的工具。作為一種工具，它應該是直觀的、使用起來令人愉快的，並且對那些尋求分析和描述咖啡的人來說是有益的。以下是有關如何正確使用風味輪的一些提示。
The Coffee Flavor Wheel is a collaborative project between the Specialty Coffee Association and the World Coffee Research, designed to be a tool for coffee tasters. As a tool, it should be intuitive, enjoyable to use, and beneficial for those seeking to analyze and describe coffee. Here are some tips on how to use the flavor wheel effectively.
第1步：概觀風味輪
咖啡風味輪是實用且美麗的，就像一杯好咖啡一樣，它呈現出一幅全面且千變萬化的咖啡風味圖。先瀏覽這些詞彙單字，並感受其中，你可能會看到一些不熟悉的單字，沒關係，先驚嘆一下咖啡各種複雜的風味。
Step 1: Get an Overview of the Flavor Wheel
The Coffee Flavor Wheel is practical and beautiful, much like a good cup of coffee itself. It presents a comprehensive and ever-evolving chart of coffee flavors. Start by browsing through the vocabulary words on the wheel and immerse yourself in it. You might encounter some unfamiliar terms, but that's alright. Just take a moment to marvel at the complexity of coffee flavors.
第2步：品嚐咖啡
風味輪可用於休閒品嚐或專業咖啡杯測。無論哪種情況，關鍵是用心品味。仔細準備咖啡，觀察不同階段的咖啡：研磨後的香氣、水接觸咖啡渣時逸出的香氣，以及啜飲咖啡時充滿味蕾的味道。「風味」被定義為味道和氣味的組合，風味輪包含從味道(那些只能透過舌頭感知的東西)到香氣(那些只能聞到的東西)之間的整個連續屬性。大多數風味都是感官的綜合：例如檸檬風味包含酸、香氣、甜味、苦味和特有芳香。品嚐咖啡並記住其中風味，接著看看風味輪。
Step 2: Taste the Coffee
The Flavor Wheel can be used for casual tasting or professional coffee cupping. In either case, the key is to savor the experience. Prepare your coffee carefully and observe different aspects of the coffee: the aroma after grinding, the scents released when water meets the coffee grounds, and the flavors that fill your palate as you sip. "Flavor" is defined as a combination of taste and aroma, and the Flavor Wheel covers the entire spectrum from tastes (what you perceive with your tongue) to aromas (what you smell). Most flavors are a sensory blend; for instance, a lemony flavor includes elements of acidity, aroma, sweetness, bitterness, and unique fragrances. Taste the coffee and remember its flavors, then refer to the Flavor Wheel.
第3步：從中心開始
風味輪的設計鼓勵品嚐者從中心開始，然後向外進行。最一般的口味描述位於中心那一圈，隨著層次向外，它們變得更加具體。品嚐者可以在途中的任何地方停下來，但品嚐者看得越外圍、描述會越具體。例如，咖啡品嚐者在品嚐來自衣索比亞的咖啡時可能會檢測到水果味。來到風味「水果味」部分，會面臨一個選擇：水果味是否讓人想起莓果、乾果、柑橘類水果或其他水果？如果品嚐者決定是「柑橘類水果」，他們可以進一步描述：是「葡萄柚」、「橘子」、「檸檬」還是「萊姆」？確定了該風味後，品嚐者可以回到中心並重新開始，專注於另一種風味，直到他們覺得對咖啡的描述已經完成。這是風味輪的基本功能，可以非常簡單地使用。然而，風味輪不只如此，專業咖啡師可以進一步使用它。
Step 3: Start from the Center
The design of the Flavor Wheel encourages tasters to begin in the center and then move outward. The most general flavor descriptions are in the central circle, and as you progress outward, they become more specific. Tasters can stop at any point along the way, but the further you look towards the wheel's outer edges, the more specific your descriptions become. For example, when tasting coffee from Ethiopia, a taster might initially detect a "fruity" flavor. Within the "fruity" section, you're faced with a choice: does it remind you of berries, dried fruits, citrus fruits, or other fruits? If you decide it's "citrus fruits," you can go further and describe whether it's "grapefruit," "orange," "lemon," or "lime." Once you've identified that flavor, you can return to the center and start fresh, focusing on another flavor, continuing this process until you feel you've thoroughly described the coffee. This is the fundamental use of the Flavor Wheel, which can be quite simple to employ. However, the Flavor Wheel offers even more utility for professional coffee tasters.
第4步：閱讀詞典
咖啡風味輪是基於「世界咖啡研究感官詞典」繪製，讓訓練有素的感官人員基於科學方法來品鑑咖啡。儘管絕大多數風味輪使用者不會用它來訓練味覺，但感官詞典仍然可以用於定義風味輪上的風味特性，每個風味特性都有一個定義和一個參考，可用於校準檢視。風味輪和感官詞典在相互搭配時效果最佳，品嚐者還可以參考感官詞典來獲取風味特性描述和參考，感官詞典為專業咖啡師提供了豐富的資訊來源。許多人都會遇到不熟悉的化學或技術用語，但感官詞典上都有清楚地解釋，並為所有風味特性提供了感官參考。
Step 4: Consult the Dictionary
The Coffee Flavor Wheel is built on the foundation of the "World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon," a tool used by trained sensory panelists to evaluate coffee scientifically. While most users of the Flavor Wheel won't employ it for sensory training, the Sensory Lexicon can still be used to define the flavor attributes on the Flavor Wheel. Each flavor attribute has a definition and reference point, which can be used to calibrate what you're perceiving. The Flavor Wheel and Sensory Lexicon work best together. Tasters can also refer to the Sensory Lexicon for flavor descriptions and references, providing rich information sources for professional coffee tasters. Many individuals may encounter unfamiliar chemical or technical terms, but the Sensory Lexicon provides clear explanations for all flavor attributes and sensory references.
第5步：參看風味的資料來源
感官詞典中的每個風味特性都有參考來源，可以在日常生活中如超市或網路搜尋中獲得。請記住，風味參考絕對不是只靠觀察，在參考風味後，您要親自品嚐和嗅聞咖啡中的這些風味。建議用杯子來嗅聞，可以集中香氣，並做筆記，鍛鍊您的感官記憶。
Step 5: Refer to Flavor Sources
Each flavor attribute in the Sensory Lexicon has reference sources that can be found in everyday life, such as in supermarkets or online searches. Remember that flavor references are not just observed; after referring to a flavor, it's important to taste and smell those flavors in coffee personally. We recommend using a cup for smelling, as it concentrates the aroma, and take notes to sharpen your sensory memory.
第6步：再回到風味輪看間隙大小
籍由對詞典知識的了解，品嚐一杯咖啡並再回到風味輪中心，針對一個風味詞彙來描述咖啡，查看鄰近的風味詞彙，您會注意到二個詞彙彼此之間的間隔距離似乎不同。如果兩個風味詞彙相連，則表示專業咖啡師認為這二者的特性密切相關；如果存在間隙，則表示它們的相關性沒這麼密切。在做味覺校正時對咖啡描述會很有幫助，或是讓多數人可以理解所描述的風味特性。
Step 6: Return to the Wheel and Note Gap Sizes
Using your knowledge from the lexicon, taste a cup of coffee and then return to the center of the Flavor Wheel to describe the coffee in terms of one flavor term. Look at neighboring flavor terms and notice that the distances between two terms seem to differ. If two flavor terms are connected, it means that professional tasters find these two characteristics closely related. If there's a gap, it suggests that their relationship is not as close. This can be helpful when fine-tuning your taste description, or it helps most people understand the described flavor attributes.
第7步：用自己的描述
這些工具的偉大之處在於它們構成了咖啡品嚐者的基本共同語言。咖啡風味輪的存在意味著所有咖啡專業人士都可以研究通用詞彙，將其用於我們的專業品嚐與日常咖啡店中，並進行交流。雖然富有想像的描述和天馬行空的想法很棒，但有時它們會讓溝通變得更加困難。因此對於那些尋求就咖啡進行交流的人來說，有共同語言詞彙(如咖啡風味輪中的詞彙)是很棒的方法。
Step 7: Use Your Own Descriptions
The beauty of these tools is that they form a common language for coffee tasters. The existence of the Coffee Flavor Wheel means that all coffee professionals can study universal vocabulary, use it in our professional cupping sessions and daily coffee shops, and communicate. While imaginative descriptions and creative thoughts are great, sometimes they make communication more challenging. Therefore, for those seeking to communicate about coffee, having a shared language (like the vocabulary on the Coffee Flavor Wheel) is a fantastic way.
第8步：研究顏色
我們的視覺與其他感官密切相關，食物的外觀為我們提供了重要的線索，讓我們了解它們的味道。因此，我們經常使用視覺術語來描述風味：咖啡的味道可以是「明亮」、「紅色」或「綠色」。有了這種意識，我們特別關注了風味輪上的顏色，努力將詞彙與能夠清楚代表其特性的顏色聯繫起來。這可能會幫助一個苦苦掙扎的品嚐者找到一個描述：如果他們只能清楚地表達出「它嘗起來像某种红色水果」，那麼品嚐者就可以尋找風味輪上的紅色詞彙。「棕色的東西」可能會將品嚐者帶到風味輪的左側，即棕色區域所在的位置，也許會是刺激香料或穀物味的風味特性。
Step 8: Study Color
Our vision is closely linked to our other senses, and the appearance of food provides crucial clues to its taste. Therefore, we often use visual terms to describe flavors: a coffee's taste can be "bright," "red," or "green." With this awareness, we pay special attention to the colors on the Flavor Wheel, striving to connect vocabulary with colors that clearly represent their characteristics. This can be particularly helpful for a struggling taster trying to find a description; if they can only express "it tastes like some kind of red fruit," the taster can look for red color terms on the Flavor Wheel. "Brown things" might lead the taster to the left side of the wheel, where brown region attributes like stimulating spices or grain flavors might be.
隨著咖啡杯測師、咖啡講師、感官科學家和咖啡業者都使用這個工具，將會讓風味輪的更多方法出現。我們渴望探索新的技術和想法！
As coffee cuppers, educators, sensory scientists, and coffee industry professionals continue to use this tool, more methods for the Flavor Wheel are likely to emerge. We are excited to explore new techniques and ideas!
以上來源: SCA網站
https://sca.coffee/sca-news/how-to-use-the-flavor-wheel-in-eight-steps
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有咖啡風味輪做為咖啡品嚐工具後，我們可以更進一步提昇風味鑑定的功力，建議用咖啡盲測的方式來品飲咖啡，並搭配咖啡風味輪，從風味輪中心找出盲測的風味大類別，再進一步分辨出明確的風味特性。每天在JC咖啡店裡同事們會為彼此手沖咖啡，不告知對方正在沖什麼咖啡，讓對方猜是哪一支豆子，雖然店裏有一百多支單一莊園咖啡豆，盲測常久累積下來，已經可以在猜三次中找到答案了。像今早同事沖完咖啡後，賈老闆就說，是「www.justincoffee.com.tw/products/ethiopia_geshavillage」吧，同事不可思議的回答，怎麼這麼準！賈老闆說，這一喝有水果味、有明顯的漿果味、仔細一喝是草莓味，此外這就是藝妓村的調性，但不到金標的鮮明花香、不到紅標的明確風味，所以是綠標，三支綠標中只有班吉區有草莓風味，那應該就是它了~
With the Coffee Flavor Wheel as a coffee tasting tool, we can further enhance our flavor identification skills. It is recommended to use coffee blind tasting to taste coffee while using the Coffee Flavor Wheel. Start by identifying broad flavor categories from the center of the Flavor Wheel and then proceed to distinguish specific flavor attributes. Colleagues at Justin Coffee Shop do this daily for each other. They prepare pour-over coffee without informing each other about which coffee they are brewing. Even though there are over a hundred single-estate coffee beans available in the shop, they have accumulated enough experience in blind tasting to find the answer in just a few attempts. For instance, this morning, after a colleague brewed coffee, Justin said, "It's the Ethiopia Gesha Village Bangi Gesha Natural Green Label," and the colleague responded in amazement, "How did you guess so accurately?" Justin explained that he could taste the fruity notes, a distinct berry flavor, and upon closer tasting, it resembled the taste of strawberries. Additionally, this is the character of the Yirgacheffe Geisha beans, but it's not as floral as the Gold Label and lacks the distinct flavor profile of the Red Label, so it's the Green Label. Among the three Green Label coffees, only the Bench Maji Geisha from Bench Maji District has a strawberry flavor, so it must be that one.
│Further reading: Coffee Blind Tasting: Does Expensive Coffee Really Taste Better?
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