How to Taste Coffee Like a Pro
Coffee is beloved the world over. But if you’ve ever been overwhelmed by tasting notes that talk about green tea and caramel, and you simply taste… well coffee, you’re not alone. But you can. grow your sense of taste and learn how to taste coffee like a pro.
How to Taste Coffee Like a Pro
If you want to start growing your sense of taste in coffee, the easiest way is to do a comparative tasting. A comparative tasting is where you compare two different coffees together.
Comparative Tasting
You’ll want to start by tasting each coffee separately.
Smell. Start by placing your hand around the cup and take a big inhale of the scent of the coffee. When coffee is very, very hot, it’s sometimes difficult to get close enough to get the aroma. And if it’s very cold, you certainly won’t. So make sure it’s a hot, but drinkable temp before starting your tasting.
Slurp. Give the coffee a big slurp. Suck in air as you do it which aerates the coffee and releases more of the flavour profile.
Locate. Think about where you’re tasting the coffee. In the back of your mouth, on the front of the tongue?
Describe. Now describe what you’re tasting. There’s no right or wrong answers, but often other food or drinks are used as coffee will be reminiscent of other flavours. People also describe different types of coffee with words like earthy, sweet, subtle, light, airy, dark, thick, dense and so on.
Then Compare
In a comparative tasting you’ll smell and taste each coffee separately, noting what you like and dislike about each. And it’s OK to dislike parts of a coffee, or even the entire brew. Over time you’ll get a better understanding on what sort of coffees you like and which ones to spend your money on.
