Coffee Cupping vs. Coffee Tastings
In the specialty coffee industry there is a practice that is protocol for any decent, responsible and quality focused roaster called cupping. Coffee cupping is something that is for the most part, well known to specialty coffee professionals from baristas to CEOs of said coffee companies. Cuppings are a method of determining the quality of a particular coffee. When we get a green coffee sample at Krums (our roasting facility/coffee lab) I roast it on our sample roaster for the next days cupping.
We grind the coffee into 7 ounce cups, and that begins the ritual of
cupping. We smell the dry smell (called fragrance) and we take notes
through the entire process. We then pour hot water into each cup and
smell again, this time the wet smell (called aroma), take notes again. Once the crust forms, after 4 minutes,
we break it with our cupping spoons,
inhale deeply and take more notes (getting the idea yet?). We then skim
that crust, and start slurping.
Imagine being a little kid, and you get a bowl of very hot soup, instinctually you put a bit of the soup into the spoon bowl and slurp air along with the coffee in order to both cool the coffee as you take it in, and to spray your palate with the coffee. We are known to have taste buds all the way down into our throats, so we want to spread the coffee (love) in order to really get an idea of what this coffee has to offer. Now, once we have all of our notes written down on our cupping form, we make decisions based on said cupping. Cupping is a method to technically evaluate coffee. A side effect of said technical evaluation is tasting some amazing, and sometimes some not so amazing coffees. But the true reason of a cupping is to score coffees according to their acidity, fragrance, aroma, body, finish and balance and definitely to detect any defects, not just to taste coffee. Cupping is a fantastic tool for companies and brokers/importers to communicate within. It is an evaluative tool, not just a way to taste for coffee notes.
Coffee tastings are an all together different story. This is where we can really have fun because there are no rules except to drink coffee! I like to differentiate between the two, because one is for practical/technical/purchasing/evaluating purposes and the other is for education/comparison and for the pleasure of drinking coffee. At Krums we cup 2 and sometimes 3 times a day, and believe me, my wife gets annoyed when I come home after work right after an afternoon cupping! I love sharing new and different coffees with folks both in and out of the industry, and public tastings are something we are thinking of taking on in the future, so stay tuned.
Imagine being a little kid, and you get a bowl of very hot soup, instinctually you put a bit of the soup into the spoon bowl and slurp air along with the coffee in order to both cool the coffee as you take it in, and to spray your palate with the coffee. We are known to have taste buds all the way down into our throats, so we want to spread the coffee (love) in order to really get an idea of what this coffee has to offer. Now, once we have all of our notes written down on our cupping form, we make decisions based on said cupping. Cupping is a method to technically evaluate coffee. A side effect of said technical evaluation is tasting some amazing, and sometimes some not so amazing coffees. But the true reason of a cupping is to score coffees according to their acidity, fragrance, aroma, body, finish and balance and definitely to detect any defects, not just to taste coffee. Cupping is a fantastic tool for companies and brokers/importers to communicate within. It is an evaluative tool, not just a way to taste for coffee notes.
Coffee tastings are an all together different story. This is where we can really have fun because there are no rules except to drink coffee! I like to differentiate between the two, because one is for practical/technical/purchasing/evaluating purposes and the other is for education/comparison and for the pleasure of drinking coffee. At Krums we cup 2 and sometimes 3 times a day, and believe me, my wife gets annoyed when I come home after work right after an afternoon cupping! I love sharing new and different coffees with folks both in and out of the industry, and public tastings are something we are thinking of taking on in the future, so stay tuned.
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Jenni Nov 25, 2008 – 11:21 AM
Gabe, spread the coffee (love)!
chris Nov 25, 2008 – 1:32 PM
So do you use the cupping method with the coffee 'tasting' but more laid back. Or do you use filter or press?
At The Angel Coffee House I try and cup a couple of coffees a day, and any staff/enthusiastic customers around get dragged in if I find something interesting, or a stunning coffee!
Chris, Common Grind
Gabe Nov 25, 2008 – 5:51 PM
Hey Chris! Thanks for the comment. We use French presses for the tastings, but in general, you can use any method. Cupping is so technical and time/labor/cncentration intensive and I think tastings are more about just that, TASTE.
But if we were cupping and a customer (wholesale or retail) joined in, I would be happy to welcome them and explain what is going on. It's certainly a good educational tool, but one I think that is often used too often without enough real structure/background/information.
Gourmetur Jan 21, 2009 – 3:18 PM
Hey Gabe I'm definitely bookmarking your blog. I can't wait for the Panama! :)