Back to Coffee Guide Index
Tasting Coffee: An Introduction
Why worry about taste?
There are many varieties of arabica coffees (the higher-quality coffees found at
Java Joes) and each one, from Brazil Sierra Negra to Yemen Mocca, has a different taste.
Consequently, anyone interested in "gourmet" coffees should learn to
taste. Professional coffee tasters use a complex procedure known as "cupping"
which requires special equipment, knowledge, and has a vast vocabulary all its own. You
don't, however, need to be an expert to be able to taste coffee. Brew your coffee the
ordinary way, sample the aroma, taste some black, and enjoy. If you use cream or sugar,
add those and taste the coffee again.
AROMA
After brewing your coffee, with a cup in front of you, place your nose as close to
the drink as you can (without getting it wet, of course), and inhale deeply. The resulting
smell is the coffee's aroma and can range from fruity to herbal to nut-like.
TASTE
Putting the edge of the cup to your mouth, forget your manners and slurp some of the
coffee, making sure to coat the entire surface of the tongue. This is to ensure that all
the different taste buds are activated. Hold the coffee in your mouth for a few seconds
and pay special attention to the flavor. Is it sweet, salty, sour, or bitter? Acidy,
bland, winey, sharp? A knowledge of "coffee flavor terminology" isn't needed;
use your own words to describe the taste.
BODY
Body is a description of how the coffee feels in your mouth: the
"mouthfeel." Swish the coffee around in your mouth before you swallow it. Note
the heaviness, richness, and thickness. If this seems confusing.... burgundy wines are
heavier in body than white wines. The terminology used for coffees and wines is, in this
case, similar.
You don't need a special
vocabulary or equipment to enjoy your coffee, and there is no "right" or
"wrong" in tasting and describing coffee. Remember-- you may love your cup of
Ethiopian Harrar whereas your best friend prefers a cup of Sumatra.
