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This tutorial is designed for people who have difficulty distinguishing and describing the taste of coffee. It introduces basic coffee tasting techniques, emphasizes the importance of tasting coffees in comparison and the ability to recognize different tastes through practice . It also includes simple exercises to distinguish sweetness, acidity, and bitterness .
Basic Taste Training
The first step to tasting coffee is to train yourself to distinguish the basic elements of taste, such as:
Water, sugar, citric acid (lemon juice), orange peel
Sweetness : Taste water with sugar in it and perceive its sweetness.
Acidity : Taste the water mixed with lemon juice to determine the acidity.
Bitterness : We experience bitterness through orange peel or strongly roasted coffee.
The key to this exercise is not to confuse sourness with bitterness .
Bitterness is usually felt in dark roasted coffees,
Acidity is a sharp, refreshing sensation felt on the sides of the tongue.
Coffee Comparison Tasting
1. It is recommended to prepare 2~3 types of coffee at the same time and compare them :
- First coffee : Instant coffee, dark roast Robusta variety
- Second coffee : Freshly roasted high-quality Kenyan coffee (light roast)
- Third coffee : High quality Honduran coffee (Catuai variety)
2. Before tasting : Grind the coffee beans and smell them to compare their aromas.
- Instant coffee has a light caramel flavor and almost no flavor.
- Kenyan coffee has a strong fruity aroma
- Instant coffee has a simple chocolate-like flavor nuance.
Key Tasting Elements
Bitterness
Instant Robusta Coffee: Very Bitter Due to Varieties and Roasting
Kenyan coffee: Almost no bitterness, but high acidity
Honduran coffee: medium bitterness, acidity and balance
Acidity
Kenyan coffee: very high acidity, reminiscent of fresh fruit
Honduran coffee: below Kenyan but above instant
Sweetness
Kenyan coffee: Balance of acidity and sweetness, impression similar to ripe fruit
Honduran coffee: sweet and creamy
Mouthfeel
Instant coffee: thin and light
Kenyan coffee: smooth and slightly oily
Honduran coffee: a rich texture closer to cream than milk
Aftertaste
Instant coffee: short, bitter, and unpleasant aftertaste, like burnt or rubbery flavors
Kenyan coffee: refreshing aftertaste with fruit and sugar
Honduran coffee: long-lasting sweetness, chocolatey and nutty notes
conclusion
In coffee tasting, it is important to recognize the flavors centered on bitterness, acidity, sweetness, texture, and aftertaste .
Developing the ability to distinguish these characteristics will greatly aid you in comparing and accurately describing different coffees .
Also, to develop your tasting skills, it is a good idea to practice tasting a variety of foods and drinks in addition to coffee.
This is how you sharpen your sense of taste and better appreciate the delicate flavors of coffee .