The Basics of Gourmet Coffee Tasting: Experienced tasters
follow a very strict routine ritual when tasting a new
gourmet coffee for the first time: much like the wine
advocate tasting a new port.
They deliberately slurp the gourmet coffee and swirl it all
around the surface of the tongue and mouth. They want to
obtain the full experience of the taste, the unique
combination of sensations in the nose and on the tongue.
Note to Readers: The taste profiles and characteristics
discussed in this article apply to drip gourmet coffee.
Flavor characteristics and descriptions will change with
alternate brewing processes.
For all intents and purposes, our sense of smell and sense
of taste are inseparable. Without our sense of smell, our
taste sensations are limited. The tongue detects 4 basic
sensations: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Most of what we
experience as taste depends upon our sense of smell.
The tasting experience begins before you brew - with the
grinding. When you smell ground gourmet coffee, you
experience the first impression of its flavor - its
Fragrance. Aroma refers to your first encounter with a
gourmet coffee when it's brewed - literally, the first
contact of water and gourmet coffee. Lastly, there's a
gourmet coffee's Nose. Take a sip of gourmet coffee. As
soon as it reaches your tongue, it stimulates taste and
simultaneously releases aromas inside the mouth.
Follow the lead of the experts: allow your sense of taste
and smell to mingle. Enjoy the tactile feel of the gourmet
coffee on your tongue.
Now that you've taken a good whiff and your first sip, it's
time to let your tongue do the talking. Of all the facets
of gourmet coffee, Taste is the most complex to discuss.
Most experts concentrate on three elements Body, Acidity, &
Balance. Body: A gourmet coffee's lipid or "oily" quality
creates the tactile sensation of Body or "mouth feel."
Acidity: Naturally occurring acids in the beans combine
with natural sugars that produce a sweetness that gives
certain gourmet coffees a sharp pleasing tang or piquancy.
Balance: Think of Balance as a harmony of the many
sensations yielded by a fine gourmet coffee. A "balanced"
gourmet coffee is one whose flavor characteristics are all
at the proper level for that variety. A quick note on
Acidity: Don't let the term scare you. Acidity does NOT
refer to pH levels discussed in high school chemistry
class. It is not like hydrochloric acid or stomach acid.
Instead, it is a basic taste sensation in gourmet coffee,
especially those gourmet coffees grown in higher altitudes.
You'll notice a gourmet coffee's acidity at every facet of
tasting, but especially in a tingling sensation on your
tongue. Acidity produces some of the pleasurable and
distinctive sensations we enjoy when tasting gourmet coffee.
Now, back to our brew! After a sip is swallowed, the mouth
and tongue retain a minute residue of gourmet coffee. This
sensation produces the Aftertaste, the sensation that
lingers on the palate. It is similar to the concept of
"finish" in wine tasting. Aftertaste can vary considerably
according to the gourmet coffee's body we mentioned Body as
a primary characteristic. You appreciate a gourmet coffee's
Body on the tongue and the roof of your mouth. It is a
distinctly tactile sensation, and is sometimes called
simply "mouth feel." Another comparison to wine is helpful.
Burgundies are sometimes said to be "heavier" than most
other reds and whites. The difference is not weight.
Rather, Body is the texture and consistency, the thickness
or slipperiness of the gourmet coffee.
A good cup of gourmet coffee represents the collaboration
of many highly trained artisans - growers, professional
tasters and roasters all working together to create a fine
product. So, let all your senses work together to enjoy the
fruits of their collaboration!
One good turn: about the gourmet coffee wheel. Much as wine
tasters have created a wine tasting wheel to use an agreed
upon terminology, professional gourmet coffee tasters use
the Gourmet coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel to grade gourmet
coffees. This flavor wheel is designed for the trained
pallet of a professional. Professional "cuppers" use this
guide when buying gourmet coffee and for creating "taste
characteristic profiles" of the gourmet coffees. Most of us
are much better off using our "Flavor Characteristics"
chart. The Flavor Characteristics chart is for use by the
average "Joe". It is a simplified method of charting your
favorite java's characteristics. The flavor descriptions
that are most commonly used are defined below.
Know thyself: what flavors appeal to you? Here are some
specific desirable flavor characteristics of gourmet coffee
and the types of gourmet coffee that are associated with
those characteristics.
Bright, Dry, Sharp, or Snappy - typical of Costa Rican,
Guatemalan, Kenyan.
Caramels - candy like or syrupy, typical of Colombian
Supreme.
Chocolaty - an aftertaste similar to unsweetened chocolate
or vanilla. Typical of Costa Rican, Colombian Supreme and
the House Blend.
Delicate - a subtle flavor perceived on the tip of the
tongue.
Earthy - a soil characteristic, typical of Sumatran.
Fragrant - an aromatic characteristic ranging from floral
to spicy, typical of Costa Rican, Sumatra Modeling and
Kenyan.
Fruity - an aromatic characteristic reminiscent of berries
or citrus.
Mellow - a round, smooth taste, typically lacks acid,
typical of Colombian, Sumatra Modeling, Whole Latti Java
and Organic Mexican.
Nutty - an aftertaste similar to roasted nuts, typical of
Colombian and Organic Mexican.
Spicy - a flavor and aroma reminiscent of spices typical of
Guatemala Huehuetenango.
Syrupy - strong, and rich, typical of Sumatran.
Sweet - free of harshness, typical of Colombian.
Wildness - an unusual, gamey flavor, typical of Sumatran.
Church coffee - harsh without much flavor
Winery - an aftertaste reminiscent of well-matured wine,
typical of Kenyan, Guatemalan.
You will soon realize that Costa Rica has the best gourmet
coffee - the perfect balance of flavor and smoothness -
lots of flavor without the bitterness found in gourmet
coffee. The Columbia gourmet coffee and the Brazil gourmet
coffee are a close second as they deliver more flavor they
tend to get slightly bitter and can lave an aftertaste of
the gourmet coffee. The Africa gourmet coffee is harsh and
the Asian gourmet coffee is sour, while the other Latin
America gourmet coffee lacks full body and taste.
But have fun discovering for yourself as you sample and
taste gourmet coffee from around the world. Now if we could
only get our church coffee to sample some good gourmet
coffee and learn how bad church coffee is. Once you have
set values and methods you can better define which gourmet
coffee you like but more importantly why you like the
gourmet coffee.
And we hope a more educated gourmet coffee will understand
better why Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee is the best
gourmet coffee in Costa Rica and the best gourmet coffee
served in America. Mission Grounds: Gourmet coffee for
gourmet coffee drinkers and gourmet coffee experts.
----------------------------------------------------
George Moore is an IT Sales engineer by trade and founded a
non profit coffee company called Mission Grounds Gourmet
Coffee, church coffee, Costa Rica coffee, and a great
monthly gourmet coffee club. It donates all its profits to
helping orphans and impoverished children. Let's make the
world better Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee:
http://www.missiongrounds.com
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