The Coffee Sensorium

The Coffea canephora wheel article is out! 🍒☕️ The authors are very grateful to all supporters of this ambitious, non-funded project. This project owes a great deal to many people from the specialty coffee community. The authors would, in particular, like to thank Gloria Pedroza at Neumann Kaffee Gruppe for donating samples and organizing the cupping session in Switzerland, the Coffee Excellence Center at ZHAW for providing the cupping location, and the Coffee Design Group for organizing the cupping sessions in Brazil. We would also like to thank all individuals, producers, and companies that donated the samples used in the study. Thanks to the 49 professional graders who voluntarily participated in the study. Finally, thanks to everyone who supported and contributed to our crowdfunding to have the article published as open access. The authors especially dedicate this work to Sunalini Menon for her invaluable efforts and dedication to the Coffea canephora. [Follow the link in the stories/highlights to download the full text for free] . . . #specialtycoffee #flavor #aroma #sensoryscience #descriptiveanalysis #flavorwheel

The colour of the coffee bag (hue and saturation) impacts specialty coffee consumers’ expectations about the sensory attributes of the coffee inside. The bag colour also influences expected liking and conveys conceptual meanings (e.g., modern, sophisticated, commercial). These insights are particularly relevant for the specialty coffee sector aiming to differentiate their offerings and appeal to specific consumer segments through optimised packaging design. We thank the Coffee Science Foundation for supporting the study and Savor Brands for underwriting. We thank the dozens of specialty roasteries and coffee shops across the U.S. for supporting the recruitment of coffee consumers through social media.

So honored to be a speaker at 2022 Re:co Symposium at Boston Expo. My talk will discuss how the coffee packaging design can add value for the consumer, and will present preliminary results from a large study that’s being conducted in the US. I’m so very much looking forward to it 😃 @specialtycoffeeassociation @savorbrands

STAGE 2: SCA research - for specialty coffee amateur consumers (UK residents only) Up for some science? The University of Campinas and Mió Institute (Brazil), together with the Coffee Science Foundation, are looking for participants for a new consumer research! This project is aimed at understanding how coffee labeling information influences consumers’ opinions and perceptions of specialty coffee. By taking part, you’ll be contributing to a study that can help producers, roasters, and coffee shops around the world make more informed decisions on how to present their coffees — ensuring that the value created at origin is recognized and appreciated by those who enjoy it in the cup. Your participation will directly support research that strengthens the connection between science and the specialty coffee community, bringing insights that can guide education, transparency, and communication across the entire value chain. 📄 To access the survey, follow the link on the highlight SURVEY UK P.S.: You can take part in Stage 2 independently if you’ve had completed Stage 1. #specialtycoffee #consumer #coffeescience

A recap from our WOC Bangkok Industry Night ✨ an evening of conversations, connections, and coffee. Thank you to everyone who joined us for Flavor Clarity in Coffee and the networking event afterwards at Kurasu Thonglor It was a pleasure to share the space with friends, partners, and coffee people from around the world during WOC week. Special thanks to @ceado , @boncafethailand , and @thecoffeesensorium for being part of the night. #wocbangkok

Boncafe x Ceado proudly present Designing Flavor with Ceado REV Series Guest Speakers : Dr. Fabiana Carvalho Neuroscientist & Flavor Perception Expert Cosimo Libardo Head of Sales at Ceado & Treasurer of the Specialty Coffee Association Join our sessions : 1:00 – 2:00 PM | 3:30 – 4:30 PM Let’s Taste, Explore, and Design Flavor together. 📍 Booth No. E311, Hall 98–99 📅 7–9 May 2026 📌 Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) #BoncafeThailand #OneStopCoffeeAndBeverageSolutions #WorldofCoffeeBangkok2026

Ceado, together with @boncafethailand , @fikaandcobkk and @thecoffeesensorium , welcomes you to a special event in Bangkok dedicated to coffee flavor. Discover “Flavor Clarity in Coffee” with neuroscientist Fabiana Carvalho, expert in flavor perception and multisensory experience. 📅 08.05.2026 🕠 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM 📍 Fika & Co. Sukhumvit 62 Secure your seat via the link in bio.

Welcome home friends! MattWinton from @rose_coffee_roasters along with Sofia Lutrell - Panama’s Brewer’s Champion 2025 🥇 and @glyphsupplyco We Also had a great cupping session with Dr. Fabiana Carvalho @thecoffeesensorium and @mentiritasblancas 🇵🇦! This week the cupping room has been full with great visits from all over the world, see you on the next one!

New article is out! 🎉 We showed that label information about fermentation processes influences consumers’ expectations, sensory perception, liking, and purchase intentions for specialty coffee. The consumers rated their flavour expectations (pre-tasting) and perceptions (post-tasting) of the same coffee paired with three different labels: _No processing info (control) _Fermentation _Carbonic maceration • The “fermentation” label increased expected and perceived acidity, and led to lower liking and purchase intent. The term “fermentation” is strongly associated to sourness in food. • The “carbonic maceration” label increased expected acidity but not its actual perception. The vagueness of the term triggered curiosity and perceived novelty, and didn’t reduce liking or purchase intent. • The “no information” label had the highest sweetness ratings (both expected and perceived). Label terms strongly shaped how people perceive the flavour of the exact same coffee. Careful choice of terms and labelling strategies is very important. How can the industry be transparent with the end consumer without negatively impacting the consumption experience? Thanks @maisamancini @denisnadaleti for the collaboration ❤️ #specialtycoffee #coffeescience #flavor #fermentation #coffee

Thank you, Madrid! @coffeefestofficial It’s always a pleasure to present to this wonderful audience. This year, my lecture was about how label terms are informative and/or meaningful to the end consumer. More specifically: How does retail bag label information influence consumers’ flavour perception and choice? I presented about how the term “fermentation” on retail labels can mislead consumers into expecting and tasting too much acidity in coffee samples, which negatively impacted the consumption experience. Interestingly, the vague term “carbonic maceration” did not have the same negative effect. We have to keep in mind that certain technical terms, which are relevant for expert assessment of quality and purchase decision-making, do not necessarily equate with what is relevant/meaningful for the end consumer. #specialtycoffee #packaging #consumerresearch #transparency

It was a huge pleasure to present the lecture ‘Message on a bag: The influence of coffee label information on consumers’ expectations and experience on tasting specialty coffee’ at 2026 CSES. . This was my first time participating in the event. The topics presented were highly relevant to the industry, and I am grateful for the opportunity to attend in-depth lectures and workshops on coffee species beyond arabica, consumer behaviour, and coffee chemistry. I cannot overstate how essential it is to have events like this that bridge the gap between academic research and the industry. @zhaw.coffee.excellence.center @specialtycoffeeassociation (Coffee Science Foundation) @thecqi

Don’t miss a unique sensory coffee experience at the Ceado booth E1 during Nordic Coffee Fest! Neuroscientist Fabiana Carvalho from @thecoffeesensorium and Ana Luiza Pellicer, co-owner of Mió, will guide you through an immersive tasting of @mio.fazenda coffees, roasted by @assemblyroast , @lucidcoffeeroaster and @17gramscoffee revealing the science behind every sip and how flavor is truly designed. 📅Date: February 28th ⏰ Time: 13:00 – 15:00 📍 Where: Ceado booth E1 Discover the fascinating science of coffee flavor, an experience your senses won’t forget. #Ceado #DesigningFlavor #NordicCoffeeFest #SpecialtyCoffee