Teejaweej Junior Member Joined: 18 Sep 2008 Posts: 35 Location: South Glastonbury Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Thu Sep 18, 2008, 2:30pm Subject: Cupping?
Hey all!
I've been an avid coffee drinker for a couple years now, and I'm really starting to get to the good stuff.
After reading Michaele Weissman's "God in a Cup", I've become very intrigued by cupping and tasting coffee. After buying a half pound of Guatemalan coffee from Intelligentsia, I realized that I'm not so great at picking out the subtle nuances in coffee. I use a bodum 4-cup french press with a level tablespoon per 4 oz. of 201 degree F water. I stir after 1 minute, plunge after 4, and wait for it to cool a bit. After tasting the coffee, I have difficulties picking out flavors like "red apple, date, and chocolate" and aftertastes like "nutmeg". What can I do to hone my senses??? I know aerating the coffee while sipping to get it into your nasal area is a good way to help, but what else?
... I have difficulties picking out flavors like "red apple, date, and chocolate" and aftertastes like "nutmeg". What can I do to hone my senses??? I know aerating the coffee while sipping to get it into your nasal area is a good way to help, but what else?
It's expensive, but one way to do it is buy a Cup of Excellence and read how the international jurists cupped it and what they found. Go after the comments with the highest numbers (indicating the number of jurists finding that taste).
Your best bet is to continue cupping and develop your palate. The human brain catalogues litterally hundreds if not thousands of aromas and tastes. Some are easier to pick up on than others. You could try the actual method of cupping as well, as opposed to using a french press. Although a french press is one of the best methods of sampling coffees, using the actual cupping methodology used by coffee geeks everywhere has its definite upside. You can find directions for cupping here if you arent sure what to do.
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