If you have had any contact with the specialty coffee market, chances are you've come across something similar to this strange sounding phrase: "...yielding a sharply acidic coffee with an intense flavor, very fragrant and floral." Whether you're buying from your local supermarket, or you're purchasing green beans from a broker - this is an example of the way people "talk" about coffee. Sure, the words are familiar but, unless you've also had some experience in wine tasting, their usage might be a little unfamiliar.
Fortunately, this foreign language is based in perceptions that we all have in common. Although there are subjective differences - what one person perceives as spicy, another may think is bitter - we all share a common set of taste perceptions. It is on these that this vocabulary is built. Spicy, chocolaty, grassy, we all have had some experience with these tastes. Ok, so maybe you haven't eaten freshly mown grass recently, but you have probably smelled it. And, because so much of what we taste is based on how it smells, you will recognize that "flavor" in other things.
Certain characteristics are easy to distinguish, even for the beginning taster. You will notice after directly comparing coffees that relatively small differences will be brought out in the cup. However, in order to fully utilize the cupping experience, and to even approach your own definition of a perfect cup of coffee, you need a vocabulary that describes these differences. It is therefore essential that you acquaint yourself with a standard glossary of terms before setting out to cup. Here are some samples from Ted Lingle's "Coffee Cupper's Handbook" (pub. Coffee Development Group, Washington DC) and the cupping chart from I & M Smith (pty), Ltd. Keep in mind that they more you cup, the more references you will have, the easier it will be to distinguish the various characteristics. |