Flavour attributes, aroma lexicon and defect recognition
This domain tests your flavour vocabulary and diagnostic accuracy: naming what you perceive, at what intensity, and tracing it to a cause rather than a guess.
Building the lexicon
Use a structured wheel: fruity (citrus, red berry, tropical, dried fruit), floral, nutty, caramel, honey, spicy, woody, earthy, smoky, savoury, dairy. Then the non-aromatic axes: sweetness, bitterness, acidity, astringency and texture (smooth, waxy, gritty, creamy). A descriptor should be specific enough to act on: red fruit - raspberry beats fruity.
Mapping defects to causes
- Vinegar, acetic sharpness: over-fermentation or fast drying, high volatile acidity.
- Hammy, bacon, putrid: advanced over-fermentation, poor aeration, delayed pod opening.
- Raw, potato, green, violet: under-fermentation, usually with harsh astringency.
- Mouldy, musty: poor drying or storage, condensation, mould growth.
- Smoky: drying over wood fires or smoke contamination in store.
- Burnt, ashy: over-roasting or scorched refining.
- Metallic, chemical, medicinal: contamination, poor equipment hygiene or packaging taint.
- Rancid, painty: oxidised nut or milk fat, old stock.
Intensity and balance
A note is not automatically a defect. Earthy is a fault in a delicate Criollo and a hallmark in some origins. Record intensity from 0-5 and note whether the note sits at the front, mid-palate or in the finish. High bitterness and astringency are often mistaken for strong cocoa; they are taste and tactile sensations, not aromas.
Worked example. A bar smells of vinegary pickles and finishes with a drying, harsh grip; the centre is otherwise clean. The diagnosis is high acetic acid from fast drying plus under-fermentation, not over-roasting, which would add burnt and ashy notes. The fix is fermentation turning and slower drying, not a lighter roast.
Traps. Using bitter for dark chocolate you dislike; calling astringency a taste (it is tactile); naming a defect from one sip rather than from the finish; using vague words such as rich or smooth as descriptors; blaming roasting for every fault.