Tasting Basics
For the initial stages, tasting coffee is binary. Without consuming ample amount of coffee it isn’t easy to notice the characteristic notes that make brewing fresh coffee so special. So for starters, it’s always differentiating between a consumable cup and a cup that belongs to the bin. Once you are ready with a good cup, try to notice the different attributes like sweetness, bitterness or the aftertaste. If you can’t catch hold, keep it in your mouth for a while and then swallow. Observe the kind of flavours you can sense while consuming and keep a habit of jotting it down. Brewing the cup that’s perfect for you will require some experimentation and having a record of your previous attempts will surely come in handy.
Now when one says that a particular coffee has chocolaty notes, it means that the taste is characteristic to it and not exactly similar. To find out more about how roasters actually determine the flavours and its intensity, you can check out a document called the sensory lexicon. It is published by the SCAA ( Specialty Coffee Association of America) with the aim of creating a universal document that can be referred by all roasters throughout the world. A PDF format is available for free, so do check it out. Just keep in mind that you might have to go for hit and trial as a lot of ingredients mentioned are available only in the US.
Here’s a list of basic notes that will help in getting to the final stage.
- Acidic- Acidity is the tanginess that resembles the taste of citrus like a flavour
- Sweet- This is one of the most desirable characteristics of a brew. The sweetness of coffee ranges from notes of honey to notes of sugar or caramel.
- Spicy - Depending on the roasting method, coffee may have a slightly spicy flavour that can be related to the aroma or flavours of cinnamon or clove.
- Salty- If you have not brewed the coffee properly, it might lead to an under-extracted cup that has a salty taste
- Floral- These notes are mostly found in coffees grown on low-level plantations and have the aroma of flowers.
- Chocolaty - Chocolaty flavours are quite desirable for a brew and these are mostly obtained from coffee grown in mid to high-level plantations. Its notes range from sweet like milk chocolate to a less sweet/bittersweet note.
- Bitter- These notes can help in balancing in the sweetness of the brew, but are quite undesirable. These notes can also help in indicating the improper brewing method.
Apart from these notes, a cup of coffee is also defined by its attributes like cleanliness and body.
- Body- The body of a brew is basically its mouthfeel or the weight in your mouth. The French press, for example, produces a full-bodied cup.
- Clean - A cup of coffee that's free from sedimentation and has no defects is termed as a clean cup
- Finish - Finish of the coffee is the aftertaste of the coffee.
Now obviously it's quite impossible to get a hold of the notes in the cup, but breaking down these complex flavours to quite simple ones like sweet and bitter can surely help for a beginning. Once you are able to differentiate between the basic notes, try to use the coffee taster's wheel. Using this you'll be able to appreciate the characteristics of the brew.
0 comments