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Coffee and taste.

Dry_bean.Dry_bean.
edited January 1970 in Have your say
I wonder how many coffee lovers on reading tasting/cupping notes think to themselves what a load of crap, the terminology like wine tasting speak is almost a joke to the average coffee drinker.
Sweet, sour, salty and bitter most of us can discern but then we get into the esoteric area, most everybody claims to be able to pick chocolate and caramel flavours (I suspect because they are expected to) but then we get jasmine, cardamon, lemon, onion, cabbage, flowery, tobacco, molasses and the list goes on to literally hundreds of other tastes and aromas.
Does the average person care? I very much doubt it, when the average person has a cuppa placed in front of them the reaction on first taste is either this is very nice or yuk, discovering and looking for any of these different flavours is the last thing on their mind.
Try the experiment next time you have guests and serve coffee, start with the taste analysis thing and watch just how fast the eyes glaze over, what most want is a good cup of their chosen beverage, and the words they use to describe it will be, that's a nice, beautiful, good, excellent cup of coffee or something to the affect of this coffee tastes like dishwater.
Its an interesting subject and I bet it will draw some interesting responses. ;)
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Comments

  • askthecoffeeguyaskthecoffeeguy
    In a former incarnation I wrote a monthly wine column for a melbourne mag, and worked as a sommelier with some of the countries top restaurants - where I had the opportunity to talk regularly with some of the country's and indeed the world's finest wine makers - and you know what one of them said to me one day? "Back your palate - wine tasting is completely subjective anyway and your views on wine are as valid as anyones" And this was the the best piece of knowledge that I received as it gave me the confidence to mix it up with the big boys, and even if I was wrong, by putting my opinions on the line I opened up discussion with others - and after a while I learned the lingo of wine speak, and learned that more often than not I was spot on the money anyway, and that in blind tastings with some of the countries top wine makers / wholesalers etc I was more than able to hold my own So yes, in a sense coffee speak is also hot air and bubbles - but you know what? who's to say I'm right? and who's to say I'm wrong? And the customers love it as a lead-in to discussion The other day I put a coffee on the specials board describing it as having an aroma of Central Otago tinned peaches, combined with wild harvested sour apricots - and it sold out in minutes! The marketing of coffee is often in the message and vice versa p
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  • Dry_bean.Dry_bean.
    on 1281176858:
    In a former incarnation I wrote a monthly wine column for a melbourne mag, and worked as a sommelier with some of the countries top restaurants - where I had the opportunity to talk regularly with some of the country's and indeed the world's finest wine makers - and you know what one of them said to me one day? "Back your palate - wine tasting is completely subjective anyway and your views on wine are as valid as anyones" And this was the the best piece of knowledge that I received as it gave me the confidence to mix it up with the big boys, and even if I was wrong, by putting my opinions on the line I opened up discussion with others - and after a while I learned the lingo of wine speak, and learned that more often than not I was spot on the money anyway, and that in blind tastings with some of the countries top wine makers / wholesalers etc I was more than able to hold my own So yes, in a sense coffee speak is also hot air and bubbles - but you know what? who's to say I'm right? and who's to say I'm wrong? And the customers love it as a lead-in to discussion The other day I put a coffee on the specials board describing it as having an aroma of Central Otago tinned peaches, combined with wild harvested sour apricots - and it sold out in minutes! The marketing of coffee is often in the message and vice versa p
    "Back your palate - wine tasting is completely subjective anyway and your views on wine are as valid as anyones" Excellent advice, and of course it applies to coffee as well. (who's to say I'm right? and who's to say I'm wrong?) I certainly wouldn't say you were wrong, in fact your obviously in a better position than most to talk the talk, if your customers like what your saying the battle is half won. (describing it as having an aroma of Central Otago tinned peaches, combined with wild harvested sour apricots) How many claimed they were able to  pick the aroma's? I certainly couldn't' never having tasted either Central Otago tinned peaches or wild harvested sour apricots) The observations in my original post are the feelings of a person with no involvement in the industry other than a consumer. I'm a bit of a wine buff as well and feel the same way about wine speak, as with coffee I know what I like and try not to be over analytical. :)
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  • askthecoffeeguyaskthecoffeeguy
    when I worked in restaurants I was often asked: "What's you're favourite wine?" and I would always answer, "The one I am drinking right now!" - which strictly speaking is true and this applies to coffees as well as each individual drop has its own individual characters and essence which ought to be savoured in the moment (assuming of course that the coffee is of high grade and freshly roasted, ground to order, extracted straight away, made to perfection, and served immediately - I dont ask for much, do i!)
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  • DoubleRistrettoDoubleRistretto
    Hey Db - I think you're right to a large degree - I think I pick up most is stone-fruit flavours [apricot etc] but when it get's down to 'molasses' - boy that's starting to get pretty esoteric. Probably the best thing is sitting down with a plunger and 3-4 different origins and comparing flavour profiles, but I doubt many 'normal' drinkers get to do that very often!
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  • Dry_bean.Dry_bean.
    (Probably the best thing is sitting down with a plunger and 3-4 different origins and comparing flavour profiles, but I doubt many 'normal' drinkers get to do that very often!) I know I don't, and never have, not sure whether or not I'm normal. ::)
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  • adminadmin
    Hi there - have to say, I think you're right - in terms of the average punter, very few people get into a serious analysis - they simply want to know whether it's bitter or not and whether it tastes good, especially with milk-based coffees!
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  • Dry_bean.Dry_bean.
    (assuming of course that the coffee is of high grade and freshly roasted, ground to order, extracted straight away, made to perfection, and served immediately - I dont ask for much, do i!) A man after my own heart, easily pleased. ;D
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