What is a 'Good' Coffee? A Guide to Tasting Notes and Quality
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In a world of vibrant flavors and complex aromas 787 Coffee is giving you the perfect guide to explore them! A truly great cup of specialty coffee doesn't just happen; it's the result of the love and care from the farm to the roaster to create a unique personality for the specialty coffee beans YOU enjoy. Understanding how to taste and find the best coffee is the first step in appreciating that farm to cup process. This guide will help you decode the professional language of coffee tasting so you can find what makes an impression in your mouth.
Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel: Your Ultimate Map
Before we dive into the steps, you should know the most important tool in a coffee taster’s arsenal: the Flavor Wheel. Created by the Specialty Coffee Association, this visual guide helps you put a name to the tastes you experience. It moves from broad categories (Fruity, Floral) to specific notes (Blueberry, Jasmine). Think of it as a map that gives you the language to describe your journey.
Step 1: The First Scent of Best Coffee
The aroma of freshly roasted coffee is your first and most powerful guide. Why? Because your sense of smell is directly linked to your brain's flavor perception. A rich aroma primes your palate for what’s to come and indicates a high-quality specialty coffee bean.
Technique 1 (The Dry Aroma): Before brewing, hold the bag of coffee grounds to your nose and inhale. A fantastic single origin coffee will have a complex, inviting scent. Use the flavor wheel to help you pinpoint whether it's more nutty, floral, or fruity.
Technique 2 (The Wet Aroma): Once the coffee is brewed, lean over your cup and take a deep breath of the rising steam. This "wet aroma" is different from the dry one and will give you the first hint of the coffee's flavor profile. This is a key step in tasting the best coffee.
Technique 3 (Breaking the Crust): In a professional tasting, tasters will "break the crust" of the coffee, meaning stirring the surface of a fresh cup to release the trapped aromas. You can do this at home with a spoon to fully appreciate your specialty coffee.
Practice at Home: Go to your pantry and smell different spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cocoa powder. This simple exercise trains your nose to identify individual scents, which will help you find them in your coffee and on the flavor wheel.
Step 2: The Flavor Journey of Single Origin Coffee
The taste of specialty coffee is a combination of what your tongue feels and what your nose smells. Why does it matter? The first sip reveals the coffee’s acidity and sweetness, the two most important components for a balanced, exciting cup of freshly roasted coffee.
Technique 1 (The Slurp): Don’t just sip your coffee; slurp it loudly. This professional technique aerates the coffee, allowing it to coat your entire palate and release its full range of flavors. This is how pros taste to find out which single origin beans are the best coffee to them.
Technique 2 (The Journey Across the Tongue): Pay attention to where you taste the flavors. Acidity often hits the sides of the tongue, sweetness at the tip. Use the flavor wheel to pinpoint specific notes—is that a bright citrus flavor, or more of a crisp apple?
Technique 3 (The Temperature Test): The flavor of an amazing specialty coffee changes as it cools. Take a sip when it's hot, and another when it's warm. The best coffees will reveal new, interesting notes as it cools, rather than tasting flat or bitter.
Practice at Home: Taste a fresh orange and a green apple side-by-side. Notice the difference in their brightness. The citrusy zing of the orange and the crisp acidity of the apple are the same sensations you’ll find in a great single origin coffee.
Step 3: The Feel and Weight of a Specialty Coffee
Beyond flavor, the "body" of coffee, its texture and weight on your tongue, is a key indicator of quality. Why? Because the mouthfeel contributes significantly to the overall enjoyment and richness of a freshly roasted cup.
Technique 1 (The Palate Swirl): Let a sip of coffee sit on your tongue for a moment, then swirl it around your mouth as you would with a fine wine. This allows you to fully feel its weight and texture, from delicate to velvety. This is the hallmark of a best specialty coffee experience.
Technique 2 (The Spoon Test): Dip a spoon into your coffee and then let the liquid fall back into the cup. A light-bodied coffee will fall in a thin, watery stream, while a full-bodied coffee will fall more slowly, with a thicker, richer appearance.
Technique 3 (The Coated Palate): After a full-bodied coffee, notice how your palate feels. Does it feel slick, oily, or coated? This sensation is a direct result of the coffee's body, which is a defining trait of a truly great single origin coffee beans.
Practice at Home: Pour a small glass of water and a small glass of milk. Take a sip of each, focusing on the way they feel in your mouth. This will give you a clear sense of the difference between a light and full body.
Step 4: The Lasting Impression of Freshly Roasted Coffee
A great coffee experience doesn’t end when you swallow. The aftertaste is the final and most memorable part of the tasting journey. Why? A clean, pleasant aftertaste is the mark of a well-grown, freshly roasted coffee bean with no defects.
Technique 1 (The Final Sip): Take a small, final sip and hold it in your mouth before swallowing. As you do, notice the flavors that linger on your palate. A great aftertaste will be pleasant and clean, not dry or acid.
Technique 2 (The Evolution): Pay attention to how the aftertaste evolves over time. A complex single origin coffee will change from a strong intense flavor to a sweet, smooth finish like caramel or cocoa. Use the outer ring of the flavor wheel to pinpoint these evolving notes.
Technique 3 (The "Clean" Test): After swallowing, notice if your mouth feels clean and refreshed. A bad aftertaste can make your mouth feel dry or chalky, a clear sign of a lower-quality coffee. This is a simple test for a true specialty coffee.
Practice at Home: Taste a piece of dark chocolate and then a cracker. Notice how the chocolate flavor lingers on your palate for much longer than the cracker. This is the difference between a long and short aftertaste.
Be The Expert
So, what is the best coffee? That depends on YOU. It's the one that excites your senses, balances flavor and texture, and leaves you wanting another sip. Coffee tasting doesn’t need to be complicated, it's about paying attention to what you enjoy. At 787 Coffee, we invite you to explore your own tasting journey and find your perfect cup.
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