Category: Sensory

Tasting coffee isn’t just about drinking it—it’s about breaking down the complex layers of flavour, aroma, and texture to better understand what’s in your cup. Whether you’re a casual drinker or an aspiring coffee connoisseur, developing a structured approach to coffee tasting can significantly enhance your appreciation of different beans and brewing methods. Here’s how to do it right.

The Cupping Process

Coffee cupping is the standard method used by professionals to evaluate coffee quality. It’s a controlled, repeatable way to assess aroma, flavour, body, and aftertaste. While it’s a formal process in the industry, you can also do it at home with minimal equipment.

What You Need:

• Freshly roasted coffee beans
• A grinder (set to a coarse grind)
• A scale and hot water (ideally 93°C/200°F)
• Cupping bowls (or any wide-mouthed cups)
• Spoons (deep, round ones work best)

Steps:

1. Grind & Smell – Grind your coffee coarsely and take a deep sniff to analyse its dry aroma.
2. Add Water – Pour hot water over the grounds, ensuring even saturation.
3. Break the Crust – After about four minutes, stir the floating coffee grounds to release trapped aromas, then remove the foam.
4. Taste – Using a spoon, slurp the coffee (yes, loudly!) to aerate it, spreading it across your palate for maximum flavour detection.
5. Evaluate – Assess the key elements: aroma, flavour, acidity, body, and aftertaste.

Understanding the Coffee Wheel

The Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel is an essential tool for identifying flavours and aromas in coffee. Developed by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), it categorises flavours into primary, secondary, and tertiary notes.

When using the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel, it’s best to start with a broad perspective before narrowing down specific flavours. Begin by determining the general flavour category of your coffee—does it present fruity, nutty, floral, chocolatey, or spicy characteristics? Once you’ve established the primary flavour family, refine your focus by identifying more specific notes. For instance, if the coffee has a fruity profile, consider whether it leans towards berries, citrus, or stone fruit. Finally, take it a step further by pinpointing the exact flavour—does it remind you of strawberry, lime, or peach? This systematic approach allows you to develop a more precise sensory vocabulary, making it easier to articulate what you’re tasting.

The 5 Key Elements of Coffee Tasting

• Aroma – The scent of the coffee before and after brewing. Aroma can provide hints about the coffee’s flavour profile and depth, revealing notes like floral, nutty, chocolatey, or fruity characteristics.
• Flavour – The overall taste experience that combines aroma, sweetness, acidity, and bitterness. A well-balanced coffee will have a harmony of these elements, revealing layers of complexity.
• Acidity – A bright, lively characteristic that gives coffee its vibrancy. It’s often described as crisp or juicy, resembling citrus or berry-like qualities, and is more prominent in high-quality, light-roasted beans.
• Body – The weight and texture of the coffee on your palate. It can range from light (tea-like) to full-bodied (thick and creamy), influenced by brewing method and bean type.
• Aftertaste – The lingering impression that remains after swallowing. A great coffee leaves a pleasant, lasting finish, whether it’s sweet, chocolatey, nutty, or floral.

To refine your palate, try a triangle test: Set up three cups—two with the same coffee, one different. Try to identify the odd one out. This method sharpens sensory awareness and is used by professionals to detect subtle differences between roasts. Tasting coffee side by side is another way to develop a refined palate. Brew two coffees different origins and note the differences in acidity, sweetness, and body.

Improving Your Coffee Tasting Skills

Like any skill, improving your ability to taste coffee takes time and practice. The more coffees you taste, the more attuned you’ll become to identifying subtle differences in flavour, aroma, and texture. Keeping a tasting journal can be extremely helpful—writing down your impressions, even if they seem vague at first, will allow you to track patterns and refine your palate over time.

It's also important to trust your instincts. Everyone’s palate is unique, and flavour perception is subjective, so don’t be afraid to rely on your own taste experiences rather than expecting to identify the same notes as someone else.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to experiment. Try different brewing methods, origins, and roast levels to expand your flavour experience. Whether it’s a pour-over, espresso, or cold brew, each method extracts different nuances, helping you develop a well-rounded understanding of coffee’s complexity.

With time and practice, you’ll be able to break down each cup of coffee into its core components, making every sip a richer, more rewarding experience. Happy tasting!