Coffee Glossary – T U V W X Y Z

Tamper.  In espresso brewing, the small, pestle-like device with a round, flat end used to distribute and compress the ground coffee inside the filter basket.

Tanzania.  The best and most characteristic Tanzanian coffees display a rich flavor and full body, with a vibrantly winy acidity that makes them resemble the coffees of neighboring Kenya. Others are softer, gentler coffees.

Tapachula, Chiapas.  Coffee-growing state in southern Mexico. The best Chiapas coffees are grown in the southeast corner of the state near the border with Guatemala, and may bear the market name Tapachula after the town of that name. At their best, Tapachula or Chiapas coffees display the brisk acidity, delicate flavor, and light to medium body of the better known Mexican coffees of Oaxaca and Vera Cruz States.

Tarrazu, San Marcos de Tarrazu.  Market name for one of the better coffees of Costa Rica.

Thermal Block.  A system for heating water in espresso brewers that uses coils of pipe enclosed inside a heating element or hot water tank.

Timor.  Single-origin coffee from East Timor. At this writing East Timor is in turmoil as it moves toward independence from its huge, enveloping neighbor, Indonesia. Timor coffee was a classic origin in the early years of the 20th century. Recently it was revived with help from international assistance agencies. At best, distinguished by fullish body, expansive flavor, and a low-toned, vibrant acidity. At worst, may display unpleasant hard or musty defects.

Toraja, Kalossi.  Market name for coffee from southwestern Sulawesi (formerly Celebes), Indonesia.

Traditional Process, European Process.  A group of decaffeination methods that use solvents to remove caffeine from green coffee beans. The direct solvent method involves treating the beans with solvent, which selectively unites with the caffeine and is removed from the beans by steaming. The indirect solvent or solvent-water method involves soaking the green beans in hot water, removing the caffeine from the hot water by means of a solvent, and recombining the water with the beans, which are then dried.

Tres Rios.  Market name for one of the more respected coffees of Costa Rica.

Turkish Coffee, Middle Eastern Coffee.  Coffee ground to a powder, sweetened (usually), brought to a boil, and served grounds and all.

Typica.  A botanical variety of Coffea arabica. Var. typica is one of the oldest and most traditional of coffee varieties. Some of the best Latin-American coffees are from typica stock.

Uganda.  The finest Uganda arabica (Bugishu or Bugisu) displays the winy acidity and other flavor characteristics of the best East African coffees, but is less admired than the finest Kenya or Zimbabwe, owing to generally lighter body and less complex flavor.

Vacuum-Filter Method.  A brewing method that differs from other filter methods in that the brewing water is drawn through the ground coffee by means of a partial vacuum.

Varietal Coffee.  As used by many people in the American specialty coffee industry, a term describing an unblended coffee from a single country, region, and crop. For example: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Kenya AA, or La Minita Costa Rica Tarrazu. However, to follow the California wine analogy more precisely, varietal coffees ought logically to come from a single predominant botanical variety of coffee tree; var. bourbon, for example, or var. typica. Increasingly, coffee writers use “single origin” rather than “varietal” to describe coffees from a single country, region, and crop.

Varietal Distinction, Varietal Character.  A tasting or cupping term describing positive characteristics that distinguish a given coffee from coffee from other regions. Examples are the wine- or berry-like acidity of Kenya coffees or the full, resonant character of the best Sumatra. See Varietal Coffee.

Venezuela.  Some Venezuela coffees (Tachira, Cúcuta) resemble Colombia coffees. However, the most characteristic (Mérida) are sweet and delicately flavored.

Viennese Coffee.  Ambiguous term. Describes coffee brewed by the drip or filter method from a blend of coffee brought to a degree or darkness of roast called Viennese Roast; also refers to brewed coffee of any roast or origin topped with whipped cream.

Viennese Roast.  Term for coffee brought to a degree of roast slightly darker than the traditional American norm, but lighter than degrees of roast variously called espresso, French, or Italian. In the cup, Viennese roast (also called full-city, light French or light espresso roast) is less acidy and smoother than the characteristic American roast, but may display fewer of the distinctive taste characteristics of the original coffee. Viennese roast may also refer to a mixture of beans roasted to a dark brown and beans roasted to the traditional American medium brown.

Vintage Coffee, Aged Coffee.  Traditionally, coffee held in warehouses for several years, sometimes deliberately, sometimes inadvertently. Such aging reduces acidity and increases body. Aged coffee has been held longer than either old crop coffee or mature coffee. Recently, some Indonesia coffee has been subject to a sort of accelerated aging involving deliberate exposure to moist air, much like India’s monsooned coffee.

Wallenford Estate.  At one time the most celebrated and best of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. Now simply any Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee from the Wallensford mill.

Washed Coffee.  See Wet-Processed Coffee.

Wet-Processed Coffee, Wet Method Coffee, Washed Coffee.  Coffee prepared by removing the skin and pulp from the bean while the coffee fruit is still moist. Most of the world’s great coffees are processed by the wet method, which generally intensifies acidity. In the traditional wet process, the coffee skins are removed (pulping), the skinned beans are allowed to sit in tanks where enzymes loosen the sticky fruit pulp or mucilage (fermentation), after which the loosened fruit is washed off the beans (washing). In the shortcut demucilage or aquapulp method, the pulp or mucilage is scrubbed from the beans by machine.

Whole-Bean Coffee.  Coffee that has been roasted but not yet ground.

Yauco, Yauco Selecto, Puerto Rico Yauco.  Yauco coffees from Puerto Rico are a revived specialty origin that, at best, display the qualities that made Jamaica Blue Mountain famous: A deep, vibrant, yet restrained acidity and balanced, gently rich flavor. However, this potentially finest of Caribbean coffees is often marred by inconsistency.

Yemen, Yemen Mocha, Mocha, Arabian Mocha.  Single-origin coffee from the southwestern tip of the Arabian peninsula, bordering the Red Sea, in the mountainous regions of present-day Yemen. The world’s oldest cultivated coffee, distinguished by its full body and distinctively rich, winy acidity.

Yirgacheffe, Yirga Cheffe, Yrgacheffe (YUR ga Shef ay).  Market name for one of the most admired washed coffees of Ethiopia, distinguished by its fruit-like or floral acidity and high-toned, complex flavor.

Zambia.  Some estate coffees from eastern Zambia (Zambia is located in south-central Africa) appear in the North American specialty market. They tend toward the softer, less acidy version of the Africa profile.

Zimbabwe.  Zimbabwe coffee exhibits excellent cup presence and the vibrant, winy acidity characteristic of East Africa coffees. Some rank it second in quality only to Kenya among Africa coffees. Most is grown in the Chipinga region, along the eastern border with Mozambique.