Coffee Sensory
Years of Passionate Coffee Sensory
FlavorActiV is committed to promoting good sensory practices across the whole beverage industry. A team of expert taster trainers, supported by consultant beverage experts, are combining their years of insider experience with advanced human calibration tools, tailored sensory programmes and instruments to give unparalleled sensory support.
In early 2014, together with two of the coffee industry’s leading organisations, FlavorActiV developed and launched an advanced Calibrating Coffee Sensory Plan to provide cupper training, cupper calibration and coffee tools throughout the coffee supply chain. In 2016 FlavorActiV partnered with World Coffee Research to validate the use of FlavorActiV's GMP Flavour Standards as reference standards within WCR's lexicon. A list of the 24 validated flavour reference standards can be found below. Moving forward, FlavorActiV continues to build on its goal of establishing an industry-wide global coffee flavour language, supported initally by FlavorActiV’s GMP flavour standards to train tasters to recognise defects and positives in coffee, and progressing to measure and maintain tasters skills and education level through advanced proprietary calibration tools and software.
If you have any questions about coffee sensory management, please contact coffee@flavoractiv.com.
FlavorActiV GMP Flavour Reference Standards
FlavorActiV share World Coffee Research's goal of developing a universal language of flavour within the coffee industry by the use of global coffee flavour standards. FlavorActiV’s pharmaceutical grade, GMP Flavour Standards are safe to smell, taste and drink, and can be used in almost any liquid to impart a real flavour, off-note, or taint.
The coffee flavour standards were co-developed with Coffee Enterprises in Vermont, USA with input from Square Mile Coffee in London, England.
The Coffee Flavour Standards are sold individually in packs of 5 capsules, each capsule separately blister packed to provide flavour protection and prolonged shelf life. Production adheres to strict Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) pharmaceutical quality controls. FlavorActiV's dedicated GMP Flavour Centre is certified and regulated by the UK Government’s Medicine Regulatory & Healthcare Product Agency (MHRA) to a standard which far exceed ISO 9001, ISO 17025 or any food grade certification.
Each of the 24 flavours below has undergone evaluation by the same research team behind the first World Coffee Research Lexicon, and have all been approved for inclusion within the latest World Coffee Research Lexicon as validated coffee flavour references.
Peapod |
Acetaldehyde |
Green Fruit |
Acetaldehyde |
|
Acetic Acid |
Acetic |
Sour, |
Acetic Acid |
| Almond Marzipan, Bitter Almond Benzaldehyde |
|
| Apple Floral, Processed Apples Ethyl Hexanoate |
|
| Bitter - Iso-Alpha-Acids |
|
| Butyric Rancid Cheese/Butter, Parmesan, Baby Sick Butyric Acid |
|
| Coconut - Whiskey Lactone |
|
| Diesel / Motor Fuel Heavy Solvent, Gasoline, Petroleum P-Cymene |
|
| Fermented Cheesy, Infected, Fruity, Mouldy Ethyl Isovalerate |
|
| Freshly Cut Grass Leafy Plants Cis-3-Hexanol |
|
| Geosmin (dry earth) Musty, Dusty, Attic, Closet, Grain Geosmin |
|
| Geraniol (rose/floral) Rose Water Geraniol |
| Grape Bubble Gum, Artificial Grape Methyl Anthranilate |
|
| Jasmine (Indol) Pigs, Faecal, Farmyard, Coliform indole |
|
| Isovaleric (cheese) Sweat, Sweaty Foot Isovaleric Acid |
|
| Medicinal Blood-like Copper Penny, Antiseptic, Band-Aid O-Cresol (Methyl Phenol) |
|
| Moldy / Musty Cork-like 2,4,6 Trichloroanisole |
|
| Papery Paper Cups Trans-2-Nonenal |
|
| Phenolic Clove 4-Vinyl Guiacol |
|
| Pineapple Tropical Fruit Ethyl Butrate |
|
| Salty - Sodium Chloride |
|
| Sour - Citric Acid |
|
| Vanilla - Vanillin |
|
| Wet Earthy Damp Soil, Musty, Tobacco 2-Ethyl Fenchol |
North America?
You can buy direct from our USA based coffee Partner, Coffee Enterprises
Sales of FlavorActiV coffee flavour standards help fund WCR sensory research
FlavorActiV flavour standards
are stocked by the
Speciality Coffee Association
EU + US online stores
“FlavorActiV has changed the math. Their flavor capsules are relevant, accurate, and globally available—just as easy if you’re in Lima as in Limrick as in Lincoln, Nebraska. FlavorActiV saw that coffee had a need, and they invested in the R&D to create something completely new. We embrace the same spirit of solving problems through innovation. We’re very excited about what they’ve done.”
Tim Schilling
CEO, World Coffee Research
In addition to WCR coffee lexicon aligned GMP Coffee Flavour Standards above, Coffee Enterprises has selected the below FlavorActiV GMP flavours as important coffee sensory reference standards.
| Cucumber Green Vegetable, Fragrant Trans, Cis 2-6-Nonadienal |
|
| Barnyard Anamalic, Band-Aid, Horsey 4-Ethyl Phenol |
|
| Spicy Cloves, Allspice Eugenol |
| Dry Cracker / Mousy Caged Mice, Cracker Biscuits 2-Acetyletrahydropyridine |
|
| Potato Skins Raw Potatoes, Earthy 2-Isopropyl-3-Methoxyprazine |
|
| Leathery - 6-Isobutylquinoline |
+44 (0)1844 396113
online@flavoractiv.com