Have you ever considered coffee tasting? The truth is that we often don't stop to think about what we eat and drink, nor do we analyse the flavours and aromas in our daily lives. Coffee becomes a functional part of our life, our "fuel" for the mornings.
However, it is time for a change of mentality! In our shop you can find a great variety of coffeesfrom different origins and with different nuances. AlterNativa3 would like to explain how to detect these differences.
How to taste coffee? First of all, a change of mentality
Obviously, we all have our preferences for one flavour or another. But, if you are going to do a coffee tasting, it is important to put this to one side. Keep an open mind and you may discover new nuances you would never have thought you would like.
On the other hand, when it comes to capturing these subtle and unique flavours, it is important to have references. If you are already considering a coffee tasting, start to pay attention to what you eat, to consciously taste each food. You may then be able to recognise flavours in coffee that are already part of your regular diet.
Let's get started! How to prepare the coffee sample?
The ideal is to use 10 g coffee per 180 ml waterwhich you have previously heated to 93º C. What you will do, then, is put the ground coffee at medium size in a cup or glass and pour in the hot water, at which point the coffee will swirl upwards.
Very important: don't forget to pick up the fragrance of the coffee first and notice its aroma when you pour in the hot water.
You already have the sample! But how do you taste the coffee now that it is ready?
Analyses all the nuances of coffee
What you will need now is a tasting spoon, but if you don't have one, you can always use a deep spoon. Simply sip the coffee and start analysing the nuances. It is important that you sip rather than drinkThis aerates the coffee and enhances all the flavours and aromas you are looking for.
What the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) protocol recommends is that you analyse the coffee according to different categories such as fragrance, flavour, body and acidity. Have a pen and paper at hand and score each of these aspects individually.
But do you want to go further? Then use a flavour wheel and keep discarding. At the end of the process, you will be able to taste certain subtle hints that you never knew how to differentiate before. Blackcurrant, pepper... will you be able to distinguish them in your favourite coffee?
Remember that at AlterNativa3 we have right now a promotion in some ground coffees. And we also have a wide variety of coffees, both ground as in grain. Now that you know how to taste coffee, which one do you choose?
- 17-03-20
