Tasting notes
Nothing is added Flavours already present in the bean.
Coffee is an extremely complex and aromatic drink. It's actually quite striking to see just how varied its flavours can be. Identifying tasting notes specific to each coffee makes it possible to compare beans, or to steer people toward the ones that match their preferences. Nothing is added… we're talking here about flavours that develop naturally in the coffee bean. But where do these famous flavours come from?
Where do the flavours come from?
Several elements influence the taste of coffee, and each one leaves its mark on the cup.
The cherry
It all starts with the cherry itself, which develops specific attributes as it grows.
Variety and terroir
The coffee variety that was planted, and the way it interacts with the terroir it grows in, will make the flavours vary a great deal.
The process
Once the cherry is picked, the process used to get the bean out of the fruit, dry it and ferment it also has a significant impact on the profile. Already at this stage, a multitude of flavour combinations are on the table.
The roast
For a coffee bean to give us all of its flavours, it has to be roasted, since a green bean is far less interesting. You can think of roasting as what unlocks the flavours that have developed, while also caramelizing the sugars and adding certain flavours typical of the roast itself.
Breaking down the cup
Identifying the flavours you taste is no easy task, especially for beginners. It's important to note that when we describe a tasting note — raspberry, for example — it can never match the experience of eating the fruit itself. After all, it's a cup of coffee! The goal is rather to connect certain elements present in the cup to sensory memories. For instance, a fruitiness that calls to mind the taste of a raspberry.
Breaking the tasting down into several elements makes the exercise less daunting. There's the fruit, the sugar, the acidity, the body, the aftertaste… Does the sugar bring to mind plain white sugar or caramelized brown sugar? Is the acidity closer to a lemon or to a red apple?
A matter of memory
Of course, all of this remains subjective; even raspberries themselves don't always taste the same, and your own personal experience with those fruits can shape your perception. What you identify in a cup of coffee will be tied to your memory of smells and tastes. Building that memory by tasting a range of fruits, spices and nuts can help you recognize those nuances in your next cup of coffee.
The flavour wheel From the centre outward.
The flavour wheel is a handy tool for putting precise words on what you're tasting. Flavours are grouped into categories at the centre, representing broad characteristics such as fruity, floral, nutty, spicy, and so on. Those categories are then subdivided to pin down the tasting notes. The idea is to start at the centre and work your way outward to describe precisely what you taste.
In the end, there's no secret. To improve your palate, practice is everything! Take the time to think about what you're tasting, even if at first the only note you can identify is “coffee”. Don't get discouraged! The more you practise, the more the flavours will reveal themselves. The beauty of this exercise is that you can easily do it every morning. Happy tasting!