How to Set Up a Coffee Tasting

The world of coffee has as much complexity and diversity as the world of wine. Many different steps and processes go into creating the perfect coffee bean and the perfect cup of coffee. Different coffees pair with different flavors, bringing out a whole new level of tasting that can be fun and delicious. A coffee tasting, just like a wine tasting, can be a fun event that you can repeat many times without ever repeating a specific coffee twice.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Information on each of the coffees
• Small glasses of water
• Small demitasses or espresso cups or large spoons

Brew the Coffee

1. 

   Decide on the types of coffee. You will want to keep your first coffee tasting more general to get used to the idea that different coffees taste different. For example: 1) Choose beans from different regions of the world: Beans grown in Latin America taste different than beans grown in Africa or Asia. In this case you will want your beans from one roasting plant (one coffee shop who buys beans from around the world) so you know that you are tasting the diversity of the farmlands and not the difference between different companies. 2) Choose beans from different coffee roasters: Two may be from a corporate coffee shop whose roasting plants are far away, and two may be from an independent shop whose beans and roasting plants stay local. As you become more familiar with the nuances of coffee, you can become more and more specific with your coffee tastings.

2. Have at least three but no more than four different types of coffees to try in one tasting. Two will not give you enough diversity to learn the differences, unless you are already an experienced coffee taster. Any more than four will muddle the tastes together, which will also make it difficult to taste the differences.

3. 

   Follow the steps to brew each coffee in its individual coffee press. Coffee presses are the best ways to get the full flavor of a specific coffee.

4. Know that the four key elements to any good brewed coffee: water (filtered and hot, but not boiling), grind (matches the machine--for a coffee press grind course), proportion (usually 2 tablespoons for every 6 ounces of water), freshness (coffee beans have an expiration date--opened bags of coffee are only good for 7 days)

Food Pairings

5. 

   Choose the foods based on the types of coffee. Just like a good cup of wine, coffee pairs well with specific flavors. For example, a coffee can have citrus or berry accents to it. Pair this with a lemon tart or a blueberry muffin and the resulting flavor can amaze you. The same can occur with almonds, cinnamon or cheese depending on the specific coffee.

6. Display the food in bite-size pieces so it is easily available. Keep the different foods on separate plates so not to cross-contaminate flavors.

Start the Coffee Tasting

7. 

   Keep in mind that the coffee should be brewed fresh and hot. A coffee press lasts only 20 minutes before it begins to cool and lose its potent flavor. The sample quantity should be small and tasted immediately before it cools. A tiny cup or a large spoon works perfectly.

8. Know how to properly taste coffee. Smell first; cup your hand around your nose and sample of coffee. Take a big whiff then slowly breathe out. Take a second to think about how you would describe the aroma. For some people there are no specific adjectives, only images or memories come to mind.

9. 

   Slurp second; take a large and loud slurp of your sample of coffee. If you can't hear the slurp, you may be doing it wrong. Slurping coats the coffee across your entire tongue without burning it. Don't swallow the coffee yet. Take a second and let it sit on your tongue for a second. Think about the part of the tongue it hits: the back, center, sides or front (tip)? Each part of the tongue picks up a different type of flavor. Also note how it feels on your tongue.

10. Swallow. Take note of the flavors that hit your senses in the next few moments. This includes the after flavor of the coffee. Some coffees hit your tongue with a sharp, strong flavor, but leave your mouth quickly as if you were just drinking water. Others coffees seem to linger in your mouth long after you swallow it--either pleasantly or bitterly.

11. Pair the coffee sample with food. You may need a new sample of coffee for this. Now that you are familiar with the flavor of the coffee by itself, rinse your mouth with water and take a bite of food. Note the flavor of the food by itself. Swallow. Take a second bite of food. Before swalling, slurp a sample of coffee like before and hold it in your mouth. If the pairing is complimentary, the flavor with literally come alive in your mouth and shock your senses.

12. Rinse your mouth and repeat the steps above with the different coffees.

Tips & Warnings

• Some people spit out the coffee instead of swallowing it. This brings about the after taste quickly and keeps the experience of the coffee in your mouth. It can also help you lessen the jittery caffeine intake as well as the acidity on your stomach.
• Although this can definitely be an independent adventure, the fun part of group coffee tastings is comparing every person's descriptions at each step of the tastings.
• A 'blind tasting' is a fun variation of the usual coffee tasting. Follow the steps above, but with unlabeled coffees and try to guess what you are sampling.

Resources

• Coffee Cuppers
• Drinking Coffee 24/7