Fragrance
Fragrance refers to the aroma of dry ground coffee, reflecting the bean’s natural characteristics and influenced by variety, growing region, and processing method. In specialty coffee, fragrance tends to be more refined and distinct, highlighting the differences between coffee types.
In sensory evaluation, fragrance differs from aroma—the scent released when coffee comes into contact with hot water. Fragrance refers to the dry coffee grounds’ scent before brewing. While not scored in cupping, it remains an essential factor in assessing coffee quality.
Cupping professionals assess fragrance in three stages: Dry Aroma—smelling the dry coffee grounds before adding hot water; Break—experiencing the aroma when breaking the crust (a layer of coffee grounds and volatile compounds forming on the surface when hot water is poured over ground coffee during cupping); and Wet Aroma—evaluating the scent after stirring the brewed coffee.
