Molly Spencer

Molly Spencer earned her Ph.D. in Food Science from UC Davis in 2018. During graduate school, Molly worked closely with the Specialty Coffee Association to redesign the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel. She has since stayed involved in the coffee industry by giving lectures, leading coffee flavor workshops, visiting coffee farms, and of course, tasting coffee. Molly currently lives in Los Angeles, Calif., working as a sensory scientist in the plant-based food industry. She is on a mission to find the best coffee shop in L.A.

A coffee taster hunched over a row of coffee cups

A tool for our senses: The making of the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel

March 17, 2021March 16, 2021

Sensory scientist Molly Spencer collaborated on the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel, which has become a valuable resource and communication tool to unify the sensory language used in the coffee industry.