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Home Tasting
Developing your own personal quality control; that's one of the
main motives behind deliberate tasting sessions. It's a way of evaluating,
determining quality coffee from non-quality coffee. Moreover, it
gives you the knowledge you need to make a deliberate, personalized
choice behind the coffee you buy. Tasting sessions are not reserved
for only professionals. Any coffeephile can set up a tasting session
is his/her home. Although the process consists of several steps,
it is not hard work and demands only one prerequisite: coffee-speak.
Before you begin tasting, you should become familiar with the coffee
vocabulary that has evolved to describe the tastes and smells that
you will encounter. It is also a good idea to learn about the characteristics
particular to each coffee brewing region. In doing so, you can better
analyze the blends or create your very own blends. Novice coffee
tasters should begin with three types of coffees and two friends.
A home tasting session
3 tasters tasting 3 coffees
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WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
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Nine 6-ounce cups
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3 teaspoons of whole coffee beans, for each type of coffee
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1 litre of fresh water
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3 teaspoons
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3 books and 3 pencils
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1.
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Preparation:
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Align three sets of three coffee mugs on a table or counter.
Make sure you are close to a sink because the process requires
you to spit often and rinse your spoon between samples.
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2.
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Measuring and Grinding:
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Measure 1 teaspoon of coffee beans for each person. Grind
the beans coarsely. Then, put 1 teaspoon of the grounds
into one coffee mug. Repeat the operation for each coffee
sample and make sure to clean the coffee grinder for each
sample. Write the names of the coffees on cards and place
them under the appropriate mugs.
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3.
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Heating the Water:
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To ensure the water is properly aerated, pour cold water
right before you fill the kettle. Also, make sure it does
not smell or emit any questionable tastes.
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4.
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Filling the Mugs:
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With the water that begins to simmer, fill each cup to the
rim, in the order in which you will taste them. If necessary,
place the kettle back on the burner. In a booklet, note the
order in which the coffee was prepared.
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5.
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"Breaking the Crust":
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After allowing the coffee to cool for a couple minutes, place
your nose close to the cup and, with the end of your spoon,
break the crust that the grounds have formed on the surface.
This is considered one of the most important steps in coffee
tasting; at this precise moment, you will get your first impressions
of the aromas that are released. Immediately after breathing
in the aromas a couple times, note your impressions. They
will be less accurate if you prolong the process. Be as specific
as possible and limit your olfactory description to two or
three concise terms. Take note of the aromatic conditions
of each cup, making sure to rinse your spoon each time.
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6.
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Sipping:
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When the coffee has sufficiently cooled, dip the tip of your
tongue in such a way as to sip (loudly) the liquid. Drink
in such a way that the coffee contacts all parts of the tongue.
This technique allows the coffee to reach the back of the
tongue and allows the nasal passages to experience new aromas.
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Different parts of the tongue taste differently. Bitterness and
acidity are tasted at the back of the tongue while the sides are
sensitive to stale, sober tastes. The tip of the tongue is able
to detect specific flavours. The best analysis, when it comes to
taste, usually occurs during the second tasting.
Professional Tasting
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