I've been playing around with a small training kit we have, called Le Nez du Cafe (the nose of coffee, or rather, the aroma of coffee).
It's 36 tiny bottles containing various aromas of roasted coffee. It's a marvellous little kit, and it's been fun identifying and memorising the aromas from the vials, and I have no doubt it will help to describe coffee flavours to people.
The idea of a benchmark aroma is interesting. It's necessary to calibrate describing words with real aromas between tasters or customers and staff, as without clear communication words don't mean a lot.
I just disagree with some of them. Some of the aromas come across as too sickly sweet smelling, and there is also a continuing theme of metallic aroma or chemical. There are some lovely ones there; "blackcurrant-like" is sweet and rich, slightly aniseed-like, very perfumy. But the overall sweetness of it reminds me more of blackcurrant jelly powder, or that powdered energy drink stuff. And in this case, if I described a Kenyan coffee as having "blackcurrant-notes", I wouldn't mean the aroma of the vial.
I could actually write out what I think of all of them, but I'm not sure any of y'all are interested in THAT many!
Overall the kit has been fun, and it's gotten me thinking more about what the aroma of "that smell" is...
Just wondering if any of you have had a chance to have a play with the kit, and what your thoughts are.