How To Taste Coffee?
Whether a cup of coffee is good or not is a very direct feeling, but this feeling requires training and breaking the stereotypes brought by past experience.
The most common reactions of coffee drinkers are "I don't want sourness" or "I won't drink it without sugar and milk". Only by breaking these stereotypes can we take the first step in coffee taste.
Good coffee, when drinking, can show the taste of many fruits, as well as various delicious foods and spices. These are not additives but the original flavor of the coffee.
There are so many flavors in coffee, which requires a keen sense of smell and taste to distinguish its fineness. Some people are born with a keen sense of taste, while others need to taste more to improve their taste ability. The key to this is to "conscientiously and consciously train your tasting ability."
In order to facilitate the drinker to describe the diverse and rich flavors of coffee, there are usually several ways to help you experience this cup of coffee:
Fragrance
It is best to brew coffee freshly ground and brewed. It is recommended to buy raw coffee beans for brewing because the aroma is the strongest within 15 minutes after grinding. There may be subtle layers to smelling each time, which will help you experience this cup of coffee. Buy already ground powder, so not only will the aroma be greatly reduced, but the flavor will also be affected.
Aroma
The coffee has just been brewed, and it is basically too hot to drink directly. At this time, you can smell the aroma first. The "quality" of coffee Aroma corresponds to the place where the coffee is produced, and the "strength" of aroma is usually related to the freshness of the coffee, measured by the length of the period from the date of roasting to the date of use, and also by the moisture barrier of the packaging—affected by the condition of oxygen.
Flavor
Flavor represents the main characteristic of coffee, which is the sensory experience of the "middle", which is between Aroma, Acidity, and Aftertaste of coffee. The flavor combines all taste bud senses with the retro-nasal impression of coffee. The flavor contains flavor, intensity/quality/complexity of aroma.
Aftertaste
The aftertaste is defined as the positive flavor (taste and aroma), the length of time that remains on the back of the tongue after drinking coffee. If the aftertaste is short or has a negative flavor (bitterness residue, etc.), it will reduce the experience of the cup of coffee. If the aftertaste is long and has a positive flavor, it can enhance the experience of this cup of coffee.
Positive adjectives: Aftertaste is long, well-retained flavor in the throat
Negative adjectives: Aftertaste is short, does not retain flavor, or cannot discern remaining flavor
Acidity
Acidity is often described as the "brightness" of coffee when it has a positive flavor and "sour" when it has a negative flavor. At its best, acidity imparts coffee sweetness, a lively texture, and a fresh fruit-like flavor that is often immediately felt when the coffee is drunk.
However, an excessively strong or pronounced Acidity may be uncomfortable, and an excessively high Acidity may not be appropriate for the flavor profile of the coffee, making the coffee feel "out of balance". Acidity quality is based on the terroir of the coffee-producing area or the influence of other factors (roast degree, brewing purpose, etc.).
Positive Adjectives: Bright, Lively, Soft, Rich, Acidity translates into high sweetness
Negative adjectives: sharp, stimulating, monotonous, acidity cannot be turned into sweet
Body
Body refers to the touch of coffee in the mouth, especially the touch between the tongue and the palate. Body "heavy" or "light" coffee can make people have a pleasant tactile experience. Although the strength of the two is very different, but both can make the cup of coffee you drink more effective.
Positive adjectives: thick, round, smooth, light
Negative adjectives: watery, astringent, dry, tongue scraping, grainy
Balance
Balance combines all the elements of this cup of coffee, including Flavor, Aftertaste, Acidity, and Body, to present complementary or contrasting feelings. If the coffee lacks a certain aroma or taste quality, or if certain characteristics are too strong, then a bad balance is present.
Now, you've known how to taste your coffee at home correctly. If you want to know more about coffee, whether the coffee facts, the other coffee brewing methods, or some coffee market information, you can visit Roaster Coffees to get more resources about coffee so that you can do better in your daily coffee time at home.
The Effect Of Drinking Temperature
Freshly brewed coffee is not suitable for drinking, and the human tongue cannot feel the flavor under this high temperature. Once the coffee is cooled to 70°C, the sense of smell behind the nose is most obvious at this temperature, which is suitable for tasting the quality of Flavor and Aftertaste.
As the coffee continues to cool down, focus on feeling the Acidity, Body, and Balance of the coffee.
If the Flavor, Aftertaste, Acidity, and Body of coffee can be integrated and synergistic, it is the perfect presentation result of a cup of coffee.
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