Picture
Caption: ANAY MRIDUL THE ART OF COFFEE TASTING
Caption: A coffee tasting, or ‘cupping’, is carried out to identify the different characteristics of a particular roast, in the form of brewed coffee.
For this tasting, we used Starbucks’s signature Pike Place Roast, named after the address of its oldest store, located at 1912 Pike Place Market, Seattle.
Picture
Caption: The Pike Place Roast originated from Latin America, and the beans are of a medium-roasted level. This gives the coffee balance, with smooth and rich flavours.
Picture
Caption: We used a French Press to brew the coffee, as it is “very close in strength and character” to what is cupped in the Starbucks Tasting Room, according to the company.
This Press requires 58 grams of coarsely ground coffee.
Picture
Picture
Caption: Once ground, the coffee is transferred into the Press, where a slow stream of hot water is poured to the brim.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: The coffee is brewed for four minutes, giving it enough time to reach the correct level and proportion of dilution.
After that, the Press is slowly plunged, to separate the coffee grounds from the brewed coffee.
Picture
Caption: The Pike Place Roast, as described by Starbucks, is “well-rounded with subtle notes of cocoa and toasted nuts balancing the smooth mouthfeel”.
Four features of a coffee are identified, all different yet crucial to the final taste of the roast.
Picture
Caption: The first characteristic is the Aroma, which is “the way a coffee smells”.
The second is the Acidity, defined as “the tanginess or tartness of coffee”, and can be low, medium or high.
Then comes the Body. It is the wright of a coffee on your tongue, described as light, medium or full.
The fourth and final feature is the Flavour, which is the way the coffee tastes. This can sometimes be obvious, and sometimes subtle.
Caption: How do you identify these characteristics? There are four steps for a coffee cupping.
Picture
Caption: SMELL Always the first step, because your nose can detect thousands of aromas.
Liam McCombe, a Coffee Master at Starbucks, described the aroma of the Pike Place as chocolatey and smokey.
Picture
Caption: SLURP This allows the coffee to reach all the tasting zones of your mouth.
The baristas found the Roast to have a Medium body, with Mariestellar An, another Coffee Master, calling it ‘easy to drink’.
Picture
Caption: LOCATE It means to evaluate the weight and feel of the coffee in your mouth.
The baristas felt that the coffee had medium acidity, with sweet notes of caramel and chocolate and a richness similar to cedar wood.
Picture
Caption: DESCRIBE This refers to expressing your coffee-tasting experience. It also involves pairing the coffee with a food item.
In this case, the Pike Place Roast was paired with the Lemon and Poppyseed Muffin to bring out the best flavours of the coffee.
Picture
Caption: “TASTE AS MANY COFFEES AS YOU CAN... YOU’VE GOT TO TASTE IT FROM EVERYWHERE.” LIAM McCOMBE
Picture
Caption: This coffee cupping was hosted at Starbucks St. Martin’s Lane, London on 24 November 2017.