Coffee Tasting

So what exactly is a “palace”? According to the dictionary, it is separating the cavities of the nose and mouth into vertebrates, which is the roof of the mouth. But another description is: Tasting the coffee is the ability to make differences between different roasts, origins, and flavors of coffee. When you have a well-trained and exercised palate, you can detect even the slightest hint of flavor and body in every cup of coffee. This greatly enhances the flavors you experience.

As you continue to drink coffee, you can develop your sophisticated taste that will rival the “experts”. Coffee professionals do not have select spoons or luxury breweries; they simply have more opportunities for comparative tasting.

How to Properly Smell Coffee

Our sense of taste is impacted by our ability to smell. Before the tasting test begins, it is important to see if your nose is free and clear, and see if you can breathe and smell everything around you. Besides, if you want to learn how to detect different flavors associated with coffee, you need to know how to classify them. Also, the smell of coffee is divided into three categories:

  1. Enzymatic
  2. Sugar Browning
  3. Dry Distillation

The people who roast coffee, and most of the coffee sellers, taste the final product. This is often called “coffee cupping/tasting”. Think of wine tasting, the same happens to coffee as well, where it is tasted without swallowing it. When you taste the coffee, simply slurp it and spread it in the mouth so that you can observe the whole variety of aspects. Then remove the coffee from the mouth into a nearby container.

The expert coffee tasters begin by frying a small batch of coffee beans. They grind the beans and then put it into a cup. While they brew the coffee, they observe the aroma, and then they will taste the coffee. The experts never swallow the coffee they tasted because it would diminish the acuity of the taste buds.

Tasting coffee is considered an art, which means that tasters need to taste between 15 to 20 types of coffee a day, without losing the distinctive qualities of any of them. Taste is a personal thing, so there will never be two tasters to agree with each other over the final product completely. Besides, the coffee tasting ceremony has become more scientific.

However, machines were created to help the tasters perfect their art and to ensure continuity of the product. For example, there is Agtron, which is an electronic machine that measures the color of the coffee ground after roasting. Besides, Gloria Jean’s has set a roasting standard for each type of coffee beans, and each batch is measured accurately. After the coffee is packed into valve bags, which are for maintaining freshness, the oxygen levels are checked twice. The first verification is done right on the day when the coffee was roasted. The second check is done the next day.

If increased oxygen levels are observed, it means that either the bag verification was not sealed completely, or the unidirectional valve does not work correctly. If during the second check, the oxygen levels are lower, then that means that the coffee will maintain its freshness for 12 months.

A good cup of coffee in the morning can create the mood for the whole day. But when cafes are closed, relying on a barista to serve you your daily cup of coffee may not be an option for you. If this is the case, you may want to consider preparing a good cup yourself. And, depending on the amount of coffee you drink per day, it can also save you some money.

It’s easier than you think - simple things, such as storing beans correctly and using the best filters, will prevent bitterness or unwanted tastes in the cup. Whether your morning coffee is made from locally grown beans and an elaborate coffee brewing process or you like a supermarket blend with a drip coffee maker, it's easier than you think.