How to Taste Coffee
Coffee Grading In California
For those who are not yet followers of the coffee culture and drink coffee for the sole reason that it wakes them up, they will find it hard to determine the unique tastes of different kinds of coffees.
Coffee for some is just either “too bitter”, “too sweet” or “just right”. But for connoisseurs of coffee, they consider this beverage much like wine. There are subtle tastes unique to certain kinds of brews, they can appreciate the distinct flavors and notice the details that can be missed by coffee novices.
True coffee lovers know how to taste coffee in such a way that they use words such as “woody”, “papery”, “floral”, “acidic”, “burnt”, “nutty” and all sorts of adjectives to describe the taste of Java.
Like wine, there are many variants of coffee, and we’re not just talking about Affogato, Caffè Americano, Café au lait, Caffè latte, Cappuccino and the likes, but also the type of coffee beans and where they are grown. Coffee beans can come from Latin America, Africa, Arabia, the Pacific (usually Indonesia) and Hawaii. Coffee bean flavors are distinct depending on what region they are from. A coffee expert can tell where the beans were grown just by tasting or smelling the coffee. With experience you will learn how to taste coffee like these experts.
Also, like wine, coffee needs to be smelled before tasting it. Try to sniff the freshly ground coffee and then the brewed coffee. Compare the aromas and try to describe it. Close your eyes so you’re senses are focused on your olfactory nerve. Let your mind fly and don’t hesitate to let it wander and allow you to ponder on what the smell reminds you of. Don’t think of the obvious coffee aroma; try to pick up on the subtle tones and notes. Does it smell like flowers? Of fruits? Of exotic spices? Or maybe of warm earth or cut wood? Open your mind and you will get there.
Notice how people swirl their wine glass when sniffing their wine, try to stir your coffee to get the full aroma. Next, taste the coffee. Try to have the beverage hit every taste bud in your tongue so you get the full flavor. Remember that taste buds are categorized into four: sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Slurp the coffee so it hits all four areas (meaning the whole surface of your tongue) evenly. Don’t be shy to make that slurping noise. Slurping is important because this mixes air with the coffee therefore dispersing evenly in your mouth.
Attention is key on how to taste coffee. Focus on certain tastes and characteristics. The coffee should have that acidic bite, that sharp flavor that is distinct to coffee; this is not to be confused with a sour taste that indicates that the coffee has gone bad. Acidity can be identified with the feeling of dryness in the back and beneath the edges of your mouth.
Coffee with a rich aroma has a rich flavor. A complex aroma translates to a complex flavor. When one has a cold and could not smell anything, food and drink seem to lose their taste. They actually don’t, it’s just that the flavor becomes simple: just sweet, salty, bitter and/or sour. Aroma gives food and drinks their distinct flavors and subtle differences like “nutty”, “floral” or “woody”. That is why it is important to be able to smell the coffee as well as taste it.
The body of the coffee is also very important, whether it is thick and creamy or thin and watery. Much like the difference of whole milk and water; coffee with a heavier body has a stronger flavor. Hence, a full bodied espresso when diluted with hot milk and foam to make cappuccino will yield a richer flavor.
And of course the flavor, whether it be full bodied (i.e. espresso), multi-flavored (i.e. flavored drinks like a caramel hazelnut macchiato) or balanced.
The best way on how taste of coffee and compare, is to taste several variants side by side so each flavor is fresh in your mind and taste buds. Of course you need to have water nearby so the flavors do not mix in your mouth. It is suggested that you prepare all the samples the same way so that they are consistent and you are judging the taste of the coffee itself and not other factors like the milk or the way it was prepared (for example if you burned one sample make a fresh batch that is made just right).
There is no better way to brew coffee than using a good coffee machine like Jura Capresso, the more coffee you drink the more you will be able to appreciate the taste.
