Taste Module III - Building Command

Add this to my tasting sop.

In your first language, you have a high level of education. You've read hundreds of books and articles, written countless essays and rants on the Internet. The point is, the amount of practice you have in your first language vs your coffee language is like the difference between Stephen King and that one guy who sometimes comes to your coffee shop talking about working on his novel.

== 1. Learn to describe coffee. ==

1. Aroma matching and IDs
2. Taste/intensity pairs
3. Body
4. Flavor (SCA coffee flavor wheel, reference flavors)
5. Sweetness
6. Acidity and Brightness (Organic acids)
7. Finish

If You Want to Pursue Q-Grader-ship, Learn the Theory. The Flavor Wheel Lexicon.

Lindsey Bolger | A Sensory Lexicon: The Science of Flavor
https://youtu.be/YCTlk1uj1nM

SCAA How to Use the Flavor Wheel in 8 Steps
http://www.scanews.coffee/2016/02/05/how-to-use-the-coffee-tasters-flavor-wheel-in-8-steps/

Stemless Snifters for Tasting the References
https://www.didriks.com/schott-zwiesel-forte-stemless-snifter

== 2. Q-Grader practice ==

1. Triangulation practice
2. Cupping practice
3. Green coffee knowledge not grading
4. Sample roast ID
5. Roasted coffee grading (Coffee Roaster's Companion)

How to Perform a Cupping Session
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVJvfn-NESM&t=59s

NPR | Coffee is the New Wine: Here's How You Taste It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QCsOn4-fmg

Coffee Cup Tasting w/Tim Wendelboe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUh8ScYp9TY

Cupping doesn't matter. In fact, it's not even the best way to taste coffee. The original purpose of coffee cupping was to make it easy for coffee graders to quickly judge dozens of coffees.