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How to Cup Coffee |
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1. The first thing a
professional cupper will do
is inspect the green (unroasted)
beans, noting the color,
shape, size, cleanliness,
fragility, and density.
Often the cupper is secretly
comparing the beans to
others he has seen in the
past.
2. Next the samples are
roasted. This is the step
where you can set up for a
testing at home. The roasted
beans are examined once
again. How does their color
compare? Are there "quakers"
or "stinkers" that are
discolored? This can
indicate a blighted or
underdeveloped bean.
3. The coffees are ground to
a standard fineness, and a
small, uniform amount is
placed in china cups
(exactly 10 grams, which is
approximately the weight of
a nickel). Weight is more
important than volume,
because different coffees
have different densities.
However, for simplicity's
sake, use a level
teaspoonful of each of your
sample coffees in each cup.
Be sure to keep the samples
in the same order for
everyone tasting. Pour
boiling water over the
coffee, filling each cup to
the brim.
4. Examine each cup. Observe
how the grounds rise to the
top, forming a froth-like
crust. It is now time to
test the "wet-smell" of the
coffee. Bend and place your
nose close to the surface of
the cup, and using a spoon,
break the crust of the
coffee. Use a gentle back
and forth motion to waft the
aromatic steam toward your
nose. How does the aroma
vary from cup to cup? A
professional cupper can
determine the origin of a
particular coffee in part
from its aromatic profile
5. Allow the coffee to cool
a bit, before beginning to
taste the coffee samples.
Sampling coffee that is too
hot can scald your taste
buds, and inhibit the
ability to accurately taste.
Be sure to have a cup of
warm water on hand, to rinse
the spoon out between
samples. An actual cupper
would spit out the samples
to avoid becoming bloated
with coffee as the day
progresses; it may be more
enjoyable for you and your
friends to actually drink
the brewed beverages.
The coffees will be tasted in the order in which they were brewed. Take up about one half a teaspoonful, and slurp it vigorously into your mouth, spraying the various "taste zones". By spraying the coffee in this manner, all regions of the tongue are affected, and the aroma reaches the nasal passages. Only in this manner can the full structure of fragrance and flavor be assessed. As you move from sample to sample, slurp once to remove the taste of the previous cup, then again to actually assess the flavor.
As the coffee cools, repeat the tasting, to see how the flavor profile changes.
6. As you cup the coffees, take notes on your impressions. Use specific terms, such as "spicy", "nutty", or "winey", and avoid "fluffy" terms like "great"! Compare notes with your friends. Pay special attention to the acidity (or snap) of the coffee, the body of the coffee as it washes over your palate, and the overall flavor of the coffee. You will find that relatively small differences between coffees are more noticeable with a direct comparison. Not only will you feel more capable of determining a good coffee, but you will be able to isolate your favorite coffee.
7. After all of the coffees have been compared, brew up a pot of your universal favorite, and enjoy dessert!
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