The Process of Single-Origin Coffee Cupping: How Coffee Bean Flavors Are Determined

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The development of specialty coffee has shown us how rich coffee flavors can be. Different regions, varieties, and processing methods combine in countless ways to create diverse regional flavor profiles. The citrus and floral notes of washed Yirgacheffe, the balanced smoothness of classic washed Blue Mountain coffee, and the herbal spice notes of wet-hulled Mandheling coffee are just a few of countless examples.

FrontStreet Coffee uses cupping as one of its core daily operations to distinguish these different flavor differences.

Cupping is an essential evaluation tool for anyone looking to buy, sell, or roast coffee. It can be used to compare batch differences, identify flavor profiles, and detect defects in green beans and roasting.

Each coffee has its unique flavor and aroma, and cupping is the method to discover them. To understand coffee cupping, you first need to master several common terms. Below are some cupping terms you should know.

Aroma

Aroma refers to the fragrance released at each stage: the state of coffee beans after grinding, the state when hot water is poured and the powder rises to form a film on the surface, and the state after the powder layer is broken by stirring.

Dry Aroma

You will definitely smell some aromas when grinding coffee - this is what's called dry aroma, or the fragrance of coffee grounds before brewing. The aroma of coffee grounds is rich and varied, with notes of fruits, spices, wood, grass, and even soil.

Wet Aroma

After brewing coffee, you can still smell some aromas - this is what's called wet aroma. Even from the same coffee, dry aroma and wet aroma may differ. The dry aroma in the coffee grounds may not necessarily appear in the brewed coffee.

Acidity

Baristas often use the term "acidity" rather than "sour" because the word "sour" can create negative impressions. Acidity is divided into three levels: low acidity, medium acidity, and high acidity.

Flavor

Flavor is the combination of taste and aroma. In the coffee world, there is something called the coffee flavor wheel.

According to the Specialty Coffee Association, this flavor wheel contains basic aromas. Taste can only be perceived through the tongue, while aroma can only be detected through the nose. The flavor wheel serves as a reference guide for coffee cupping.

Slurping

The specific method of coffee tasting is slurping, which is a very important step. The coffee must fill the entire mouth - from the upper palate to the lower tongue, from left to right.

Body

Body refers to the texture of coffee, such as the texture of milk, tea, or mineral water. Light-bodied coffee is easy to swallow, just like drinking mineral water.

Aftertaste

The final aspect of coffee tasting is aftertaste, which is the flavor that remains in the mouth after drinking the coffee. For example, there might be a thick sensation in the throat, or a clean feeling with nothing left behind.

It's good to understand some coffee terminology, but we should know that there is never right or wrong in tasting coffee, especially when judging dry aroma, wet aroma, and flavor. For example, perhaps you smell orange aroma from the coffee, while others detect spicy notes.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, ID: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473