Why Drink Coffee Despite Its Bitterness? Flavor and Taste Characteristics of Specialty Black Coffee

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Many people say that when you drink coffee to a certain level, you enter the realm of "metaphysics."

For those who are new to coffee, the taste is like this:

After drinking for a while, the taste becomes like this:

For coffee enthusiasts who appreciate the "metaphysics" of coffee, the taste is like this:

Return to Simplicity

Although coffee flavors are increasingly diverse today, many seasoned coffee lovers express that when you drink coffee to a certain level, you return to simplicity. It's those mellow, robust, balanced, and rich coffees that leave a lasting impression.

A: "Drip coffee emphasizes floral and fruity aromas, while espresso-style coffee focuses on syrupy flavors and various milk varieties. The flavors are truly rich, and everyone tries to find ways to discern the mysteries within, forgetting that drinking coffee is actually meant to help us relax."

B: "When coffees with rich acidity first appeared, everyone felt curious. But after drinking them for a while, you start to miss those low-acidity, mellow, rich, and robust coffees."

C: "After spending a long time in this restless world, the heart always yearns for those quiet, simple, and warm flavors."

The Depth of Coffee

Why is it that when people drink coffee for a long time, what they miss most are those rich and mellow flavors? Because of depth.

Humans are busy creatures. When our eyes see something, we stare and notice; when our ears hear something, we react. We remain in a tense state for long periods.

Unlike desserts where sweetness instantly lifts our mood, a cup of coffee with bitterness followed by sweetness can pull our attention from the busy world into a quiet, calm coffee world, allowing us to appreciate the subtleties within.

Even if it's not exceptionally good, as long as you drink a cup of coffee during a brief break, it can make you feel relaxed. If it tastes particularly good, it can completely sweep away your fatigue. Because what people seek from drinking coffee isn't really pursuing the flavors themselves, but rather the moment of relaxation that drinking coffee provides.

The Art of Making Coffee

However, creating a cup of coffee with bitterness followed by sweetness is not easy and greatly tests the professionalism of the coffee maker. Besides controlling the quality of coffee beans, one must also consider how to extend the roasting time to generate more sweetness while reducing the unpleasant bitterness. During the extraction process, one must make the coffee exhibit sweetness after bitterness, creating a balanced and mellow mouthfeel.

High-quality coffee beans + appropriate roasting methods + suitable brewing techniques, resulting in balanced flavors that make people feel comfortable and pleased—this is often what specialty coffee pursues. This is also why many people, after drinking coffee for a long time, miss those simple, pure-flavored cups of coffee.

The Essence of Coffee

In an aggressive era, many things make people cast aside purity—coffee shops not focusing on coffee, drinking coffee not for taste... The focus of coffee shops is on decoration, the emphasis in making coffee is on technique, and the focus in drinking coffee is on flavor. Whether it's truly professional or genuinely good doesn't matter; what's important is using these to show one's uniqueness.

But how tiring that is! Drinking coffee is meant for enjoyment. It's supposed to be a very relaxing thing, but it ends up becoming a task, tasting with a burden. Why bother?

Image source: Internet

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