Coffee Tasting – Judging Coffee Quality
Have you ever dreamed of being a ‘Cupper’? What is a Cupper, you ask? A Cupper is a professional coffee taster. Cuppers do such things as judging coffee
The first thing you need, if you’re going to produce the Cupper’s experience in your own home, is fresh, filtered water. Water can easily take on odors from the air around it and it can also contain minerals that change the taste of your coffee. You should have fresh, filtered water on hand for your coffee tasting experience. You should also avoid softened or distilled water. It may still contain too much of the softening salts.
Aside from fresh water, you may also want a tray, as many small glasses or bowls as you want to make samples for, spoons, measuring cups and, of course, the coffee itself. As a general rule, you should have about two tablespoons (10 grams) of coffee for every six fluid ounces (180 ml) of water. You may want to adjust those amounts as you experiment, though.
First, you should boil enough water for each of your samples. You should also grind your coffee beans with a burr grinder. Try setting the grinder to different settings. Even if you are using the same type of bean, the fineness of the grind can completely change the flavor of the cup.
Second, steep the samples for a few minutes and then filter or allow them to settle accordingly.
Before you begin tasting, you should keep in mind what to look for. A few of the things that professional Cuppers evaluate coffee based on include aroma, flavor, body and acidity.
When you taste each sample, first concentrate on the smell, and then taste it by running the liquid over your entire tongue. After a few seconds of that, spit the sample into a container. As you are going through that process, consider the coffee’s major characteristics. Ask yourself, does it tastes woody, winy, smooth, acidic, thin or syrupy, peppery or floral?
Since coffee is grown in a wide variety of climates around the world, it should come as no surprise to you that their smells and tastes vary greatly. For instance, a Kenyan coffee tastes quite different from a Yemen Mocha or a Columbian coffee.
Always consider the different components of each coffee sample’s profile.
* Aroma – coffee aromas can smell nutty, floral, fruity or herb-like. Explore each coffee’s unique scent.
* Acidity – Both the age of the sample and the type of roast can make a huge difference in this category. Coffee acidity is characterized by a somewhat dry tartness. Mexican, for instance, has a noticeable acidity, while Sumatran is softer.
* Bitterness – Bitterness is something you can measure best by swishing each coffee sample on the back of your tongue. Most coffee bitterness is caused by caffeine, so decaf or darker brews are generally less bitter. Arabica tends to be less bitter than robusta.
* Body – Body measures how ‘thick’ the coffee is. For instance a dark French roast will be a sharp contrast to a light American roast.
* Nuttiness – Nuttiness is generally not considered to be a good thing when it comes to coffee. Aldehydes and ketones combine to create a taste similar to roasted nuts. That’s generally a sign of poor quality coffee beans.
* Sharpness – Sharpness is usually most pronounced in inexpensive robusta coffee. It’s created from a combination of salts and acids.
These are some good beginning guidelines to start you on the road to coffee tasting just like a professional Cupper. Just remember, coffee is an art form. All coffee is unique, so start with these guidelines, but be prepared to journey off into the unknown with each sip.
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