Linge (finish length)

See aftertaste. Term used during cupping to describe the persistence duration of aromas in the mouth after swallowing. A long, pleasant finish is valued in SCA protocol.

Background & Context

Finish length (linge in some French tasting vocabularies, though "longueur en bouche" is more standard) refers to the duration of the aftertaste — the sensory impressions that linger in the mouth after swallowing coffee. A long, positive finish is one of the key indicators of high-quality coffee: well-grown, well-processed, well-roasted specialty coffees can produce aftertastes lasting 60–120 seconds, allowing tasters to identify evolving flavour notes (chocolate transitioning to dried fruit, bright acidity softening to caramel) after the liquid has left the mouth. SCA cupping protocol evaluates aftertaste (finish) as a discrete attribute (0–10 scale), with high scores correlating with positive, clean, lingering impressions. A short or negative finish — disappearing in under 15 seconds, or lingering with bitterness, astringency, or mustiness — is a quality flag regardless of the cup's initial impressions. Finish length is also affected by the extraction method: espresso concentrates finish impressions more intensely than filter, making positive and negative notes more pronounced. A coffee with a 45-second clean espresso finish translates to approximately 90–120 seconds in filter form at equivalent concentration, because dilution softens intensity but extends duration. This characteristic is why experienced tasters test the same coffee in both filter and espresso when evaluating lot purchases — the finish tells different and complementary stories in each format.

Practical Use

Understanding finish length improves palate training and purchasing decisions. When cupping, evaluate the finish at 30-second intervals after swallowing: does it persist, evolve, or disappear? Positive evolution (acidity mellowing into sweetness, chocolate emerging from fruit) is associated with complex, well-developed roasts at optimal extraction. For espresso, finish length is one of the clearest quality discriminators between specialty and commercial coffee: a well-extracted specialty espresso from a high-altitude origin may produce a 90-second caramel and fruit finish; an over-extracted commercial espresso typically finishes in 10–15 seconds with residual bitterness. Finish is also useful for matching coffee with food — long-finish coffees provide a cleaner palate reset between food bites than short, bitter-finishing options.

Related Terms

Related terms: Finish / Aftertaste, Cupping, SCA score, Balance, Acidity.