Coffee Knowledge: Cupping Evaluation (Method)

Coffee cupping mainly judges the quality of coffee based on the coffee powder and coffee liquid, that is, the aroma of the coffee powder and the flavor of the coffee liquid: sour, bitter, sweet, mellow, fragrant, and astringent.

Coffee beans sun drying

01. Aroma of coffee powder (dry aroma):

Evaluate the aroma of coffee beans. Grind a certain amount of coffee, put it in 3 to 5 sample cups, and then smell the gas released by the freshly crushed coffee cells.

The characteristics of the aroma indicate the flavor of the coffee bean: a sweet smell indicates that it tastes sour; a pungent smell indicates that it tastes pungent. The strength of the aroma indicates the freshness of the coffee, that is, the time the coffee beans have been left between roasting and grinding. The aroma is composed of the most volatile aromatic compounds, especially those containing sulfur, such as methyl mercaptan. How to keep these substances in the coffee bean is very little.

02. The aroma of coffee liquid (wet aroma)

A. Check the aroma of the coffee liquid (during the steaming process). Pour 150 ml of fresh (oxidized) water that is about to boil into the freshly ground coffee powder and let the coffee powder soak in the water for 3 to 5 minutes. The coffee powder will form a cap-shaped shell on the water. Stir the coffee vigorously with a coffee spoon to break up the cap-shaped shell.

At this time, the gas released by the coffee powder due to the high temperature of the hot water is inhaled into the nasal cavity, so that the nasal septum can feel the full range of aromas: from fruity, grassy, ​​to nutty. The experience of cupping will enable the cupper to classify coffee according to the memory of various coffee smells. In the future, different types of coffee can be distinguished according to different smells. In general, the various aroma characteristics of coffee are related to the origin of the coffee. Correspondingly, the intensity of the aroma is related to the freshness of the coffee. Freshness is measured by the length of time from roasting to brewing. Freshness is also affected by the type of packaging that protects the coffee from moisture and oxidation.

B. Extracted coffee. Inhale the coffee through the surface of the tongue. Due to the change in water vapor pressure, some of the organic matter in the water changes from liquid to gas. The action of sucking the coffee hard allows the gas to enter the nasal cavity, allowing the cupper to analyze the smell of the coffee. Evaluating the taste and smell of the coffee at the same time allows the cupper to feel the unique taste characteristics of the coffee. Standard roasted coffee usually has the taste of caramelized products, while dark roasted coffee usually has the taste of products made by distillation.

Coffee Beans

03. Sour, bitter, astringent

Carefully savor the flavor of freshly brewed coffee. Use a special coffee spoon, also known as a cupping spoon, which is generally a round spoon with a capacity of 8~10CC. It is best to be silver-plated so that it can quickly dissipate heat. Take out 6~8CC of coffee liquid and put it in front of your mouth, and sip the coffee hard. Inhale the coffee quickly so that it is evenly distributed on the surface of the tongue. All sensory nerve endings will respond to sweet, salty, sour and bitter tastes at the same time.

Because temperature affects the degree of stimulation, paying attention to the reactions of different sensitive areas on the tongue can help capture different characteristics. For example, because temperature reduces sensitivity to the sweetness of sugar, acidic coffee will initially feel tingling rather than sweet on the tip of the tongue. Hold the coffee in your mouth for 3 to 5 seconds, focusing on the type and intensity of the flavor. In this way, primary and secondary taste characteristics can be evaluated.

04. Sweet (aftertaste)

Hold the coffee liquid in your mouth for a few seconds, then swallow a small portion. Quickly suck your throat to send the water vapor left on the back of the palate into the nasal cavity, and you can find the smell of the heavier molecules left on the back of the palate. The aroma of various compounds felt in the aftertaste stage is sweet, similar to chocolate; or campfire smoke, or cigar smoke; sometimes, there will be a stimulating spice smell, such as cloves; sometimes like resin, similar to rosin; sometimes, these smells are all present.

Green coffee beans processing

05. Alcohol

Evaluate the taste of the coffee. Gently slide your tongue across the upper palate of your mouth to feel the texture of the coffee. The feeling of oiliness and smoothness can measure the fat content in the coffee, while the feeling of "heaviness", thickness and viscosity of the coffee can measure the fiber and protein content of the coffee. Both constitute the body of the coffee. When the coffee has cooled down, repeat steps 3 to 5, taste, smell and aftertaste at least 2 to 3 times.

Let the temperature of the coffee cool down to compensate for the effect of temperature on the basic taste of the coffee. Therefore, a more accurate impression of the taste of the coffee is obtained through repeated tasting. When cupping coffee, 3 to 5 cups of each coffee sample should be prepared and tasted at the same time. This can find the consistency and similarity between cups in the same sample. When evaluating consistency, the cup taster has to evaluate whether the quality of a large number of coffees is consistent. The taste differences between them indicate that there are serious quality problems in the coffee.

Overall Rating

Is the coffee generally excellent and appealing to you, or is it just average, or do you simply not like it?

This scoring project is the cupper's overall assessment and can also reflect his personal preferences. Without the cupper's hard work in cupping each coffee, there would be no harvest for coffee farmers, and no refreshing drink in the cup. The true meaning of cupping is to find better coffee.

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