Cupping is the method coffee professionals use to evaluate the main characteristics of a particular coffee bean.  Using the technique allows the person to compare and contrast coffees and to identify and distinguish one flavour characteristic from another.  Cupping is both a science and an art.

Although we will not go into the technique of cupping at this time, gaining an understanding of the basic criteria used by the coffee expert when tasting and describing coffee should help to eliminate some of the mystery and confusion involved when you search for a coffee that most closely matches your own taste preferences.  There are four basic tasting categories to become familiar with; aroma, acidity, body and flavour.

Aroma
Aroma is how coffee first introduces itself to you. It is the fragrance produced by freshly brewed coffee.  Aroma can be difficult to distinguish from flavour.  When we inhale through our nose, the smell of the coffee mingles with the flavour sensation we simultaneously receive on our palate.  Subtle fine distinctions can be detected with our “nose” beyond the basic flavours perceived by our palate alone.  Fleeting floral or winy notes can be detected most clearly in the aroma.  Some words used to describe positive aroma characteristics are fruity, floral, fragrant, chocolaty, earthy, nutty, winy, pungent, caramelly, and spicy.

Acidity
Acidity is one of the most important tasting categories.  We are not referring to the actual acid content in the coffee but rather a desirable and pleasant tart taste experience found in sipping a good coffee.  Acidity in coffee can be related to the desirable dryness of a fine wine.  The tartness is experienced at the edges of your tongue and the back of your palate.  It is what gives coffee its lively snap or vibrant quality.  Without acidity coffee will taste flat and dull.   The quantity of acidity does not necessarily denote a quality coffee, but rather it is the expression of that acidity which is important.  Is the coffee pleasantly tart or is there an unpleasant sour taste?  Positive acidity characteristics may be described as brisk, clean, bright, mellow, dry, delicate, snappy, tart, lively, tangy or vibrant.  A darker roast of coffee (up to a medium dark) will normally have less acidity than a light or medium roast and more sweetness will come through in the taste.

Body
Body is the perceived weight, thickness, fullness or richness that the coffee imparts on your tongue and palate, and the lingering taste that remains after you swallow.  Body is used to define the “mouth feel” of a coffee.  It can be light or it can be full.  Along with the bean origin, the brewing process will also impact on body; coffee brewed in a cafetiére, where fine particulates remain suspended in the brew will always produce a heavier body than a filter-drip process.  Coffees with heavier body will present more flavour and will carry its flavour well when milk is added.  South and Central American coffees tend to be light-bodied while Sumatran coffees tend toward the heaviest body.  Words associated with body are rich, heavy, sweet, thick, smooth, light, buttery, and creamy.

Flavour
Aroma, acidity and body combine to create the components of flavour.  It is the balance between these characteristics that will define your overall impression of the coffee.  This is a very subjective impression; it is what you think the coffee tastes like overall.

Balance, complexity and aftertaste must also be addressed when defining taste.  When the flavour is well-rounded it is said to be balanced. No one quality overwhelms another.  In a balanced coffee all the basic characteristics are present equally, but there exists enough complexity to keep the interest of the coffee drinker aroused. 

Most single origin coffees do not present balanced flavour characteristics.  Many roasters will make adjustments by blending different origins together to create a more balanced flavour experience.  The oldest traditional blend is the Mocha Java.  Ever-popular because the two coffees complement one another so well, the acidity and aroma of the Mocha balances the softer, full-bodied Java.

The coexistence of many elements; acidity, body, spiciness, and sweetness for example, combine to make the coffee taste more complex.  Complexity of flavour is found when the elements combine to create pleasing and interesting sensations which may not reveal themselves immediately or definitively.  As well as blending to add balance to the overall coffee flavour, the roaster will often blend to create complexity in the cup.

Finally, the aftertaste, sometimes called the “finish”, is the lingering flavour that stays after the coffee is swallowed.  It can either reinforce the favourable attributes of the coffee or weaken the overall effect.  Does the coffee flavour sweetly disappear, or is there a lingering roughness?

By experimenting, comparing, and generally getting to know these four flavour characteristics, you will find the combination of attributes that suit your palate best.  As you experiment with different coffees, think about which characteristics appeal to you most.  Find out what other coffees are available that offer you a similar or different taste experience.  There are no hard and fast rules as each person will find different flavour elements pleasurable.  Happy hunting!