# Colorful Coffee Tasting Charts The New Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel Boasts a User-Friendly Design By Katherine Pendrill | Published 2016-02-03 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coffee-tasters-flavor-wheel References: [wired](http://www.wired.com/2016/02/taste-coffee-like-a-pro-with-this-gorgeous-flavor-wheel/) & [scaa.org](http://www.scaa.org/chronicle/2016/01/19/reinventing-the-flavor-wheel-industry-collaborates-to-identify-coffee-flavor-attributes/) Every year, the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) publishes a color-coded guide to coffee titled the 'Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel.' After 20 years of using the same flavor wheel, the SCAA has finally released a more user-friendly guide. The original purpose of the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel was to bring everyone involved in the coffee supply chain together through a shared vocabulary. However, the newly updated flavor wheel makes this information more accessible with a design that has been described as "more descriptive and less jargon-y." This is a particularity important update as the [coffee industry](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/2025-educational-programming) has changed dramatically over the years due to the effects of climate change and the rise of [boutique coffee roasters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coffee-marketplace). Thanks to the new lexicon, everyone from farmers to baristas will be able to understand and identify coffee’s primary sensory qualities. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.3/10 - Popularity: 34% | Activity: 28% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Education](https://www.trendhunter.com/education) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **User-friendly Coffee Tasting Guides:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop digital platforms or mobile apps that provide interactive and personalized coffee tasting guides to help coffee enthusiasts explore different flavors. - **Shared Vocabulary in Coffee Industry:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create online communities or platforms that facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among coffee farmers, roasters, and baristas to further develop a shared vocabulary. - **Adapting to Changing Coffee Industry:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop sustainable coffee cultivation techniques or implement innovative coffee processing methods to address the challenges posed by climate change and meet the evolving demands of the coffee industry. ### Who This Affects Most - **Coffee Retail:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate augmented reality (AR) technology into coffee retail experiences, allowing customers to visualize the taste profiles and brewing methods of various coffee products. - **Coffee Education:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create e-learning platforms or online courses that offer comprehensive coffee education, covering topics such as flavor profiles, brewing techniques, and coffee sustainability. - **Coffee Technology:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop smart coffee brewing devices or IoT-enabled coffee machines that can analyze coffee beans and customize the brewing process based on desired flavor profiles. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Sommelier-Crafted Coffees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kloo-q-grader-concentrate.md) - [Coffee Tasting Journals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coffee-note.md) - [Producer-Focused Coffee Packaging](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/retail-coffee-packaging.md) - [Bright Coffee Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bright-coffee.md) - [Specialty Flavored Coffee Roasts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bad-teddy-coffee.md) - [Coffee Brewing Guides](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coffy-guides.md) - [Expansive Autumnal Coffee Ranges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coffee-collection.md) - [Blooming Color-Changing Coffees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/haruzora-milk-coffee-frappuccino.md) - [Modern Coffee Packaging Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/modern-coffee-packaging.md)