Coffee cupping is a challenging topic. The practice itself is quite simple in many respects. You prepare coffee in a particular way, and then you smell and taste it – we go into all this during the latest Coffee Lovers Radio.
Each episode, we explore some concept in coffee; a brewing method, a best practice, a myth explored. Almost every episode, our discussion, our findings, and our tests all involve this process at some point. Coffee cupping is the process by which we explore the tasting of coffee. We can find all of the available flavors and aroma characteristics of a coffee with this process. We can discover problems, and find wonderful gems.
It is also a topic we have never really talked about directly – though in a previous episode we did discuss tasting coffee with Barista Maniac. We felt it time to address the process head on. Why do we cup coffee? How do we cup coffee?
What makes this topic a challenge is that it is all too easy to dive down the rabbit hole. Conversation can become swiftly inaccessible to the inexperienced. When I first started tasting coffee through this cupping method, I personally found the process daunting. No one wants to be wrong. Yet you are immediately thrust into the position of having to make a judgement. We try to make the introduction as smooth as possible; just say the first thing that comes to your mind, there's no wrong answer.
Still – the process is daunting. I'll actually be publishing an article on this very subject soon.
For now, if you have any interest in exploring the taste, nuances, and possibilities of coffee, you will want to listen to this week's show. We do get a little sidetracked here and there, but stick with us till the end, there are some real gems to be found.
Hosts:
Joseph Robertson – Coffee Lovers Magazine
Jesse Nelson – Conduit Coffee
Neil Oney – Cloud City Coffee and El Diablo
Mentioned on the Show:
Everyman Espresso
Plowshares Coffee
Barista Maniac
Passionhouse Coffee
Nobletree Coffee & John Moore
Northwest Cup Tasters League