What Does Coffee Smell Like? (Solved & Explained!)

Coffee has a very distinct, unique scent that is influenced by quality, flavor notes, brewing method, and condition. Coffee has a memorable scent that can instantly make you smile. 

There are factors that contribute to your coffee’s smell that can also determine how your coffee will taste. Similarly, there are ways to tell if your coffee is still good based on how it smells.

What Makes Coffee Smell So Good?

Depending on where coffee is grown, how it’s grown, and how it’s roasted, there are a plethora of different subtle flavor notes within coffee that will enhance its aroma.

Being that coffee tends to have a fragrance on its own similar to cocoa, many of the flavor notes add complexity to its overall smell that can’t necessarily be picked out unless you have a strong sense of smell.

How Do You Describe What Coffee Smells Like?

There is actually a bit of a science to describing the aroma of coffee, similar to how wine is discussed and described. The aroma is one of the many factors that impact how your coffee will taste.

Some of the most common words you will hear when it comes to describing coffee aroma will be: chocolate, nutty, floral, smoky, fruity, citrus, or complex.

What Are Aromatic Compounds In Coffee?

Aromatic compounds are more scientific explanations for how your coffee smells. There is enzymatic, dry distillation, and sugar browning.

Enzymatic refers to the fruity smells you sense in coffee, as coffee beans actually come from a cherry. Dry distillation refers to the mustier, more woody notes in coffee that exist due to the roasting process.

Sugar browning refers to sweet, nutty, and chocolate notes that you can detect in your coffee’s overall smell.

Does Coffee Roast Affect Coffee Smell?

The way coffee beans are roasted will alter how it smells. The darker the roast, the more highlighted the overall smell and subtle hints of flavor will be.

If you visit a coffee shop that roasts their beans on-site, be sure to take a big whiff after you get your beans. When the coffee has been roasted recently, you’ll get the most irresistible fragrance.

What Does Stale Or Bad Coffee Smell Like?

Stale coffee will either smell like barely anything at all, or like cardboard. The smell is usually very faint and unpleasant.

Why Does Coffee Sometimes Smell Bad?

There are some other smaller aroma compounds within coffee that can be activated during the brewing process that smell very bad. While it sounds very unappetizing, some of these compounds are known to smell like cat urine, feces, or cabbage. How your coffee is roasted might have an effect on how it smells.

These compounds might be more pronounced when your machine needs to be cleaned, the water quality is bad, or the bean quality is bad. It might also be because the beans were burnt or overcooked in the roaster.

What Does Burnt Coffee Smell Like?

Burnt coffee can smell terrible; it’s often referred to as smelling like skunk, weed, or even feces.

You can easily burn your coffee if the water you use is too hot. It’s recommended to fill your drip coffee maker with cold tap water to avoid this. If using an immersion brewer, fill your kettle with cold tap water before boiling it.

While it’s less likely, there’s a slight chance your coffee could smell burnt because they were roasted for too long before being packaged.

Does Smelling Coffee Have Health Benefits?

The act of smelling coffee has actually been studied. It has been shown that smelling coffee can help increase alertness and attention, and can also have a positive effect on your mood.

While it may be a placebo effect, some studies also show that simply inhaling the smell of coffee can make you instantly feel more awake.

How Can I Learn To Smell Different Coffee Aromas?

You want to hold your cup of coffee close to your nose and inhale the smell. Your senses of smell and taste are also closely linked, so you might get some more subtle hints of fragrance after taking a sip and letting it sit on your tongue before swallowing.

Having a clean nose that isn’t obstructed by sniffles or allergies will also help, though that is not something we can all control. Some people just have a more refined sense of smell than others.

How Long Does Coffee Smell Last?

How long your coffee beans smell nice will depend on how well you store them. Coffee grounds or beans should be kept in sealed containers to keep the aroma intact, and to keep the quality intact as well.

If you open your coffee container and can barely smell anything, that’s a good indication that your coffee has gone stale.

When Does Coffee Smell Start To Fade?

Once your coffee beans have been roasted, they are in optimal condition from one to three weeks after. The better they are sealed, the longer they will stay fresh.

After this time, your coffee’s smell will start to fade from the beans. This doesn’t mean the coffee is bad; it’s just decreasing in quality. Once the smell is completely gone, it’s time to say goodbye to that coffee. It might not be spoiled, but it won’t taste good.

How Can I Make The Coffee Smell Last Longer?

To keep your beans as fragrant as possible, purchase your beans whole. Wait to grind them right before you plan on brewing your coffee. Once your coffee is ground up, the flavors and smells start to fade pretty quickly.

It doesn’t take a long time to grind coffee, especially with automatic grinders, and the payoff in terms of smell and taste is absolutely worth that extra effort.

This is one reason why that coffee you get from that small, local cafe is so much better than any coffee you make at home, even if it’s made with the same beans. They are most likely grinding their coffee beans that morning, or right before they start brewing a pot.