Cupping (Tasting) Coffee
The basic taste characteristics discernible by the cupper are:
| Sweet |
The sweetness is from caramelized sugars |
| Sour |
Sourness comes from acids and esters |
| Bitter |
Bitterness comes from unbalanced chlorogenic acids |
| Salty |
The Saltiness comes from metallic chlorides |
Astringency can also accompany these four basic tastes especially in extremely
light and dark roasted coffees. The perceived flavor of coffee is actually a
combination of these taste sensations and about 80 elusive volatile aromatic
compounds that coffee chemists deftly identify with the aid of gas
chromomatographs.
The coffee industry uses a vocabulary of approximately 50 descriptive terms
used to grade and describe the coffee it is cupping.
Aroma that is clean, strong and pleasing rates high on a scale of 0-3. Bad or
week aroma rates low.
Acidity is defined as the sparkle, brightness and sharpness in taste and gives
the impression of freshness in the cup. High acidity is preferred for brewed
coffee but low acidity is acceptable for espresso.
Body may be heavy or thin but usually the heavier the better.
Sweetness is the recognition of the natural caramelized sugar sweetness obvious
in some coffees.
Complexity is the impression of several good flavors in one coffee.
Strength denotes a rich, robust flavor that indicates a higher soluble solids
yield. Taste that lingers pleasantly on the tongue for four to five minutes
would rate high.
The best cup would be 1/2+/2+ for Acidity, Body and Flavor respectively.
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