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Paul Hernandez
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fix: drop search_index table on db reindex fix: ai_resource_guide.md path chore: remove logfire Signed-off-by: phernandez <paul@basicmachines.co>
84 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
84 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Tasting Notes
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type: note
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permalink: coffee/tasting-notes
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tags:
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- '#coffee'
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- '#tasting'
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- '#flavor'
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- '#cupping'
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- '#demo'
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---
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# Tasting Notes
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How to taste and evaluate coffee, identify flavor characteristics, and develop a personal coffee palate.
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## Overview
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Coffee tasting, or "cupping" in professional contexts, is the practice of observing the tastes and aromas of brewed coffee. Developing a coffee palate helps identify preferences, communicate about coffee experiences, and better understand how brewing variables affect the cup.
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## Observations
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- [principle] Flavor perception includes taste, aroma, mouthfeel, and retronasal perception #sensory
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- [principle] Our taste buds can only perceive sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami #taste
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- [principle] Most of what we call "flavor" is actually aroma detected retronasally #aroma
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- [technique] Professional coffee tasting (cupping) uses a standardized protocol for consistency #cupping
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- [technique] Slurping coffee aerates it and spreads it across all taste receptors #technique
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- [technique] Allowing coffee to cool reveals different flavor notes at different temperatures #temperature
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## Coffee Flavor Wheel
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- [tool] The SCA Coffee Flavor Wheel provides a standardized vocabulary for describing coffee #flavor_wheel
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- [category] Primary categories include: Fruity, Floral, Sweet, Nutty/Cocoa, Spice, Roasted, Other #categories
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- [subcategory] Fruity breaks down into: Berry, Dried Fruit, Citrus Fruit, Stone Fruit, Tropical Fruit, etc. #fruit_notes
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- [subcategory] Floral includes: Floral, Black Tea, Chamomile, Rose, Jasmine, etc. #floral_notes
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- [subcategory] Sweet includes: Brown Sugar, Molasses, Honey, Maple Syrup, Vanilla, etc. #sweet_notes
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- [subcategory] Nutty/Cocoa includes: Nut, Cocoa, Dark Chocolate, Chocolate, etc. #nutty_notes
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- [subcategory] Spice includes: Brown Spice, Pepper, Anise, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, etc. #spice_notes
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## Basic Tasting Components
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- [component] Acidity: The bright, tangy quality (not sourness from under-extraction) #acidity
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- [component] Sweetness: The pleasant, sugary quality balancing other elements #sweetness
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- [component] Body: The physical mouthfeel and weight of the coffee #body
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- [component] Finish/Aftertaste: The flavor that lingers after swallowing #finish
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- [component] Balance: How well all elements work together #balance
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- [component] Complexity: The range and layers of distinct flavors #complexity
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- [component] Cleanliness: Absence of defects or off-flavors #cleanliness
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## Common Flavor Notes by Origin
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- [ethiopia] Blueberry, jasmine, bergamot, lemon, tea-like #flavor_notes
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- [kenya] Blackcurrant, grapefruit, tomato-like acidity, winey #flavor_notes
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- [colombia] Caramel, red apple, nuts, chocolate, balanced acidity #flavor_notes
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- [guatemala] Chocolate, spice, apple, medium acidity #flavor_notes
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- [brazil] Nuts, chocolate, low-to-medium acidity, full body #flavor_notes
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- [indonesia] Earthy, herbal, spice, cedar, full body, low acidity #flavor_notes
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- [costa_rica] Clean, bright, citrus, balanced, light chocolate #flavor_notes
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## Developing Your Palate
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- [technique] Taste coffees side-by-side to identify differences #comparison
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- [technique] Try describing flavors before looking at roaster's notes #blind_tasting
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- [technique] Keep a coffee journal with detailed notes about each coffee #journaling
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- [technique] Explore different processing methods of the same origin #processing
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- [technique] Try the same coffee brewed with different methods #brewing_comparison
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- [technique] Use reference flavors (actual fruits, chocolates, etc.) to calibrate your palate #calibration
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## Personal Coffee Experiences
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- [experience] Ethiopian Yirgacheffe prepared as pour over: intense blueberry, jasmine aromatics, tea-like body
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- [experience] Sumatra Mandheling in French press: earthy, cedar, herbal, tobacco, full body
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- [experience] Panama Gesha as pour over: intense floral notes, jasmine, bergamot, delicate body
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- [experience] Brazil Cerrado as espresso: nutty, chocolate, caramel, low acidity, great crema
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- [experience] Kenya AA as pour over: bright blackcurrant, tomato-like acidity, winey finish
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## Relations
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- determined_by [[Flavor Extraction]]
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- influenced_by [[Coffee Bean Origins]]
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- varies_with [[Coffee Brewing Methods]]
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- enhanced_by [[Proper Grinding Technique]]
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- documented_in [[Coffee Journal]]
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- part_of [[Coffee Knowledge Base]] |