Acidity: Desirable characteristic denoting a pleasant tartness that gives each coffee its distinctive taste.  Coffees lacking acidity taste flat and dull.

Arabica (pronounced ah-rah-bee kah): The evergreen coffee Arabica plant primarily grown at altitudes over 3,000 feet.  Arabica beans have more flavor, aroma and contain less caffeine than Robustas (also called milds).

Aroma: The fragrance of freshly brewed coffee.  Aromatic refers to the most distinctive Arabica coffees.

Blend: A mixture of two or more coffees that compliment and enhance each other.

Bitter: A harsh, unpleasant taste characteristics of over-extracted or over-roasted coffee.  Other brands may use Robusta beans and contain no Kona coffee.  Such coffees may have a bitter taste profile.

Body: The impression of fullness, thickness and richness when tasting coffee.

Caffeine: An odorless, bitter alkaloid found in coffee beans, tea leaves, kola nuts, and cocoa beans.  Considered a mild stimulant.

Cappuccino: Espresso coffee that is topped with milk which has had steam forced through it to create a thick froth.  It can be topped with cocoa or cinnamon.

Cherries: The fruit of coffee Arabica, containing two green coffee beans.

Dark roast: Coffee roasted longer to develop a dark-brown bean with a pleasant, spicy taste.

Decaffeination (Swiss Water Process):   The natural process by which caffeine is removed from green (unroasted) coffee beans.  97% of the caffeine is removed by this process.  Developed in Switzerland using only water to remove caffeine from green coffee beans.

Espresso: A very dark roasted coffee; also a method of rapid brewing in which steam is forced through the grounds to produce a strong, thick, foamy brew.

Flat: The taste of a coffee lacking in acidity.

Flavor: The total combination of acidity, body and aroma that distinguishes each coffee.

Flavored coffees: The addition of oils and extracts to roasted coffee beans to give the flavor of chocolate, almond liqueurs, etc.  Used as a low calorie dessert.

French Roast: A full-bodied dark roast coffee that is not roasted as dark as an Espresso.

Gourmet coffee: Choice grades of Arabica beans, grown at high altitudes with delicate soil and climate conditions giving them a distinctively rich aroma and smooth flavor.

Hawaii: The only place where coffee is grown in the United States, specifically in the Kona region of Hawaii.  This rich tasting coffee is grown in volcanic soil that is ideal for growing coffee.

High grown: Arabica beans grown at altitudes of 3,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level, usually in areas with rich volcanic soils.  The reduced oxygen at the high altitudes allow the bean to mature slowly and develop more flavor.

Kona: The coffee growing region on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Medium roast: Coffee roasted to American taste, medium brown color.

Nutty: A specific flavor nuance, suggesting almonds, etc.