Saturday, I attended a coffee-cupping class at Sozo Coffee Roasting and Expresso Bar.  What that means is a class in how to taste and evaluate coffee.  The class is at an introductory level, which is exactly what I need.

We started  with two table spoons of coffee in a 6 oz cup.  We were instructed to smell the coffee and note the fragrance.  Fragrance being the smell of the dry grounds.  To help us in that task, we were introduced to the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel.

We didn’t spend much time looking at the chart.  Rather, we zeroed in on the sensory experience.  The gals seemed to be better at detecting and describing the fragrance of the coffee.  It was fun as our small group (nine folks) shared observations with each other and we tried to detect what the others were reporting.  I might not have appreciated how subjective this process was before, but as we went through this it was becoming increasingly obvious.

Evaluating aroma (the smell when the grounds are wet) is the next step.  We added water just off the boil to our cups and smelled them.  Two minutes later, we used a hot spoon to crack the crust on the top of the cup and noted the aroma.  The strongest aroma is let loose as the crust is cracked.

We all noticed a huge difference between fragrance (dry) and aroma (wet) of the coffee.  During the entire process, our teacher, Rodney, is teaching, explaining and helping us through this process.  There were lots of interesting stories along the way.

The final step involves taking a spoonful of hot coffee and aspirating (slurping) it into the mouth to cover the complete tongue.  Once again, you observe the individual characteristics.  The focus being on flavor.  I was most comfortable with this step.  For years, I have been aware of the tongue’s ability to detect different tastes on different parts of the tongue.

We went through this process with three different coffees. The class concluded with this: “The secret to becoming a good coffee cupper is simple: trust yourself by practicing regularly and be humble enough to continue to learn from others.”

On the way to the register to pay for the class, I picked up a bag of Guatemalan coffee.  I bought my way to freedom and signed up for the brewing class to be held next month.

I’m looking forward to the brewing class.  I want to retire my Mr Coffee machine.  I hate the flavor of the paper filters.  Yes, I really can taste it in my cup.  I could before I attended this class.  Yuck!