Coffee Tastings: Unlock the Secrets of the Bean

Many of us have been to wine tastings at stately vineyards and several cities host beer festivals where you can sample various drafts; however, I recently had a chance to try something different: a coffee tasting.

If you’re lucky enough to live in a city that can support specialty coffee houses, this is a great way to learn more about how coffee is grown, harvested, and processed while enjoying some delicious, award-winning coffees. At Trabant, a small Seattle-based coffee house, we sampled five Cup of Excellence winning coffees from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Columbia, and Brazil, all brewed on an amazing Clover brewer.

We were given brief instructions on how to taste the coffee, both when piping hot and slightly cooled, and then shared our impressions. Many of the descriptions were as complex as those usually given to characterize wine. To try this at home, first smell your coffee by breathing in through your mouth, as well as your nose, to capture the full aroma. Tasting is actually done more as a ‘slurp’ than a sip, this action spreads the coffee evenly over your tongue and palate, improving your ability to notice flavors. Finally, after swallowing, chew lightly to develop the strongest impression of the coffee’s aftertaste. My favorite coffee was the Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama, from Brazil, a lightly roasted variety which developed a smooth honey flavor as it cooled - I ended up buying a pound to take home. Cup of Excellence coffees are distributed by various roasters throughout North America. Check with your local coffee house for tasting opportunities.

--Broadstone