Acidity

Pleasant and positive primary taste that is perceived, with greater or lesser intensity, in Arabicas. This feature disappears with an intense roasting. Along with flavor, aroma and body, it is one of the main parameters used by professional tasters in the sensory evaluation of coffee.

Adult coffee plantation

Plantation of coffee trees older than 3 years

Aged coffee plantation

Coffee trees growing in the sun older than 9 years or totally or partially shade-grown older than 12 years.

Almacafé

Almacenes Generales de Depósito: Almacafé was created as an entity specialized in providing logistics and quality control services to the coffee chain. It also provides storage services to third parties. (almacafe.com.co)

Almond coffee / Green coffee in almond / Endosperm / Milled coffee

Dry parchment coffee without its husk (outer part), from which roasted and ground coffee is made.

Altitude

A factor of great importance for the crop, since bean quality improves as the altitude is higher; in high regions, the fruit ripens more slowly and its quality is better.

Americano

Espresso made with much more water than a normal one. Americano has a higher caffeine content than a short one like a ristretto, for example. A short coffee drink lacks the amount of water needed to dissolve the caffeine contained in the 7 grams of ground coffee in the filter; however, with all the water of an Americano, virtually all available caffeine is dissolved.

Arabic

Word that stands for the Arabica coffee species. It is also the name that in some regions is given to parchment coffee.

Aroma

A mix of pleasant smells that, in addition to producing a good sensation, can inform about the botanical variety of the coffee used, processing method, etc. / The coffee aroma does not require further illustration. The characteristic smell of roasted coffee is well known. The power of the aroma of the drink is so noticeable that even many people think it is more pleasant to smell coffee than to drink it.

Aroma in roasting

The coffee aromas unfold under the effect of heat. A complex phenomenon of mutations between proteins, acids and carbohydrates causes the emanation of many aromas (up to a thousand different aromatic compounds can be counted). These aromatic notes belong to families of very different aromas, such as empyreumatic, floral, woody, spicy, fruity, balsamic, etc. These notes are volatile and fragile. After roasting, coffee should be packed very quickly, preferably in metallic containers (a system that allows better preservation of aromas).

Aromatic

Of very pleasant smell.

Arroba

Unit of measurement of weight equivalent to 12.5 kilograms. It is used in coffee marketing in Colombia.