Bridging the Gap Between Average Coffee Drinker to Specialty Coffee

This past Saturday was my coffee Saturday. I had a tour of the roastery at La Prima. Then my first cupping session at Aldo Coffee. It was really a great time.

The tour at La Prima consisted of 25 people. I really liked the makeup of the group. They were people that I wouldn’t mind hanging out and having a cup of coffee with. Phil was great to watch and talk to while he roasted the coffee. One comment during the talking session that has stuck with me -  Matt said, “When customers come to the coffee bar and ask for a strong cup of coffee, it is usually hard to know what they are referring to. Strong in acidity, in body, in taste?” (Don’t let this thought go, I’m going to address it.)

At Aldo Coffee, Rich and Melanie as well as the baristas there were very friendly and great to be around. There was only three of us in the class – a newly wed couple and me. It was first experiencing cupping. I would even say that it was my first experience tasting real specialty coffee – coffee roasted to bring out the characteristics of the particular beans. It was a real education to my palate. I liked the challenge to distinguish the nuances with each cup.

One particular coffee was from Kenya. It had a very fruity and floral aroma and taste. Being my first experience of specialty coffee, I would say that it was an attack to my tastebuds. I liked that challenge to my palate. But I also considered, “Would I want that kind of palate attack every morning?” My quick answer was no. It was too novel. Give me something a little more balanced. The novel I will drink once a week or in the evenings to maintain its novelty.

That was Saturday. Today is Sunday. My thoughts never really solidify until at least 24 hours of processing. Here is my thought today: I’m not sure if many of the friends and family that consider themselves coffee drinkers would like the many of the specialty coffees. Many would consider them “weak” even approaching the taste of tea. Rich at Aldo Coffee even said that some people don’t like the Panama Esmeralda because it tastes like Earl Grey Tea!

So what to do? I think my coffee drinking friends and family would like the challenge to their tastebuds, but I don’t think they will ever give up whatever it is they consider to be “strong” or “bold.” So what is that? The body of the coffee? The carbon content in the darker roasts? I’m not sure yet.

Maybe the overly dark roast that Starbucks does to all of their beans was their answer to the question. I think the answer is the bridge to the gap between the average coffee drinker and the specialty coffee drinker.

I am going to see if Cafe Americano – a shot of espresso put into a cup of hot water – is a step in the right direction. Maybe there is something in espresso that will bridge the gap.

Coffee Tasting 101: Vocabulary (2)

I got a nice email from Stephen Leighton. He gave me some very encouraging words. I like meeting good people. He, by the way, has a Coffee 101 course. I signed up.

I made 8 O’ Clock French Roast in the French Press today. Still can’t put words to the five categories: fragrance,  acidity, body, flavor, finish. Let’s go a little more in depth. What follows is from Mark Prince on CoffeeGeek.com.

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 characteristic of the coffee. Acidity can be intense or mild, round or edgy, elegant or wild, and everything in between. Usually the acidity is best evaluated once the coffee has cooled slightly to a warm/lukewarm temperature. Tasting a coffee from Sumatra next to one from Kenya is a good way to begin to understand acidity.

Body: This is sometimes referred to as “mouthfeel”. 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. Cupping a Sulawesi versus a Mexican coffee can illustrate the range of body quite clearly.

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. Think of lemonade…starting with just water and lemon juice, one can add sugar until the level of sweetness achieves harmony with the tart citric flavor. It is the same with coffee, the sweetness 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. Like a great story, a great cup of coffee needs a purposeful resolution. The ideal finish to me is one that is clean (free of distraction), sweet, and refreshing with enough endurance to carry the flavor for 10-15 seconds after swallowing. A champion finish will affirm with great clarity the principal flavor of the coffee, holding it aloft with grace and confidence like a singer carries the final note of a song and then trailing off into a serene silence.

Mark differs from Stephen by not including fragrance. But the comments seem very helpful. I think the only to way to learn is to actually buy some Sumatra, Kenya,  Sulawesi, and Mexican beans and taste them. Just can’t teach the taste buds from  a book or the web. Life is so difficult sometimes=).

Coffee Tasting 101: Vocabulary (1)

My coworker (same one who let me use his French Press) gave me a can of Maxwell House Master Blend. I made a cup with his French Press this morning. My taste buds are now much more aware, but I completely lack the vocabulary of coffee tasters. So let’s begin Coffee Tasting 101.

Coffee cupping is to coffee what wine tasting is to wine. I’m going to go as slow as I need to go. I am a bona fide novice myself – kindergartner with an epiphany remember? According to one article by Steve Leighton, there are five things to pay attention to when cupping coffee: 1) fragrance – both dry grounds and wet grounds, 2) acidity – the liveliness of the coffee, 3) body – the fullness and richness of the feel of the coffee in your mouth, 4) flavor, and 5) finish – the aftertaste.

Got it?

fragrance

acidity

body

flavor

finish

So what’s the verdict on the Maxwell House Master Blend? I thought 8 O’ Clock is better. Sorry, I can’t quite use coffee tasting vocabulary to describe the Master Blend. Maybe in a few weeks or months?

My Taste Buds had an Ephiphany!

I’ve been trying to pay attention to the taste of coffee. This conscious awareness is my preliminary training before embarking on some serious coffee cupping. My 8 O’ Clock coffee is my baseline in taste. It’s not bad – not bitter, not watery – but nothing to hoot or holler about.

A few of my coworkers like to go to Caribou Coffee in the morning. Since I’ve begun to pay attention to the coffee taste, I’ve had the realization one morning that the Caribou light roast was “brighter” than my 8 O’ Clock I had on the bus. Maybe that’s what the coffee people call acidity.

Today after my first sip of Caribou’s Organic Blend light roast, I had the sensation of a bouquet of flowers! This my taste bud’s epiphany! I felt like a kindergartener realizing that I just read a real word for the first time.

Time to step it up – Time to Learn How to Cup

After my previous post, I realized that to merely say that a cup of coffee was good or better doesn’t mean much – not even to me. The specialty coffee industry is build around the standard of cupping coffee. This is to coffee what wine tasting is to vintage wine. I guess I better start getting educated.