Today’s post is devoted to tasting better coffee… better! We’ll explore the top five coffee flavor attributes behind every great cup (besides impact for us, of course!) and end with a special invitation to join our very first Coffee Tasting Experience at the roastery, Sep 22 - Oct 27.
While coffee is professionally graded based on ten attributes (fragance/aroma, acidity, body, flavor, sweetness, cleanliness, balance, uniformity, aftertaste, absence of defects), there are five that, in our view, are more important and absolutely essential for every single bean that is worth roasting for you, and today we wanted to share with you some of our insights on why…
(1) Fragrance & aroma - this is one of the most distinct qualities of coffee and the very first thing you’ll experience on any coffee… from the moment you open the bag to the moment you grind and brew, we want your senses inundated with an intoxicating aroma that will serve as a warm invitation to take that first sip! If a coffee doesn’t deliver on this attribute, we already know that the flavor will be underwhelming as well, since retro-nasal aromas are also an important component of overall flavor (the proof: food just doesn’t taste the same when you have a cold - because you’re missing all those retro-nasal aromas!)
(2) Flavor - of course! Coffees must have other “tasting notes” beyond just the characteristic roasted notes. Typically, the more high-scoring the coffee, the more flavor complexity it will have… yet there’s also a practical limit, as we’ve found that coffees that are too complex or exotic tend not to be as enjoyable for most drinkers (i.e. they’re more of an ‘acquired taste’). We personally enjoy a wide range of coffees, from the more traditional nutty and chocolatey profiles to the uniquely exotic ones (i.e. barrel aged!), and we always aim to have a wide range of choices for you.
(3) Body - this is the sensation of viscosity (technically defined as the “resistance to flow”), and is perhaps best practically illustrated with the example of melted ice cream (high body) vs. full-fat milk (medium body) vs. skim milk (low body) vs. water (no body). Coffees with more body generally have higher soluble solids, which translate into a more flavorful and more satisfying drinking experience, which we are always seeking!
(4) Sweetness - this is often also described as “smoothness” in the coffee drinking experience, and is all about the available caramelized and residual sugars in the cup. Another essential attribute for every single coffee we source, and one where we also look for that perfect balance of sweetness and acidity (which also happens to be nature’s secret ingredient in every delicious piece of fruit you’ve ever had).
(5) Aftertaste - this is the lingering flavor in the back of your tongue once you have swallowed that delicious cup (or cups!)… it should be very pleasant and reminiscent of a comforting, familiar taste or experience. This attribute is again related to the aroma components that linger in the back of your mouth (swallowing actually ‘pushes’ those coffee aromatics into the nasal cavity, thus enhancing retronasal aroma perception) - and one of the most distinct differences between mass-produced, commercial coffees (which tend to have a strong single-note, ashy aftertaste) and high-end coffees like ours (which have cleaner, mellower, sweeter, nutty or chocolatey aftertastes - largely thanks to the quality of the beans, and to the superior slow roasting/fast cooling profiles you can achieve when you roast in small batches).
We invite you to evaluate each of these attributes on the next cup you get to enjoy, and notice which particular attributes are most important to you (and we would love it if you could share them with us… we never stop searching for that amazing coffee experience for you!).
We would also like to invite you to join us for our very first ticketed, in-person coffee tasting experience at the roastery! We’re limiting to just TEN participants (18 and older) per date (Fridays at 6 pm, from Sept 22 - Oct 27), so we can give you the best experience possible. We’ll provide all instruction materials (including cupping tools for your own personal use that day), delectable sensory aids, a bag of freshly roasted coffee to continue your journey at home (curated and roasted just for you earlier that day), and a few extra surprises I don’t want to spoil! It is our goal to make this an evening worth your valuable time, and one that will mark a step forward in your coffee journey, and in our Ethos journey as well! Tickets are now available online and I truly can’t wait to see you there,
💛 Lisbeth
P.S. Just in case you missed it… our new “El Espejo” microlot is also now online… and every bit as awesome as we promised it would be!
