Why does a cold coffee taste so different from a hot one? I like my coffee either way but I gotta say that when my morning mug grows colder it starts to taste very different (and sometimes better). Just wondering what does losing its warmth do to the flavor exactly?
Edit: typo
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It is probably due to the change in taste sensitivities. You can taste sweet and bitter better when the beverage is closer to your body temperature.
https://www.sonndacatto.co.uk/blog/how-temperature-affects-taste
There are many factors involved that could be at play.
First: Convection forces. Those are “currents” within the coffee that are formed when there is a temperature difference between the coffee and the room temperature. The top layer of coffee cools, making it heavier. The colder coffee from the surface of the mug falls to the bottom. This allows the coffee to circulate more, making a more consistent flavour.
Second: Settlement. This affects the concentration of flavour. A warm liquid can hold more particles and larger particles in suspension. This means heavier particles fall out of suspension as the coffee cools. This explains why a really old coffee tastes weaker at the surface than at the bottom of the cup and why a dark line of coffee forms right at the bottom.
Lastly: Concentration. This is probably the lowest factor, but there is less water in an old cup of coffee due to evapotarion. Hot water is pulled into the air around the coffee. Even at room temperature, the air is pulling water out of the cup. This could intensify the milky flavours.
Something the others hadn’t noted is that a large contribution to what people call their sense of taste happens in the nose. Basically, the sense of smell is intrinsically involved. When coffee is hot, more volatile chemicals escape it via evaporation and make it into your nose, altering your perception of the flavour. As it cools, fewer chemicals are able to leave the coffee so that it winds up tasting different.
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