Coffee Tasting Notes: How to Improve Your Palate and Appreciate Specialty Coffees
At our coffee roastery, we specialise in producing unique and experimental single origin coffees that are rich in flavour and complexity. To fully appreciate the nuances and subtleties of these specialty coffees, it's important to train your palate to detect different tasting notes. In this post, we'll explore some tips and tricks to help you get better at identifying tasting notes in coffee.
Using a flavour wheel can help you identify specific tasting notes
Start with the basics
Before you dive into the world of complex and experimental coffee flavours, it's important to understand the basics. Begin by tasting classic single origin coffees like Colombian or Ethiopian and practice identifying their characteristic flavours. Colombian coffees, for example, are known for their chocolate and caramel notes, while Ethiopian coffees often have fruity and floral notes.
Focus on one flavour at a time
When trying to identify tasting notes in coffee, it can be overwhelming to try and detect all the different flavours at once. Instead, focus on one flavour at a time. Take a sip of the coffee and concentrate on one specific taste - maybe it's the citrusy notes or the nutty undertones. Pay attention to how that flavour develops throughout the tasting.
Use a flavour wheel (we use this one from CoffeeMind)
A flavour wheel is a handy tool that can help you identify specific tasting notes in coffee. The wheel categorises flavours into different groups, such as fruity, nutty, or floral. By using a flavour wheel, you can train your palate to detect more subtle and specific flavours in coffee.
Experiment with food pairings
Tasting coffee alongside different foods can help you identify and appreciate different flavours in coffee. For example, if you're tasting a coffee with chocolate notes, try pairing it with a piece of dark chocolate. The pairing can bring out the chocolate notes in the coffee and make them more noticeable.
Keep a tasting journal
A tasting journal can help you track your progress and improve your palate over time. Take notes on the coffees you taste, including their origin, tasting notes, and any other observations. Refer back to your journal as you try new coffees to see how your palate has developed and improved.
At our roastery, we specialize in producing single origin coffees that are rich in flavour and complexity. By using these tips and tricks to train your palate, you can fully appreciate the unique and experimental flavours of our coffees. Try out these techniques and see how your tasting skills improve over time.
