Taste and smell

How can one put into words taste? Or smell for that matter? Scents and Sensibility by John Lanchester tackles this matter right on.

In a coffee shop I often use the following descriptions when dealing with customers:

"It has a bold flavor."

"It is a light roast with a touch of hazelnut."

"Decaf? Well, it has a dash of disgusting followed by an aftertaste that will make you want to immediately scrub out your mouth... but with almost no caffeine content, who can say no?"

I once worked with a barista who was very creative with his descriptions. If someone asked about a particular coffee, he would have five minutes worth of speech to share. He would also make it a point to discuss the origins of the coffee bean. "This blend is a combination of Costa Rican and Sumatran beans..." Such details were interesting to include, except the majority of our customer base had no idea as to the differences and usually just wanted something to keep them awake.

One day I decided to actually listen in to the information this barista was sharing with customers. Within minutes I was surprised to discover he was making it up! Often on the spot. Some details were correct but the majority of his speech was a jumble of misinformation. Customers did not suspect a thing and he spoke with great authority and eloquence, so who would think to question him? This discovery amused me. Many customers had come to view him as an expert on coffee and he himself took great pride in this persona. I stayed silent on my discovery, for their would be no good in exposing his lies tactics and after all, at least he sounded correct.