Improving my palette

Lacehim

I can't say I have a developed palette, but I was hoping that with a little bit of practice, that I could expand and educate my palette and the brain connected to it.  I tend to know what I like, but describing it is quite difficult and some coffee, well it just tastes like coffee to me.

So what are the best ways?  I was thinking that cupping the coffee that I'm buying green would be a good start.  Is so then what's the best method to cup coffee?  I can't say that I've done it before...

Before you ask, I'm not doing this so that I can show off to my mates, but more rather that I can expand and explain what I'm tasting for my own use, when keeping notes about that coffees I like, rather than fumbling around.  Some of the green I've bought have really suited my taste, but others haven't, so if I improve I might beable to figure out what I do, and don't like a bit more.

I thought I might buy a kilo of a variety of beans from beangreen, then I can try a variety of coffee from different regions to see what I like the most.

So anyone have any thoughts?

hiphipharar

on 1305074356:

I can't say I have a developed palette but with a little bit of practice, that I could expand and educate my palette So what are the best ways?  So anyone have any thoughts?

I have 'surfers nose', a condition caused by being struck on the nose by a surfboard which stunts my sense of smell and hence my sense of taste which are inextricably linked (You can't taste stuff when you have a cold, or hold you nose next time you have a sip of coffee) Anyway, I decided it would be a waste of money attending any cupping courses as I wouldn't get the full benefit. What I have done is tried various roasts at various depths and used my own judgment. I started noticing common characteristics such as the blueberry of my namesake bean Eth Harrar (if roasted to start of 2nd crack or just before); the fruit and florals of a lightly roasted Eth Yirgachefe; the honey of Aussie MTE; the 'balanced flavours' of Jamaican Blue Mountain (which to me means nothing really leaps forward as a characteristic taste); the choc in some central American beans esp. Guatemalan and Mexican; the 'wine' flavour in a Colombian; the almond/marzipan in a Nicaraguan bean; the earthiness of Indo beans - this is fairly easy to detect These are generalised observations mostly from what I've worked out myself but I will rely on others' cupping notes and think to myself "yeah, I can get that".  Taste is subjective and some will pick up flavours that others won't or that won't agree with them. I'm approaching the stage where I can taste some brews and say "Yes, that's a good xxxxx" but wouldn't put it to the test. I can sometimes pick out beans in some blends. Drinking espresso coffee without milk or sugar is a starting point, ideally as a short black. Pourover or syphon is a big step towards palette education. Paper filters tend to remove some of the flavour so recommend a metal type sacrificing some cleanness of cup. Sorry, I'm not trying to big note myself; my main point is that it is my own journey of discovery

Lacehim

Thanks hiphipharar, that's the sort of thing I was going to try.

on 1305076748:

I have 'surfers nose', a condition caused by being struck on the nose by a surfboard which stunts my sense of smell and hence my sense of taste which are inextricably linked (You can't taste stuff when you have a cold, or hold you nose next time you have a sip of coffee)

I have a similar problem, not surfboard related though, in that I suffer from hayfever, dust and cats allergies.  It's like having a cold all summer and then the natives pollenate and then winter somes around.  As you can imagine I have a tissue box in every room in my house, and I hate dusting the house.  It makes me really ill. With this is mind it's probably why I will have to work to develop my palette a little.

Lovey

One tip that I picked up was to get yourself some fresh produce, especially the ones that are alluded to in coffee tasting notes, and try them. Blueberries come to mind as a common 'taste' thats referred to. It's not often that one gets to eat a blueberry on its own, as its usually combined with other ingredients, say in a muffin. Chocolate/cocoa is another 'taste' that's used, but its not chocolate block type tastes, more of the bitter cocoa flavours that are being referred to. Hope this helps.

beanflying

I highly recommend you try and get along to a cupping at one of the more local roasters to you. Each time I go to one of these I learn HEAPS in a very short space of time. If you are in Melbourne at any stage the cupping at Seven Seeds or Market Lane are some of the more open ones, several others run them as well but tend to be more for industry (if you ask to attend you might get a nice surprise). As much as picking out individual fruits berries flavours it is about picking problems and or cefects either in roasts or to some degree in the origion beans themselves. People prattling on about the subtle nuances or hints of ... really leaves me a bit cold and has more to do with look at me I know so much. Palette training is a far wider field especially when you apply it back to using it as a means to improve what you are doing with the beans ie roasted this same bean this way to change .... attribute making it better or worse so I then did ...