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Every Bean Has A Story
Coffee is a complex blend of distinct flavors. When combined, it provides a variety of sensory experiences. Learning to identify specific flavors in our morning cup can be a real challenge. We might question ourselves: Where do we begin?
What are the basics of coffee tasting?
The sensory profile of a cup of coffee changes depending on several aspects, including the type and blend of coffee beans, the geographical source, the roasting method, and the method of preparation. Variation in these characteristics will affect the overall sensory experience gained from a cup of coffee during both preparation and consumption.
It’s about aroma. Aroma provides a delicate introduction to different subtleties of acidity, taste, and flavor : bitter and sweet tones, fruit, flower, or herbal notes, and so on. Strong aromas can be found in roasted whole beans or freshly ground coffee, but the finished beverage itself does not release many volatile components, especially in espresso. When we drink coffee, the volatile chemicals swiftly evolve in our mouth and move to the olfactory epithelium in the nasal cavity. Conversely, the sensation is stronger while exhaling.
Coffee aroma descriptors include flowery, nutty, smoky, herby. Lighter roasts preserve herb and fruit flavors, while darker roasts add smoky and burnt aromas while decreasing acidity. A larger sip of coffee appears to give a stronger release of flavor.
The weight or thickness of the coffee on your tongue is referred to as the palate of the coffee. If you take a sip and think about it for a moment; you can look at these terms to describe coffee body/taste to determine which one best describes the brew that you have: bitter, sweet, salty and sour.
Mouthfeel is the sense of heaviness, tactile richness, or thickness when you swirl the coffee around your mouth. There are numerous names used to describe the body or mouthfeel of coffee. It might be generally described as light, heavy, balanced, buttery, creamy, smooth, delicate, thin, and syrupy.
Body and mouthfeel explain the weight and texture of sensations. The body can be light and delicate, thick and resonant, thin and disappointing; it can have a smooth, velvety, syrupy, lean, or thin texture. The sharp, dry sensation that enlivens the taste of coffee is known as acidity. At its best, it’s a pleasantly tart liveliness that lifts the coffee and pleasurably expands its range and dimension. To name a few favorable characteristics, acidity might be delicate and sharp, luscious and rich, aggressively tart but sweet, or backgrounded but bright. The darker a coffee is roasted, the less acidic it will be.
Aftertaste or finish refers to sensations that stay after the coffee has been consumed (or spit out). Some coffees evolve in the finish, changing in delightful ways. In general, we prefer coffees with appealing flavor notes that linger in the aftertaste long after the coffee has been consumed, and the sensations left behind are generally sweet-toned rather than extremely bitter or drying and astringent.