Coffee Tasting
Whether you’ve got a coffee cupping session coming up, or just want to learn how to appreciate your morning coffee more, it’s never a bad idea to brush up on your knowledge of coffee tasting vocabulary.
Knowing how to describe the impact that a coffee has on your senses is a real skill, and once mastered, can help you on your way to making the perfect brew.
Getting to grips with the terminology can also empower you to communicate and understand what you do and don’t like in coffee.
What Does A Coffee Cupping Involve?
There are quite a few steps involved in getting coffee ready to be tasted during a tasting or “cupping” session. Unless you’re hosting the event you won’t have to worry about this, but it’s still interesting to understand how professionals from all over the world brew and evaluate different types of coffee.
Setting Up
Hot water is poured over cups that contain small amounts of freshly roasted and ground coffee beans in order to brew it. The grounds are left to steep in the water for anywhere between 3-5 minutes, during which time the aroma of the coffee is noted.
Whilst brewing, a ‘crust’ will form on the top of the coffee, which is then broken, leaving floating grounds to sink to the bottom of the cup. Breaking the crust releases even more aromas, which are also analysed.
When this happens, you can remove any foam or leftover grounds that are on the surface of the coffee and begin the tasting!
Smelling
Smelling the coffee is just as important as slurping it as the ground beans will produce strong and intense aromas throughout the brewing process. To get the most out of the experience, get as close to the cup as possible and inhale deeply through your nose.
Slurping
Perhaps the most distinctive part of any coffee cupping session is the slurping. Rather than drinking a cup of coffee as you usually would, try to slurp the liquid into your mouth (with the help of a spoon!), allowing it to “spray” inside your mouth. Doing this means that the coffee, including even its most subtle flavours and aromas, will spread across your whole palate and nose.
You don’t have to slurp as enthusiastically as your host might, but even a measured sip will help to increase your understanding of the coffee and its tasting notes.
Analysing and Describing
After tasting a coffee, you will either be asked to privately note down your opinions on the flavour, body, acidity, aroma, and finish, or share them with the other people in the cupping session. One of the most enjoyable parts of coffee cupping is discussing with other people what they noticed about the coffee!
If you’re still new to tasting, then don’t put pressure on yourself to identify all of the more subtle or nuanced flavours.