Gourmet coffee enthusiasts seem to be on an endless quest for the perfect cup of coffee. Coffeehouses which offer higher-end coffee beans often include detailed information on a particular bean's body, flavor and finish. These details may seem a little overboard for the 'bottomless cup' crowd, but gourmet coffee drinkers like to know if a particular variety has a full or thin body or perhaps a lingering finish.
Between the first and final sips, they would also like to know what to expect when it comes to flavor. Is the coffee fruity, spicy or leathery? Tasting gourmet coffee properly is very similar to the process of tasting a quality wine or expensive cheese.
Essentially, there are two different worlds when it comes to tasting gourmet coffees. The first world consists of coffee growers, wholesalers, buyers and roasters. Few people would really want to taste coffee the way these professionals do, but it is an interesting process. The process of tasting coffee at the professional level is called 'cupping'. A typical cupping session takes place in the same warehouse or storage facility holding bags and bags of raw coffee beans. A sample of each bean variety is roasted specifically for the tasting session. The beans are ground and identified for comparison. Instead of using a commercial coffeemaker, however, professional coffee tasters put the grounds directly into small cups arranged on a spinning lazy susan. Hot (but usually not boiling) water is then added to the grounds and the cups are stirred.
Tasters at a cupping session approach each sample individually and use water as a palate cleanser. The coffee itself is rarely swallowed- a spittoon or other receptacle is always available. Tasters take notes on the name and growing location of each sample, then begin the process of cupping. The tasters will first smell the aroma of the beans, often placing their noses perilously close to the surface of the hot coffee. As the coffee grounds mix with the hot water, a skin often forms on the surface of the coffee. Professional tasters will use a spoon to break through this skin and continue to inhale the aromas. This practice is called 'breaking the crust' in professional circles. Quite often the most telling qualities of the beans will be revealed when the crust is broken. Only after taking copious notes on aroma will a taster actually take a sip of the coffee itself. Professionals tend to use tasting methods similar to wine experts. A small sample of coffee is carefully drawn into the taster's mouth and the liquid is allowed to flow onto his or her taste buds.
Professional tasters may also take in additional air to bring out hidden flavors. After swirling the coffee around the tongue, most tasters spit out the remains. They will then evaluate the 'finish'- the amount of time a coffee's flavors remain active after swallowing. Some finishes are short, while others will linger awhile. This is an important detail for discerning coffee drinkers. A quality coffee with a poor finish may not sell very well.
The other world of coffee tasting involves ordinary drinkers and home roasters. Coffee beans sold to consumers are generally from two varieties, arabica and robusta. Arabica beans are considered to be the better of the two for gourmet coffee blends. Robusta beans are generally used in everyday coffees or occasionally in an 80/20 blend for low-end gourmet coffees. When shopping for a high-quality gourmet coffee, look for 100% arabica beans on the label. This information should be readily available- if the seller cannot tell you the ratio of arabica to robusta beans, you may want to pass on the sale.
Home tasters should use one of the preferred methods for preparing gourmet coffee- the familiar drip pot, the french press or the vacuum pot. Many coffee beans produce noticeably different beverages depending on the brewing methods. Most people use a drip pot method, which allows heated water to wash over the beans slowly and pull away essential oils. A filter not only prevents grounds from entering the pot, but also strains out some of the bitter oils and residue. Some gourmet coffees may not taste very good in a drip pot. The oils and other essences may not survive the filtering process, and the result is a light-bodied coffee.
Another brewing method is the french press. Coffee grounds are place on a round metal platform inside a container of hot water. The grounds are then pumped through the water manually until the desired strength has been reached. The french press does not filter the grounds as thoroughly as the drip pot, so many of the oils remain in the finished coffee. This may be the best method overall for serious coffee tasters. The results are closest to the unfiltered method of the professional coffee cuppings.
When tasting coffee at home, avoid adding sugar, flavored syrups or cream. These can be added later for ordinary drinking, but a good tasting should have unadulterated coffees. There won't be a crust to break, but tasters can still spend time absorbing all of the aromas before taking a sip. Look at the color of each sample- is the body relatively light or heavy? Carefully take a sip and allow it to swirl around your taste buds. Can you detect a distinctive top note or dominant flavor? Most of us think of coffee as a one-note bitter drink, but it's actually a very complex beverage. Some coffees are closer to chocolate than others. Professional tasters will also detect hints of fruit or vanilla. Other descriptions of coffee flavor included cooked beef, leather, flowery, citrus, woody, earthy or smoke. Some of these flavors may sound a little off-putting, but many gourmet coffee drinkers look for these complicated essences.
Coffee tasting can be a satisfying social experience, much like a wine or cheese tasting. Friends can exchange notes and have conversations about their particular favorites. Be sure to serve water as a palate cleanser and offer a few biscotti or other snacks as a treat after the initial tasting has ended.
