Coffee tasting guide:
It begins the first time you smell the enticing aroma and sip the coffee. Your Coffee Tasting Guide gives you a place to record your sensory journey. It also provides you with what you need to know and communicate about how we ethically source, roast, brew and taste coffee.
Fundamentals of coffee tasting:
Follow each of these steps every time you taste to truly appreciate the characteristics of the coffees. See how the characteristics you like correspond to region, processing method and roast.
Smell: Always smell a coffee before you taste it. Your tongue distinguishes only four tastes: salty, sweet, bitter and sour—but your nose can detect thousands of smells. Cup your hand over the coffee, hold the cup close to your nose and inhale.
Slurp: When tasting a coffee, it’s important to slurp it. Slurping sprays the coffee across your entire palate and lets subtle flavours and aromas reach your nose.
Locate: Think about where you are experiencing flavors on your tongue. Is it on the tip and sides? What is the mouthfeel and weight of the coffee on your tongue?
Describe: Now that you’ve smelled and tasted the coffee, think about how you would describe the experience. Describe the aroma, acidity, body and flavour?
PREPARATION PROPORTIONS:
Ginza Coffee Collective recommends 2 Tbsp (10 g) ground coffee for every 6 fl oz (180 ml) of water for proper extraction.
GRIND
Grind determines how long the water and coffee are in contact, and how much flavor is extracted. Proper grind delivers only the coffee’s best flavours.
WATER
Coffee is 98 percent water, so fresh, good- tasting water is essential. If your local tap water tastes good, it’s likely to make a good cup of coffee. otherwise use filtered or bottled water.
FRESHNESS
Think of coffee as fresh produce. The enemies of coffee are oxygen, light, heat and moisture. Store opened coffee in an opaque, airtight container (like a flavour LockTM bag) at room temperature, and use within a week of opening.
How to brew in a coffee press at home:
Preparation:
STEP 1: Start with coarsely ground coffee (2 Tbsp for every 6 fl oz water).
STEP 2: Add hot water just off the boil.
STEP 3: Brew for four minutes.
STEP 4: Then press and pour.
