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At Hood River Coffee Co. we are continuously
cupping coffee in order to determine what our seasons choices
will be and to make sure that our current offerings are of
the same excellent and consistent quality as when we first
contracted them.
Cupping is a method of systematically evaluating
the aroma and taste of coffee beans. It is often used by growers,
buyers and roasters to assess the quality of a particular
coffee sample. Proper cupping requires the adherence to an
exacting set of brewing standards and a formal step-by-step
evaluation process. A trained cupper generally looks at six
characteristics:
:: Fragrance - the smell of beans after grinding
:: Aroma - the smell of ground-up beans after being steeped
in water
:: Taste - the flavor of the coffee
:: Nose - the vapors released by the coffee in the mouth
:: Aftertaste - the vapors and flavors that remain after swallowing
:: Body - the feel of the coffee in the mouth
The location of the 4 basic taste sensations
are shown on the diagram and are Sweet, Salt ,Sour, Bitter.
Within each of these basic sensations are other more complex
primary and secondary sensations. It is through many years
of experience and repeated cuppings that a cupper is able
to properly evaluate a coffees subtle characteristics.
Information above excerpted from the Specialty
Coffee Association of America website at http://www.scaa.org/
Diagram excerpted from http://www.healthline.com/
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