Coffee tasting is the fun way to learn about what you like, what you don’t like, and how you can best present your coffee.
When you start out tasting coffee, I recommend choosing one of these five categories and paying close attention to how a particular coffee expresses itself through it. We define few the categories, and suggest some simple exercises you can try at home to deepen your understanding of coffee flavours
Sweetness: This is an easy one to start with. How much do you detect a sugary quality in the coffee? What kind of sugar does it remind you of? Is it a maple sugar sweetness, or a hard-candy sweetness?
Body: This category is for considering the weight and feeling of the coffee on your tongue. Milk is also a helpful example for thinking about body(take sips of whole milk, skim milk, and non-fat milk, and notice how they feel heavier or lighter, thicker or thinner, in your mouth)
Acidity: Acidity has many common associations, and not all of them are positive for most people. But a complex acidity, or “brightness," is a hallmark of some of the most sought-after coffees (that tangy sensation of lactic acid on your tongue).
Flavour: Here’s where you let your imagination run fierce. The key thing is to build up a library of flavour references you can refer when trying different coffees
Finish: This category is a question of what happens after your sip of coffee is “done.” What taste or feeling lingers in your mouth? What’s your last impression of it? Which one has a long, coating finish? Which one leaves a dry feeling?
GO DEEPER WITH QUALITY AND INTENSITY
Each of these five categories is represented in every cup, and within each category we can also assess how present and pleasant they are. Not all sweetness is pleasant, and not all acidity is unenjoyable. Asking yourself whether a characteristic you’ve observed is positive or negative — and to what degree — is a robust part of tasting.
PAYING ATTENTION AND FALLING IN LOVE
The best part about these five categories is you can apply them to anything you can taste. It’s about figuring out what works for you and putting it into words.
That’s one of the splendours of coffee: The more you pay attention and learn about what makes you love something, the more you discover to love.
Comments