The term 'strong coffee' carries a range of complex and sometimes contradictory meanings for consumers, often tied to cultural context rather than technical brewing metrics, according to new research from a team in Brazil. Published in the Journal of Sensory Studies, the qualitative study explored the layered perceptions of “café forte” among Brazilian coffee drinkers, a topic with significant implications for how roasters and importers communicate product attributes.
Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 35 consumers in the cities of Campinas and Recife, supplementing the discussions with a guided tasting of three distinct filter coffees: a specialty 100% arabica, a gourmet 100% arabica, and a traditional arabica-robusta blend. The study found that bitterness, dark color, roasted aroma, and body were the sensory attributes most frequently linked to the perception of strength. Some participants also associated the term with caffeine's functional effects, describing it as a 'pick-me-up' for alertness.
However, the study revealed a deep ambivalence toward the concept. While nearly a third of participants expressed a preference for strong coffee, citing its stimulating qualities, a slightly larger group disliked it, associating the term with harshness, a burnt taste, or lower-quality beans. Notably, the specialty coffee was often perceived as “weak” but more pleasant and aromatic, while the traditional blend was labeled strong but bitter. These findings highlight a disconnect between the specialty industry's technical definition of strength (e.g., total dissolved solids) and the more emotional, symbolic language used by consumers, which can influence purchasing decisions and product evaluation.