How is a good cup of coffee determined?
How do the professionals grade the coffee beans? Can you do this at home? Yes, you can! The process of “cupping” to professionally grade the quality and taste of the beans is done by professional “cuppers”. But, you can learn the process yourself by taking a few classes.
Aldo’s Coffee in uptown Mt. Lebanon shows how this is done every other Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The next cupping event will be held 8/30/2008. Each week highlights a different coffee. Last Saturday, the famous PANAMA ESMERALDA GEISHA BEANS were the highlighted beans. All who came to this event, could “cup” these beans and learn their particular qualities... The roasters of these beans --- Carl & Vicki Hauptmann of JAKE’S JAVA (www.jakesjava.net) were there also partaking of this cupping gathering.
There can be a wide range of vocabulary that is used to describe the tastes found in coffee Descriptors range from the familiar (chocolaty, sweet, fruity) to the conceptual (clean, vibrant, sturdy) to the wildly esoteric (summery, racy, gentlemanly). What matters is that the description is purposeful and attempts to communicate the essential nature of the coffee using language that people can relate to. Taste can be a very personal experience and memories of tastes that you’ve experienced in the past form the background against which new tastes are evaluated and understood. Over time, a diligent cupper will develop a collection of useful descriptors that can be used to contrast and compare coffees in a meaningful way.
The following are some of the most commonly used:
ACIDITY – This can be described as the pleasing brightness or sharpness in the coffee. It is through the acidity that many of the most intriguing fruit and floral flavors are delivered and is usually the most scrutinized.
BODY – This is sometimes referred to as “mouth feel.” The body is the sense of weight or heaviness that the coffee exerts in the mouth and can be very difficult for beginning cuppers to identify. It is useful to think about the viscosity or thickness of the coffee and concentrate on degree to which the coffee has a physical presence.
SWEETNESS – One of the most important elements in coffee, sweetness often separates the great from the good. Even the most intensely acidic coffees are lush and refreshing when there is enough sweetness to provide balance and ease the finish. The sweetness of the coffee is critical to allowing the other tastes to flourish and be appreciated.
FINISH – While first impressions are powerful, it is often the last impression that has the most impact. With coffee, the finish (or aftertaste) is of great importance to the overall quality of the tasting experience, as it will linger long after the coffee has been swallowed. A champion finish will affirm with great clarity, the principal flavor of the coffee--- holding it aloft with grace and confidence.
If interested in learning how to cup and rate different coffees, check out the cupping events at Aldo’s that they offer to anyone interested—this is a FREE service they provide. Call 412-563-1220 to register. You can also call Jake’s Java at 724-942-1174 to order fresh, custom roasted coffee beans delivered FREE locally.
Photo's By George Mendel Photography
http://www.Photo-now.com
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