Coffee Tasting Like a Pro- What You Need to Know

Coffee is a drink that is nearly as old as civilization itself. However, it is more than a source of energy and rejuvenation that people come to rely on each morning. Coffee should taste amazing, but the flavor and experience of enjoying a fresh cup can tell a story about the coffee itself. Taste is the overarching metric used to define a good cup of coffee.

With coffee flavors, the flavor you get can be significantly impacted by the particular environment it was grown in, the way it was prepared, and how you actually drink it. In the end, the taste is the most important part of enjoying coffee. But everyone has a different idea of what is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ when it comes to personal tastes, so how can someone expect to determine what a particular cup of coffee tastes like? This is where cupping comes into play.

The process of cupping is a very specialized and precise method used by professional coffee tasters and hobby enthusiasts alike. The goal is to develop a process or formula for tasting coffee that tries to keep all of the variables equal and to maintain a level playing field when comparing various coffees.

Setting the Stage for Tasting

Before you taste coffee with the purpose of focusing on its unique profile and attributes, you need to cleanse our pallet. Drinking some fresh unflavored water will remove any lingering fragrances or tastes so you can get the full unaltered flavor of your coffee.

The experience of drinking coffee actually starts with the nose. Before the coffee even hits your lips your sense of smell will start to prepare your mind for what you are going to experience as you actually drink your coffee. So, it is important to take the time to stop and smell the cup before you dive in.

Even if you enjoy drinking super hot coffee, it is a good idea to wait until your coffee cools down some before you taste it. Drinking your coffee that is super hot will interfere with how receptive your palate is and can actually hinder some of the flavors from being detected.

The final consideration to take into account before you begin tasting that tempting cup of Joe is what environment you are in. You want to be able to enjoy the coffee. Try and find a place that is calm, quiet, relaxing, with minimal distractions so you can focus on the experience.

True coffee cupping and professional tasting is a serious matter and should be given your full attention during the process and be done in the proper setting.

The Coffee Taster's Wheel is an intricate tool that has been specially designed to help coffee tasters manage and track their tasting journey. It will start the user in the center of the wheel with some key basic flavors and then gradually move them outward with more specific and descriptive flavor profiles. As you taste coffee, you are free to stop anywhere within the wheel but the more you progress through the levels the more descriptive and specific your flavor profile will before.

An example of this could be as follows:

You take the first sip or two of a cup of coffee and determine a floral or sweet note to the taste. Form there you look at the wheel and see what other flavors you can associate with that cup of coffee. A flowery flavor can then further be described by specific notes such as lavender, vanilla, or jasmine. It can also be further described with aroma notes such as cinnamon, anise, or woody elements. As you continue through the flavor wheel you could end up with a cup of coffee that could be described as having a flavor of floral notes with vanilla, anise, and cinnamon and that has a strong overall taste that lingers on the tongue. It is important to note that the flavor wheel is meant to be a guideline and not the ‘end all be all’ for describing a cup of coffee.

It is also worth noting that the regions your coffee beans come from will also impact how your coffee tastes. Each region of the world produces coffee that has slightly different taste profiles. Everything from the weather, the soil the harvesting the roasting and even the shipping methods can affect the flavor of coffee beans long before they are ever actually brewed into the cup of Joe you are about to enjoy. Some regions are known for coffee that has strong robust earthy tones and others are more famous for fruity and floral notes in their beans. This just further adds to the diversity of flavors that can be enjoyed when choosing your next cup of coffee.

Taste Considerations When Cupping Coffee

In order to determine the flavor profile of a cup of coffee you will need to analyze other key elements of flavor that come together to make an enjoyable cup of coffee: taste, body, acidity, and aftertaste.

The taste is related to how the taste buds interpret aspects of the coffee: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. These can be further broken down into more descriptive terms such as tart, tangy, delicate, rough, smooth, and pungent among many others.

The body of a coffee brew is an indication of the oil content that comes from the coffee beans when they are roasted and ground. Body terms range from thin to light to heavy, determined by the way the coffee itself feels on the tongue as you drink it.

The acidity is the normal tangy notes that most coffee brews present. It is often described as a dry, bright taste. The acidity of coffee diminishes in darker roasts and contributes to the smooth or bold flavors associated with different roast varieties.

The aftertaste refers to the lingering notes and flavors that last after the coffee is consumed. It is also important to note that as the coffee cools, the flavors can change. So, in order to get a full profile for the coffee you should drink at different temperatures.

These are the main considerations you should keep in mind as you work on familiarizing yourself with the elements of coffee tasting and prepare to actually start your coffee tasting process.

The Coffee Tasting Process: Step by Step

The four stages of coffee tasting can be summarized as follows:

Smelling the Grounds

The ground of the coffee itself can start the experience and give the taster a preview of what that coffee is likely to taste like once it or brewed. Grounds are bold and concentrated and offer a unique insight into the smell and profile of that particular coffee bean batch.

Evaluating the Aroma after Brewing

When hot water is added to the coffee grounds, a chemical reaction takes place and the brewing transformation occurs. The brewing process releases aromas, flavors, oils, and other elements that make a cup of coffee what we have come to know and love.

Breaking the Crust

With brewed coffee, a thin crusty layer often forms on the surface, encapsulating the bean's natural aroma. Breaking the crust releases this and provides the taster with a preview of the intricate flavors that are contained within the cup of coffee before them.

Assessing the Flavors

While sipping and slurping the coffee it is time to focus on the various elements noted within the brew. Bold, rich, acidic, sweet, nutty, and dry are all descriptions that could be used o describe a coffee flavor profile. Every brew will have a slightly diffident flavor.

The Vocabulary of Coffee Tasting

The language of coffee tasting is diverse and rich. It is much like learning a foreign language in a way and by understanding the terms used and how they apply to coffee, you can further expand and enhance your coffee-tasting adventures. It is important to know the terms commonly used and what they mean so that your reviews and descriptions are accurate and properly understood and interpreted by others. Developing a vocabulary allows tasters to communicate and appreciate the myriad sensations that coffee can evoke. A well-crafted terminology allows more exact communication and a much more detailed understanding of the nuanced flavors found in the many types of coffees available today.

Some of the more common coffee cupping terminology you will likely become familiar with include:

• Acidity: the tanginess or brightness of the coffee’s flavor
• Aged: A pleasant, distinctive fragrance of older brews and beans
• Body: This is a feeling in the mouth of richness, thickness,
• Buttery: Coffee that has an oily and almost creamy mouthfeel.
• Carbony: An aromatic dark-roasted coffees tone that is bordering burnt
• Clean: A coffee with a clear and refined texture in the mouth
• Dry: A coffee with a somewhat astringent or drying effect after drinking
• Fine: A coffee with desirable and positive characteristics
• Flat: A lifeless coffee lacking in any real notes of acidity.
• Full: Another term for a fine or well-balanced flavor profile.
• Mild, Mellow or Soft: Low-acid, nothing unpleasant hinder the flavor.
• Musty: An undesirable element that results from improper production
• Pungent: A strong element that overpowers the rest of the brew
• Rioy or Rio: Used to describe a harsh, bitter, undesirable element in the coffee
• Scorched: Bitter taste often generated by improper brewing and perking
• Smoky: A naturally occurring aroma that is similar to wood smoke.
• Smooth: A coffee that is not very acidic and is easy to drink.
• Strength: The ratio of water and ground coffee used to brew the coffee
• Tart: Pleasantly pungent and sour, bold and strong but in a good way.
• Watery: Thin flavor so unpronounced it flavors the water it was brewed in

One of the great joys of drinking coffee is the experience that comes with it, From what we eat with it to how and where we enjoy a drink, enhancing the coffee-tasting experience makes everything better. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Like With Like When Pairing Coffee With Food

Just as you do with wine, like goes with like for coffee and food pairings. If your coffee has a more delicate fruit flavor consider a berry cobbler or pastry as your food of choice. If your coffee is packed with nutty, chocolate, or spicey tones consider a brownie or a peanut butter cookie. Conflicting flavors will often detract from the coffee’s flavors so stick with foods that are within the same general flavor profile of your coffee of choice.

Pay Attention to the Water Used to Brew Your Coffee

Coffee often has cream and sweetener added but most people do not give much thought to the water in their coffee. Water does in fact impact the end resulting cup of coffee you are sipping. The reason for this could be due to minerals in the water, additives in city water, or contaminants in your pipers or kettle. Choose your water carefully and try to be consistent with what you use so you can get the same brewing quality with every cup.

Slurp Effectively to Get the Full Flavor Experience

Slurping might seem rude to most people and for those new to coffee cupping it might seem like a bit of a quirky technique. However, it is a key part of the coffee tasting experience and enhances the coffee flavor, aroma, and aftertaste. The act of slurping aerates the coffee, gets it closer to the nasal passages, and ensures you taste with your full mouth. This technique is fundamental to being able to detect and enjoy the intricacies of the coffee.

Isolate Flavors and Track Your Experience

To fully appreciate the complexity of coffee, the focus comes down to your ability to detect and describe particular flavors and tones. A good tip from the pros to help with this is to segment the tasting experience by consciously focusing on different aspects of the coffee one sip to the next. It is also a good idea to keep a coffee tasting journal to record your thoughts and to refer to as you begin to develop your unique flavor profiles and presences.

Final Thoughts on Coffee Cupping

Coffee is a drink that has been around nearly as long as human civilization has existed on this earth. However, it is more than a morning tradition that people enjoy with barely a thought or care. Coffee tasting is a serious business and there is a lot that goes into it. Understanding the nuances of flavors, aromas, coffee profiles, and personal preferences all help the industry further develop new and exciting coffee flavors to experience. True coffee cupping and professional tasting is a serious matter. But even if you are not a pro, you can still use these tips and ideas to take your daily cup of coffee to a whole new level and enjoy the experience like you never have before!