What Is a Coffee Aroma Kit Used For?
A coffee aroma kit is an olfactory training tool for professionals and enthusiasts, comparable to Le Nez du Vin in wine. The most widely used versions are the 36-note Le Nez du Cafe from Edition Jean Lenoir in France and the 100-note Coffee Flavor Map from Scentone in South Korea. The SCAA certification course uses the 36-note set.
That 36-note set groups aromas into four families: enzymatic, caramel, dry distillation, and aromatic taint. Working through them shows how flavors develop during roasting and builds vocabulary for cupping. Daily practice with freshly ground coffee powder, comparing dry and wet aroma, sharpens discrimination of specific notes more effectively than reading descriptions alone.
The coffee aroma kit is an important tool for olfactory training among coffee professionals and enthusiasts, occupying a status similar to that of Le Nez du Vin in the wine world. Currently, mainstream products include the 36-note Le Nez du Cafe produced by Edition Jean Lenoir in France, and the 100-note Coffee Flavor Map launched by Scentone in South Korea. The SCAA certification course uses the 36-note version, which divides aromas into four major groups, covering enzymatic, caramel, dry distillation, and aromatic taint groups. It not only helps memorize specific flavors but also reveals the flavor evolution patterns during coffee roasting. This article will list all 36 aromas one by one, explain the logic behind the four major categories in detail, and share specific methods for daily olfactory training, including how to use freshly ground coffee powder from Front Street Coffee for dry and wet aroma comparison exercises, thereby effectively improving flavor discrimination ability.
Similar to Le Nez du Vin in the wine world, the coffee aroma kit is also an important tool for olfactory training among coffee enthusiasts. Whether coffee fans, baristas, roasters, or Q Graders, they usually have a set. The specific understanding and memorization of aromas vary from person to person, requiring personal experience to build associations and aid in distinguishing and differentiating through finding real objects or recalling memories.
Currently, there are two mainstream aroma kit products on the market: one is the 36-note Le Nez du Cafe made by Edition Jean Lenoir in France, often translated into Chinese as "coffee nose"; the other is the 100-note Coffee Flavor Map launched this year by Scentone in South Korea, namely the coffee flavor wheel map. The SCAA certification course uses the 36-note version. Apart from helping memorize specific flavors, its four major categories can also reveal the different flavors that coffee produces during roasting, providing comprehensive coffee knowledge training. So, what specific categories does it divide into?
(01) Earth
(02) Potato
(03) Garden peas
(04) Cucumber
(05) Straw
(06) Cedar
(07) Clove-like
(08) Pepper
(09) Coriander seeds
(10) Vanilla
(11) Tea-rose/Redcurrant jelly
(12) Coffee blossom
(13) Coffee pulp
(14) Blackcurrant-like
(15) Lemon
(16) Apricot
(17) Apple
(18) Butter
(19) Honeyed
(20) Leather
(21) Basmati rice
(22) Toast
(23) Malt
(24) Maple syrup
(25) Caramel
(26) Dark chocolate
(27) Roasted almonds
(28) Roasted peanuts
(29) Roasted hazelnuts
(30) Walnuts
(31) Cooked beef
(32) Smoke
(33) Pipe tobacco
(34) Roasted coffee
(35) Medicinal
(36) Rubber
1. Enzymatic Group
(Fruits): Lemon, Apple, Apricot
(Vegetables): Potato, Cucumber, Garden Peas
(Floral Nectar): Coffee Blossom, Tea Rose, Honeyed
2. Sugar Browning Group
(Four Nuts): Roasted Almonds, Roasted Peanuts, Roasted Hazelnuts, Walnuts
(Three Desserts): Caramel, Black Chocolate, Vanilla
(Two Meals): Toast, Fresh Butter
3. Dry Distillation Group
(Spices): Pepper, Coriander Seed, Clove-like
(Beverage Ingredients): Black Currant-like, Maple Syrup, Malt
(Herbal Processing): Roasted Coffee, Pipe Tobacco, Cedar
4. Aromatic Taint Group
(Wet and Fishy): Earthy, Straw, Medicinal
(Dry and Pungent): Rubber, Leather, Smoke
(Pleasant Aromas): Coffee Pulp, Basmati Rice, Cooked Beef
For daily taste and olfactory training, one can start by eating more fruits and smelling fruit aromas. For deeper taste training, one can use aroma kits and freshly ground coffee powder to compare dry aroma, wet aroma, and the aroma kit. Sniffing the aroma kit too much can easily cause dizziness, so it is recommended to smell the lid first, then the oil, swaying left and right to let the nasal cavity fully sense the aroma. By comparing them, one can better deepen discrimination ability. However, no matter which aroma kit is used, diligent practice will inevitably improve olfactory discrimination ability.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
