How acidity, sweetness, and finish integrate across the sip. Balanced structure forms a cohesive arc.
Balanced
Hollow
Sharp
Flat
Collapsing
Structure is how acidity, sweetness, and finish integrate across the sip. Balanced structure forms a cohesive arc; poor structure feels hollow, sharp, flat, or collapsing.
Value Spectrum
Balanced
Complete arc with proper integration.
Possible causes: proper extraction, consistent grind, stable flow.
Hollow
Middle of the sip feels weak or missing, even if the beginning and end show flavour.
Possible causes: underextraction, uneven flow, coarse grind.
Sharp
Acidity dominates early too aggressively. Acidity arrives too suddenly and too strongly at the beginning (aggressive early acidity; front-loaded).
Possible causes: early-stage underextraction.
Flat
No rise or development; the sip feels the same from start to finish.
Possible causes: coarse grind, low temperature.
Collapsing
Starts with good flavour but loses strength at the end — often finishing weak, dry, or unfocused.
Possible causes: uneven extraction, fines overextracting.
Clarifications
- Sharp vs Flat
- Sharp = excessive early acidity
- Flat = no development at all
- Hollow vs Collapsing
- Hollow = missing middle
- Collapsing = finish fails after a good start