We don’t mean to downplay the skill it takes to understand coffee tasting notes, we just want to be clear that we think anyone can learn it!
The number one most important thing when tasting coffee is to be able to tell if you like it or not. If you can tell whether you like it, you’re on your way to being a coffee sommelier.
Sometimes it’s most helpful to try more than one coffee side-by-side. When you do, it makes it easier to taste the things that make each coffee unique.
Here’s a few steps for tasting a cup of coffee:
With your first sip, see if you can taste any of the major 4 flavors that show up in coffee: chocolate, fruit, nut, or sweetness.
With another sip, see if you can get more specific about that flavor. If you taste chocolate, is it more like milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Does it taste fruity? Is the fruit more berry, citrus, or stone fruit? If it’s nutty, do you get peanuts, walnuts, almonds, or something else? Do you taste sweetness? Is it more like caramel, marshmallow, or white sugar? Check out the Specialty Coffee Association’s Coffee Tasting Wheel and see if you can follow the flavor from the center out.
With another sip, try observing where the flavor hits on your tongue. Maybe the chocolate lands more in the center of your tongue and the fruit more on the back.
Next, try noticing the body of the coffee: does it feel more like tea, syrup, or something in between?
How long does the taste linger?
As the coffee cools down, does the flavor change?
And, of course, do you like it?
Try asking yourself these questions as you drink different coffees, and you’ll be well on your way to demystifying coffee tasting. You’ll be able to look at the flavor notes on your coffee and see how we got there.