What is Coffee Acidity?

"Flavor" is an overall perception of a food or beverage in your mouth. When talking about "coffee flavor", there are three components to consider: acidity, aroma, and body.

The acidity in coffee depends on a variety of factors along with the bean itself, where the bean is grown, the processing formula (wet or dry), the degree of roasting (light, medium, dark), and the brewing method. Coffee beans grown at higher altitudes have higher acidity levels. Coffee beans processed by the "wet" formula are higher in acidity than those processed by the "dry" method. Light roasted coffee beans yield a higher acidic flavor than beans roasted to a darker color.

Coffee

But what does acidity measure in coffee? Well, it is Not what we learned in science. It precisely has nothing to do with pH levels.

The acidity of coffee is precisely a sensation. It's felt on the tip of the tongue and the roof of the mouth. A good analogy would be the carbonation in soda. You don't precisely taste carbonation as much as feel it, although it's very much a part of the soda's flavor. High acidity would be similar to high carbonation; low acidity would be similar to a "flat" soda.

Some words used to tell a coffee with high acidity are: brisk, snappy, bright, dry, sharp, vibrant, crisp, biting, lively.

Some words used to tell a coffee with low acidity are: smooth, mellow, sweet, soft.

You can't judge whether you'll like a coffee just by its level of acidity. Sumatra Mandheling, Ethiopian Harrar, Guatemala Antigua, and Kenya Aa have dissimilar levels of acidity. I like them all.

Low acidity coffees: Sumatra, India, Java, Celebes

High acidity coffees: Kenya, Guatemala Antigua, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe

Acidity is just one of the characteristics in a coffee's flavor. It's inherent to enjoy both low and high acidity coffees. It's the aggregate and balance of all the flavor components of coffee that make drinking it a pleasurable experience.

What is Coffee Acidity?